I know for me the thought of wearing a mask at the start of lockdown and now every time we go into the shops or out in public was a scary fear for me. They are definably not the most comfortable items and even though we can jazz them up they are still restrictive in breathing and this can be a very unpleasant experience for people suffering with phobias. I had too (ok desperately wanted to) go to the hairdressers last week as like most of us I had not had my hair done for over 3 months. Sitting there the whole time with this mask on whilst talking to the hair stylist with it riding up my face was so frustrating. I recognise the importance of the wearing of masks but also acknowledge how unpleasant they can be. Needless to say, I survived this new experience of having my hair cut in lockdown and will be doing it again in the next 6 weeks. The price I pay for beauty. I am desperate for some beauty treatment as well as they help my self-esteem but am still cautious as to what I am willing to have done at this time. This experience and every time I go to a shop does create fear in me.
With the uncertainty around job security and a lot of people being on furlough or facing the possibility of redundancy this can create its own anxiety and fears. I have experienced these fears over taking financial cuts and managing finances. The uncertainty will I find new clients, will they find me have all affected my daily anxiety and fears.
As we begin to go into more uncertainty and with Christmas approaching many of us are asking How do we understand Mental Health problems during this time?
Good mental health is so important and is just like physical health. Everybody has it and needs to take care of it.
Good Mental Health is when we are generally able to think, feel and react in the way that you need to and want to best live your life.
When we go through periods of poor mental health like so many of us are experiencing at this time during lockdown and now as we phase back into a somewhat normal life you might find the ways that you were frequently thinking , feeling or reacting has become difficult or even impossible to do. Your normal no longer feels like your normal. These feeling, behaviours or thoughts can be just as bad as having physical illness or even worse.
Everyone’s experience of poor mental health is different and can change at different times. We can begin to have fears that are often reinforced by the negative (and often in unrealistic) ways to what is shown on TV or social media. As much as the Prime Minster or the scientists say we need to wear masks or wash our hands it does not stop us the individual from having fears around this. Mental health problems are a common human experience which most of us will experience at some time or other through our lives. Mental health can affect around one in four of the people you know in any given year.
Mental health presents in various ways for different people and we can experience more than one mental health problem at a time.
Mental health can present as:
ANXIETY: It is when we feel we are worried, tense, or afraid that a particular thing or things are about to happen or worry of what could happen in the future.
For most people occasional anxiety is very normal but if your feelings of anxiety are very strong or last for long periods of time, they can become overwhelming to a person. As a result, you may experience unpleasant physical symptoms like sleep problems, an upset stomach, or even panic attacks.
DEPRESSION: Is a feeling of low mood that lasts for a long time and affects your everyday life. It can make you feel hopeless, despairing, guilty, worthless unmotivated and exhausted. It can affect your self-esteem, affect your sleep pattern, appetite, sex drive and physical health.
Depression when in its mildest form does not stop you from living your normal life but it can make everything harder to do or cope with. Everything can seem less worthwhile.
Severe depression can make you feel suicidal and be life threatening.
Of course, these are just two of the common mental health problems and there are many more. Not only can we experience poor mental health from this uncertain time during this pandemic but there is a wide range of causes. It is likely that for many of us there is a complicated combination of factors and different people may be more deeply affected by certain things.
There is a wide range of things that we can do to help us stay aware of our mental health. Talk to people around you. Talking helps. Letting your friends and family know will allow them to offer you support.
Spot the early warning signs. Try to be aware of how you are feeling and look for signs when you begin to feel unwell so that you can get early support.
Keeping a mood diary works really well. This allows you to track how you feel and what works for you or makes you feel worse. This will help you to create steps to avoid, change or prepare for difficult situations.
Now that we can be social again nourish your social life. When we feel connected to people it can help us feel valued and confident about ourselves. This will also allow you to get different perspective on things and how you have been feeling. For me reconnecting with family is a great stress reliever and it was wonderful to see them all even if in our bubbles when lockdown started to ease.
I know that not all of us have a support network around us and some of us feel isolated or lonely but there are ways to make connections. For example, try going to the gym or a community event. A lot of these support networks have gone online and still offer the same great services and benefits that you would have had face to face. Get into nature. This was one of the wonderful natural resources that were available to all of us during lockdown even if only for once a day. Getting in touch with nature at a park or countryside is especially good for you. If you don’t have a garden or are not mobile caring for plants or animals indoors can still help you get some benefits from nature.
Just writing this blog today has given me some perspective of my own life and how many struggles I face on a daily basis. Good mental health helps me be better prepared to approach each situation as it appears.
Remember don’t be afraid to reach out and ask for help. It is one of the bravest things you will ever do and will be the best gift you give yourself.
Remember to be kind to yourself.
I’m Shirley Marais and I’m a counsellor and psychotherapist in private practice I work online and in Person in Bedford and surrounding areas.
I help individuals and couples to let go of unhelpful behaviours that prevent them from having happier and healthier relationships.
To get help get in touch and book your consultation today.