Life, COVID and mental health

So much of our daily life has drastically changed during 2020.  The changes have come quickly too. When COVID emerged, the changes it made to every aspect of our lives and society were quick and often confronting.

Anxiety suddenly became something that affects us all. For those of us already suffering from anxiety, the last few months have been very challenging.

Being in lockdown in a place like Melbourne in Australia, where the ability to go outdoors was severely restricted. Like most people, being able to go out for social, recreation and other reasons is so normal that when it can’t happen, we feel like we have lost control.

When a situation is beyond our control, it is essential to focus on what we can control. Most of us have routines. If the amount of time we can spend outside becomes limited, it really helps to rethink the situation from one where you feel trapped and not in control to one where establishing a routine can give that feeling of control. Concentrating on our mental health as an important part of a daily routine can do that.

Having a routine can bring about a change of attitude to the situation too. A positive attitude. Being positive about the situation and understanding it as a situation that improves as well as overwhelms will help us in our routines. Stay focused on informed health reports too and follow their guidelines. Knowing that you are doing something to reduce infection spread boosts our feelings of being in control.