Lockdown is easing yet the situation remains challenging – there’s even a song about it. Isolation is at the heart of the issue. US psychologist Professor Joanne Holt-Lunstad says ‘being connected to others socially is widely considered crucial to both well-being and survival’. It’s natural to miss face-to-face contact with friends, colleagues and family. We know connecting daily with someone outside the home boosts wellbeing, yet as zoom-enthusiasm fades we need to de-stress, lift mood and connect in other ways. Here are some ideas.
Acknowledging your feelings helps reduce stress.
Burn-out was a growing health issue pre-coronavirus, so given recent pressures it’s likely our stress responses have been increasingly triggered. Coping better involves saying to yourself, ‘I’m nervous about the future’, or ‘I feel lonely’, then turning those acknowledged feelings into ‘this is stress’, ‘this is loneliness’. Spend five minutes daily noticing and accepting emotions. With practice, the stress your body signalled (tightness in the chest, shallow breathing?) but your mind tried to push away, will ease as you tune in. This mindfulness link explains in detail: gottman.com/blog/6stepstomindfullydealwithdifficultemotions
Breathing techniques help you feel more in control of worries and emotional overwhelm. They’re the go-to resource when you experience shallow, rapid breathing and it’s hard to think straight. Regulating breathing helps you rationalise and feel better. Here are two good techniques: 7/11 breathing (re-root.com/helpful-things/wellbeing-tips/beat-panic) and box breathing if it’s hard to hold your breath for long (medicalnewstoday.com/articles/321805).
Volunteering makes you happy. Research shows that when people benefit from your actions, your awareness of your acts of kindness bring a sense of optimism and self-esteem. It helps you to feel part of your community. Kindness is 2020’s Mental Health Awareness Week’s theme, so how about finding ways to volunteer, lots can be done from home. Connections made now could last.
helpguide.org/articles/healthy-living/volunteering-and-its-surprising-benefits
Written by Penny Amerena MA, PhD, MBACP (Accred.) Psychotherapist and Clinical Director, Re…root Ltd.