Personal resilience
COVID-19 is having a devastating impact on physical health. But once the pandemic is more controlled, its impact on mental health will reveal itself.
By Simon Proudlock
The mental impact of COVID-19 will infect us for much longer than the virus ever did.
Humans beings are social animals. We underestimate the significance that being connected with others has on maintaining positive mental health. We are psychologically drawn to other people.
Isolating ourselves from our support networks will inevitably lead to inward thinking and negative thoughts.
Our whole way of being has changed:
Direct environment as we socially isolate
Safety and wellbeing as we worry about the impact of the virus on our health
Access to means and finance has changed as we catastrophise about our jobs
Access to food and medicines
Support systems have changed as we are restricted in engaging with our social networks
The sooner you accept the strangeness of the situation the better.
People will walk away from you as they try to maintain social distancing. Take that as a good thing. Accept that home life will be stressful – it is unnatural to spend this amount of time with the people we live with. And accept your role in life may have drastically changed as you get to grips with home working and home schooling.
The busiest period for psychologists and therapists in independent practice is immediately after Christmas as the stress of being with family gets to people. We’re in for a long Christmas break.
No one can predict what’s the other side of lockdown: relationships failing; a baby boom; an increase in domestic violence and child abuse? Everything we know tells us that there will inevitably be consequences.
I’ve worked in an NHS mental health crisis team for more than 10 years. But this is the calm before the storm. The frontline will change as the threat to our physical health slowly diminishes and we’re left with healthcare workers burdened with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and a nation grieving for the losses they’ve experienced.
As we enter week three of the lockdown we are still adjusting to the new way of being. We are so connected with everyone else in the country, The Fear of Missing Out has lost its power. But the novelty is wearing thin.
Even so, there is hope in all of this. We’re seeing a big sense of community – just today I got a leaflet though my door with a phone number to call if I am self-isolating and need supplies or in case I just need someone to talk to. I’m hopeful this change will stay around.
There’s an overload of advice right now, so I’ll try and make things simple:
Focus on what you can control. Focus on the now – this situation is temporary and we don’t know what is going to happen next, but life will return to normal
Limit your consumption of information – news, social media, even this blog!
If you live with someone, accept it’s unnatural to be with them 24/7 – find some space if you can, take a walk alone, be kind and understanding that they are probably feeling a lot of what you are
Connect with people as much as you can – even a text asking how they are doing can mean a lot
Try to maintain a routine - shower daily, get dressed, clean your place up, exercise. And just because you have easy access to food and drink, constant snacking and alcohol intake is not the answer.
But mainly just breathe. Accept that it’s okay to feel overwhelmed, bored, annoyed, stressed and anxious at times. This isn’t forever.
About Simon Proudlock
Simon Proudlock is a Consultant Psychologist working for the NHS and in independent practice. He’s the author of The Solution Focused Way: Incorporating Solution Focused Therapy Tools and Techniques Into Your Everyday Work.
