I have spoken before about having been diagnosed with Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD) in the past. I have been quite an anxious person since I was a teenager, soon after my grandad passed away, and I have suffered with depression and seasonal affective disorder for many years on and off, but I was only diagnosed with anxiety after the birth of my youngest child four year ago.
Back in March last year, when the UK went into lockdown, I was really worried about how I would cope, especially as I also suffer from claustrophobia, and hate the feeling of being trapped, but I surprised myself as I actually managed really well. If anything, I felt a little better as my emotions were validated, as the general population was sharing the same experience. At the start of lockdown I was still having counselling sessions over the phone, which was good, but I also coped with my anxiety during the pandemic in other ways.
Getting Outside
I made sure to get outside as much as possible during the initial lockdown, when we were only allowed outside for our daily exercise, and I felt so much better for giving myself that change of scenery, fresh air and escape from indoors. Once we were allowed further afield, I made sure that we made the most of going to the beach and the New Forest, and I really appreciated the area that we live in more than I did before the pandemic.
Reading
I have been reading a lot more, as I find it helps me to escape my own thoughts. I tend to read in bed at night, before going to sleep, and it helps me to unwind and relax. I also read a lot during the day, after I finished working, when we were in a full lockdown, as it helped me to distract myself from the reality of being home all the time, and that sensation of Groundhog Day.
Taking Care of Myself
I have tried to focus on taking care of myself, taking a Vitamin D3 supplement, which helps with my seasonal affective disorder, and being kinder to myself on days when I struggle with my anxiety, not forcing myself to do too much and reminding myself that this has been a really tough year, and it is ok to take some time out and just focus on getting through the day in one piece.
I learnt fairly early on that watching the daily briefings on TV and reading all the news articles on covid really affected my anxiety and made me feel rubbish, so instead I followed Simple Politics on Instagram and relied on finding out the important updates via them, in an easier to understand and less invasive format.
Talking
As well as counselling, which I had at the start of lockdown and at the end of last year, I also try and talk about how I am feeling to my close friends and family as well. I have always been fairly open about my experiences with mental illness, and I am not ashamed to admit when I am feeling low, but I know it is hard sometimes for people to open up and share how they feel. I am so grateful to those who I can talk to, who help me just by being there for me to vent to when I am struggling. It has been a total lifeline during the pandemic, when it can all feel a little overwhelming at times.
Finding a Hobby
I know it isn’t something world changing, but I really enjoyed getting involved with TikTok back in March, and I have been posting videos ever since, including a daily advent calendar during December. I have grown my account to 18.5k followers, mainly posting lip-sync videos to my favourite songs. It has been a great form of escapism, and something which I could safely do whilst stuck at home over the past year. I would highly recommend starting up a new hobby, as keeping your mind active and distracted from your own thoughts helps massively for me, when it comes to living with an anxiety disorder.
Writing it Down
My therapist has suggested writing my thoughts down during the day, and I want to try and do this more going forward. I used to keep a proper daily diary, and I felt it helped to make sense of my jumbled thoughts. I think it will help me to look subjectively at my anxieties, as well as reminding me how I have felt between counselling sessions. I also find writing this blog and in my on Instagram really helps, as it is another form of communication, and a way to provide and receive support from those in a similar position.
If you are struggling with feelings of anxiety, low mood or stress during the pandemic, don’t be afraid to reach out and ask for help. You can talk to your doctor, or contact the Samaritans on 116 123 (available 24/7).
