Last reviewed on 17 December 2020
Following the recent changes to COVID-19 restrictions, you might be feeling upset, confused and perhaps even angry. You're not alone. In response to the news of the second national lockdown in November, the Chief Executive of the charity Mind said: "We are facing the greatest test of our mental health this year". However the new normal looks and however you feel about it, it’s useful to have some techniques to help you adapt to what might happen next.
You can find out more about how to accept uncertainty in this worksheet by the Centre for Clinical Interventions.
So, what else can you do to look after your mental wellbeing at the moment? The team at Good Thinking, London’s digital mental wellbeing service, have put together these tips to help you. You can also get recommendations for NHS-approved apps if you’re feeling anxious, stressed, depressed or having trouble sleeping. Simply go to the Good Thinking home page for more information.
You might be anxious about the new restrictions or how you'll get back to ‘normal life’ once they are eased. Many others feel the same way – a recent survey by Anxiety UK revealed that people are particularly worried about using public transport, going shopping and returning to work or education.
Take the Good Thinking anxiety quiz or anxiety self-assessment to get recommendations for NHS-approved wellbeing apps.
Listen to our podcasts about mindfulness and OCD.
Use the Centre for Clinical Interventions' Anxiety workbook.
Although stress is a perfectly normal reaction to some type of threat (it prepares you for ‘fight or flight’), when you’re facing an ongoing threat, it becomes something quite different. You might find that your mind is full of worries because you feel restricted or trapped.
Read our article about stress and take the Good Thinking stress quiz.
If you’re normally out at work all day and busy with family, friends and hobbies the rest of the time, you might be finding things rather boring right now. As a result, you might feel restless, frustrated, lethargic or even angry and you might have been hoping that the restrictions would not be increased any further.
Read our articles about managing boredom and connecting with nature. If you’re worried that your boredom is becoming something more serious, like depression, you could take the Good Thinking low mood quiz to get recommendations for NHS-approved wellbeing apps.
Loneliness is the unpleasant feeling you get when the contact you have is not the contact you desire. For many older people, in particular, loneliness and isolation are a big issue during the coronavirus lockdown.
Read our article about coping with loneliness and listen to the Good Thinking podcast about mindfulness.
Finding it hard to fall asleep? Waking up in the middle of the night? A survey published in early June 2020 by King's College London/Ipsos MORI found that almost two-thirds (63%) of people in the UK say their sleep has been worse than usual during the coronavirus outbreak. Good Thinking is here to help.
You might also find the Good Thinking podcast about sleep and the Centre for Clinical Interventions' Sleep workbook useful.
If you’re a parent or carer, you can find lots of wellbeing advice for children and young people on the Good Thinking website.