How to manage your mental health while shielding
All of us have been asked to self-isolate to help curb the spread of Covid 19, which is no easy task. However, there are thousands of people who are particularly high risk that have been asked to shield, which can be a very intense and isolating experience. They are already dealing with very serious illnesses, so the added pressure caused by shielding can be very difficult to tolerate.
For those of you living through this extreme level of isolation, you will likely have many emotions and questions in your mind. Questions such as, what am I supposed to do now that my whole life has been taken away from me? How can I maintain a sense of purpose when I’m suddenly out of work? How do I deal with being completely isolated from the outside world? Why do I feel so angry with my family?
Luckily, there are a few things you can do to encourage a positive mindset during this difficult period of isolation, and these tips will address these worries.
Make a new routine
This is an important way to make sure you are still doing this for yourself. A good routine will keep you in a good sleep schedule, help you focus on your most basic needs like hydration and nutrition.
Try to give yourself 1 task a day to complete, be it write a letter to a friend, organise that dreaded drawer, or clean out your wardrobe. Working through this list will give you a sense of meaning and purpose and will give you a sense of accomplishment that is so important right now.
Learn something new
Now is a great time to take up that hobby you have never had time for! Learning how to knit or sew, building miniature ships, or learning the basics of computer programming, will keep your mind busy and help keep you from ruminating on unhelpful thought patterns.
Stay connected
This is the key to maintaining good mental health while shielding. Try to keep in touch with friends or family, if possible, video chats are an excellent source of human contact. If you are uncomfortable with technology, then try and pick up your phone so you can hear the voice of those people that you miss the most.
Focus on your environment
It would be very easy to begin to feel claustrophobic or restricted during shielding. It is even more important to make your surroundings somewhere that you want to be.
You can do things like surrounding yourself with items you love, displaying your belongings in a way that is pleasing to you, and keeping your area clean and organised are great ways to help make your space a nice place spend time.
Be kind to yourself
Change is always hard to deal with, our bodies thrive on maintaining a stable equilibrium, it’s called homeostasis. Going from living life on your terms, to being told to stay indoors and limit contact with the outside, in such a drastic way is going to be difficult to get used to. Now is the time to be really kind to yourself.
Do not beat yourself up for feeling sad, angry, hurt, or frustrated, these are normal responses to change! Alternatively, you might feel fantastic and relieved at the opportunity to spend some time focusing on yourself, your health, and your family! Or you might feel a mixture of all of the above…. (sometimes in one day). The important thing is to give yourself some time to get used to the changes and be nice to yourself, anything goes.
Utilise outside support
One thing I know for certain is that my clients have 100% benefited from having a professional to talk to. Counselling is a place where you can speak as freely as you need to and you don’t have to worry about protecting the feelings of the listener in the same way you do if you are talking to a close loved one. You can freely explore any feelings that you are having in a safe way with a non-judgmental listener.
My clients have reported that they are feeling less easily tempered, showing more patience to their families, and are experiencing better overall mental health as a result of regular counselling sessions.
You do not have to suffer this alone!
Jamie x
