Looking after ourselves
While there is still very much a stigma around mental health, throughout the pandemic so far I have found comfort in knowing that things are a whole lot better than they were 10 years ago. Until fairly recently, the terms “wellbeing”, “mindfulness”, “self-care” and even “mental health” weren’t banded around in society (and at work – K&S is doing a great job!) as much as they are now. I believe the recent focus on mental health in society has made us better prepared to handle the pandemic than we would have been if COVID-19 had struck several years ago. Of course, this doesn’t make it any easier to deal with the stress, loneliness, grief, anxiety and/or depression that may strike at this time, but I think it does make us more self-aware of how we’re feeling, and of the techniques we can put into practice to look after ourselves as best we can.
After having a particularly low few weeks recently, my mum told me I needed to learn to
put on your own oxygen mask before helping others.
Adapting this mentality has helped me keep my mental and physical health in check – which I’ve realised is essential if I want to be able to offer support to friends and family and stay productive at work, without feeling overwhelmed and getting burnt out. I also try to remind myself that the current situation is very abnormal. Even though we aren’t out there on the front line and are safely tucked away in our makeshift home offices, we’re still living through a crisis and are experiencing social isolation perhaps more than others who are not working from home. Try to remind yourself that
you’re not working from home – you’re at home during a pandemic, trying to work.
As a self-confessed productivity princess, I’m proud that during lockdown I’ve finally learnt how to relax. The slower pace of life has been a blessing in disguise, and while I’ve felt waves of depression and anxiety, I’m now much better at managing my stress levels. I’ve also learnt how we all respond differently to stress – some of us withdraw from social contact, while others throw themselves into new projects at home and daily Zoom quizzes. Learning and observing how our friends, family and colleagues have reacted to the current crisis will, I hope, give us the tools and experience to look out for each other’s mental health in the future.
What mindfulness and self-care means to me
Some people might feel a bit intimidated towards practising mindfulness, as they may stereotypically think it has to involve meditating in silence surrounded by scented candles, or they may be sceptical about its benefits. For me, mindfulness is simply about doing something which brings my attention to whatever it is I’m doing at that time, without my mind being able to slip into ruminating on things that have happened in the past, or worrying about things which could happen in the future.
At the beginning of lockdown, I was throwing myself into doing as many mindful hobbies and as much exercise as possible to keep boredom at bay. I was knitting one pair of socks a week, reading two books a week, baking too often so that my husband and I were having to eat cake for breakfast, and trying to squeeze both a walk and a yoga workout into every day. Several weeks in though, my energy and motivation waned and I realised that trying to do too many things at once was leaving me feeling exhausted. I now set an expectation to do just one or two of these mindful activities each day, which takes the pressure off and helps me to actually relax.
What I’ve learnt about mindfulness and self-care is (i) find something you look forward to that doesn’t seem like a chore – if you put pressure on yourself to do yoga every day and then only do it once a fortnight, you’ll feel guilty which isn’t helpful; and (ii) self-care is more than just the superficial putting on a Korean face mask and painting your nails, it’s about actually taking care of yourself (it’s in the name!) and doing whatever it takes to help you relax and maintain a good balance in your life.
Which habits will you carry on and why?
1. Making sure I move and get fresh air every day
I’ve gotten into the habit of going for regular walks along the River Thames in the evenings and have been enjoying walking solely for the purpose of moving and getting fresh air. I usually listen to podcasts while I walk, most of which are related to wellbeing/mental health in some way. For me, hearing tips from others reminds me of the importance of maintaining good mental health and whenever I hear a tip that resonates with me, I’m prompted to put it into practice. My favourites are Bryony Gordon’s Mad World, Happy Place, Feel Better, Live More and I Weigh. Once we’re back in the office, I hope to keep up my new walking habit on the occasional days I work from home and on long summer evenings.
2. Switching off from work and properly relaxing
Deleting my work email off my phone has helped me to switch off from work during non-working hours (yes, they still exist even though our homes are now our workplace!). I’ve also gotten really into reading fiction, something I was reluctant to do before since I spend most of the working day reading. At the start of lockdown when I had a phase of intense cleaning and tidying, I organised my books into rainbow order, and it’s been fun to add to the spectrum each time I finish a new book! With the glorious weather we’ve been having, going to a nearby park after work and sunbathing with a good novel has become a new habit which I plan to keep up in future summers (and indoors in the colder months).
3. Reducing TV and social media usage
To reduce my screen time and avoid headaches, I’ve been watching less TV than usual, and after having a particularly low few weeks recently, some friends recommended I go cold turkey or at least ration my social media usage. I’ve found that deleting social media apps from my phone has improved my mood and is helping me to sleep better.
Looking forwards
Before the lockdown started, I can’t imagine that when working from home one day a week, many of us were making a conscious effort to go for a scenic walk, bake a cake, or do yoga in our lunchbreak. It’s been lovely to see on Jostle how many of us are enjoying these simple pleasures, and I hope that we can maintain these habits on our working from home days (and other days too) in the future. It seems that the current situation has forced us to actively think about how we can look after our mental health, because we’re all probably feeling a bit more susceptible to low mood and anxiety at the moment. I’m optimistic that we can all carry that attitude and our new habits through into post-lockdown life, to all be happier and healthier, whatever life throws at us next.
Remember that the K&S mental health first aiders are available if you would like to have a confidential, non-judgemental chat, and you can also call the Employee Assistance Programme for free 24/7 on 0800 030 5182. I’ve also found the NHS mood self-assessment quiz helpful throughout lockdown to help me track when I need to make more of an effort to look after myself. It only takes about 5 minutes to do the quiz and it can help you think about whether you may benefit from a chat with your GP.
