Surviving Lockdown

The past few weeks have been challenging for everyone as wesuddenly face a very uncertain world. All our safety and securities have beenpulled out from underneath us, and the situation is changing so rapidly that we have all been side-lined by this pandemic. I am concerned for my patients, but not worried and here’s why.

Yes, we face a pandemic that has blind-sided us, and thereis a great deal of health anxiety at the moment. At the same time, I see many of my patients prioritising their health, taking greater responsibility for their lifestyle choices, and really taking stock of their current health situation.

Yes, this will increase anxiety levels in some people, and Ido worry about my patients that already have anxiety and conditions that make them fear the environment (such as OCD). Yet, many of us have come through greater adversity in our lifetimes.  We, as humans, are a very resilient. Mankind has come through greater pandemics, such as the plague, and we’ve also survived world wars.

In recent years, I have seen so many of my patients (andmyself) feel that the pace of life has sped up to an overwhelming level. Manyof us will now be forced to slow down. With travel no longer being an option in the short run, the whole world will slow down. For most of us, this will feel very uncomfortable at first, but it will enable us to stop and appreciate the world around us.

This may be the pandemic’s biggest gift to mankind. But only if we adjust our mindsets. We cannot control what is happening around us, but we now face a choice of how we perceive and use this extra time we have all been given.

We’ll have the time to do the things we’ve always wanted to do, but never had the time for, such as learning a language, reading more books, learning to sew and scrapbooking old photograph albums.  We will have time to eat our meals at a table and properly digest them instead of mindlessly eating at a desk.  We will have more time for our children.

For our frontline staff battling this pandemic, life will be busier, but as the spotlight falls on our doctors, nurses and our NHS ingeneral, they will hopefully begin to get the recognition that they have long deserved as we begin to appreciate the work that they do.

Yes, money will be tighter for all of us, and we’ll have to learn how to economise and go back to basics. Humans have done this before many times. We’ve had prosperity for so long that we’ve taken the excess and luxury for granted. We will gain a new appreciation for the food on our tables.

Yes, we will be isolated, but we may end up spending more quality time with friends and family, although in a different, more unusual,way. Friends have told me that they still have their games’ nights with friends, only now they do it  virtually. Find creative ways to stay connected.

Nature will be given a bit of space to breathe as tourism comes to a halt. We already see the water of Venice beginning to run clear, with birds and fish returning.

We may end up having a closer connection to our local communities as we help support those that are more vulnerable. We’ll connect with neighbours again.

But mostly, we will learn just how resilient we are and that we have huge capacity to adapt to change.

I would like to encourage you to look for the positives inthis situation and use this time wisely. Here are my recommendations:

1.      Keep a disciplined routine. Keeping a strict routine will help keep you focused. Make sure, though, that you schedule in plenty of time for self-care.

2.      Keep a gratitude journal. I have been asked if people can—or even should—feel grateful under such dire circumstances. My response is absolutely, yes. Gratitude may not come easy when you have lost your business, have financial worries and have to isolate, but when disaster strikes, gratitude offers us a perspective from which we can view life in its entirety so as not to be overwhelmed by temporary circumstances. Every day, write down 3 things for which you are grateful. They need not be big.  For instance, being grateful for a sunny day,or a nourishing meal.  

3.      Do the popular online course on wellness, whichis free for the next few months: https://www.coursera.org/learn/the-science-of-well-being

4.      Exercise daily. Endorphins are not the only “feel-good” chemicals released through exercising. You will also produce neurotransmitters (including serotonin, norepinephrine, BDNF and dopamine) that support a feeling of happiness and wellbeing. If you can, get out in fresh air but keep a safe distance from others.

5.      Eat well. Many of us have relied too much on conveniencefoods because of having such limited time. Many of us will have to economise. Simple, home cooked foods are not only more inexpensive, but healthier too.

6.      Schedule an hour for doing the things you’ve always felt you would love to do if you had more time. Separate work and relaxation time as much as possible. While working from home, the lines between the two will become blurred.

7.      Get involved in the community. It is known that giving and helping makes us feel better. Be kind to others. We are all dealingwith challenges at the moment. During times like this, we will witness both thegood and the bad in people. Let your actions be the good.

8. Limit your time watching news.  We do need to keep an eye on government updates, but too much news is creating a situation of fear and panic. Each day we can only do what we can and then we have to step back from the fear.

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Over the next few months, I will be here to help support people look after their health. Get in touch if you would like extra support during this time.