This article is written from a personal perspective and is not intended to be specific advice. If you require support, you should always seek the help of a qualified professional. All my views are my own.
Recent months have seen us experience some of the most unpredictable and somewhat strange times of our lives. I personally did not ever predict that I would live through a pandemic or understand what might happen if I did.
I am extremely grateful that I have been able to play a small part in helping people, by being identified early on by the Ministry of Justice as a key worker; due to the fact I prepare Wills, amongst other things. Recent months have been extremely busy and I have found myself working very long hours to offer the same level of service to my clients. I have been primarily working from home, in the first instance encouraging and offering appointments via Zoom, Skype, FaceTime, Microsoft Teams and WhatsApp video; and in some circumstances speaking to clients and witnessing Will signings through windows.
One thing I realised very on is how important it has been to care for my own mental wellbeing, as well as my physical body. This has been highlighted for me during the winter months as we have seen colder and darker days. Staying at home can lead to frustration, loneliness and anxiety about the future. I wanted to write something from a personal perspective to put it out there that, all of us feel like this from time to time; and that is perfectly ok and perfectly normal.
Staying at home presents difficulties at times however it is necessary to protect ourselves but more importantly, to protect others.
The NHS have offered some great tips on mental wellbeing while staying at home
- If you are worried about work and money, make sure you check your employment rights and benefits rights.
- If you are unable to go shopping or need regular medicine, investigate your options to find someone else who can do this for you. If you care for others, think about who you can help while you are staying at home.
- Explore other ways to stay in touch with friends and family; by phone, messaging, social media or video calls.
- Talk to others about your worries – the NHS provides contact details of recommended helplines.
- Look after your physical health and avoid smoking and alcohol, and take part in regular exercise.
- Stay on top of difficult feelings, such as anxiety
- Do not watch the news or social media all of the time and turn off alerts on your phone
- Carry on doing the things that you enjoy, that you can do from home; or start a new hobby.
- Take time to relax.
- Get good quality sleep.
Coronavirus has also impacted our lives in different ways. People are being forced to postpone weddings, funerals are restricted in size, businesses are failing, people are losing their jobs and their homes, and parents are finding themselves home-schooling children and limiting their ability to go to work unless they are a key worker. More seriously affected are victims of domestic abuse.
Another resource for tips on how to cope with these challenges are on the Mind (mental health charity) website
There are tips for coping with young people, student mental health, coping with work, anxiety while wearing masks, trauma and bereavement, but to name a few.
In my opinion, it is important to remember that we are all affected in different ways, and some of us can cope with that better than others. What seems like a small thing to you as the reader, might be catastrophic for someone else. Just because mental health is not visible does not mean it does not exist.
According to the World Health Organisation mental health services have been disrupted or halted in 93% of countries worldwide and there is an increasing demand for mental health services.
While we do not know the long-term effect this will have, I believe it is important for us all to stick together. Reach out to your nearest and dearest; if you find it difficult to talk, try writing a letter, or writing your feelings in a book or somewhere you are comfortable with. Sometimes, writing things down makes it easier to set out how you are feeling and see and cope with how you feel. You might be surprised at how many others are in the same boat and feeling the same way as you are.
In closing, I wish all of you reading this well for the future, and have listed some of the mental health resources I could find online:
Very well said