Life after lockdown: coping with anxiety

As we’ve grown accustomed to strict stay at home and social distancing measures, mental health experts are noticing people overthinking about what will happen after the lockdown is lifted.

It’s been seven weeks since the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson put the UK under lockdown, but now we are finally seeing the start of a small light at the end of the tunnel. This has caused a level of anxiety among UK residents who have become used to staying at home. Stepping out of the house for those who suffer from anxiety is enough to cause overthinking, but going outside and getting used to how life was before will be very difficult for many.

The effects of lockdown

Lockdown has affected everyone in different ways, not just people with existing mental health conditions.

CEO of Anxiety UK, Nicky Lidbetter says, “After you've been inside for a long time, it can feel very strange to go outside”. She explains how you can lose your confidence in things you did normally, for example, working, meetings, or using public transport.

Dr Steven Taylor from the University of British Columbia, in Canada, says "People are trying to cope by loving being in lockdown, by creating a cocoon of safety, a haven, to make the whole experience more tolerable”. However, he’s worried that doing this will cause problems for people, later on, making them feel anxious about leaving the house.

Tips for coping with coronavirus anxiety

There are things you can do to help with the inevitable readjustments that will have to be made once restrictions are lifted. Whether you have always suffered from anxiety or it’s been brought on by the pandemic, here are a few ways you can cope:

Don’t overwhelm yourself – Be kind to yourself and ease yourself back into your usual routine slowly. Even though you’ve been apart from friends and family all this time, don’t arrange to see everyone at once, make some time for yourself to reflect.

Go to the doctor – If you have found your experience in lockdown particularly difficult, don’t be afraid to seek help. Talk to you GP about how you feel and they might be able to put you in the right direction for counselling or prescribe you with a course of medication to help ease some of your anxiety.

Learn something new – Celebrate new beginnings by learning a new language or acquire a new skill, it will give you a sense of achievement.

Eat well – Don’t overindulge in your favourite fast food or alcohol to celebrate. Make sure you maintain a healthy, balanced diet it will make you feel good and look good which works wonders for self-confidence.

Exercise – If you used to attend a weekly fitness class before the lockdown, try to go back and get back into your fitness regime. If you took a break in lockdown, you’ll feel the benefits of exercise when you’re out, it’s good for the body and the mind.