There are a thousand and one adjustments we need to make to our working and personal lives as a result of the coronavirus pandemic (Covid-19). In addition to this, the combination of indefinite isolation, enormous continuing uncertainty and the 24-hour news cycle is dealing a heavy blow to our collective mental wellness.

This article looks at the issues Covid-19 may pose for our mental health, and the solutions that can offer a liferaft during lockdown.

What are the main mental health risks associated with Covid-19?

Crisis lines are surging with coronavirus calls. Any healthy individual will have experienced a wobble or two amid the current global pandemic. When it comes to our mental health, what should we be looking out for and when might they come up?

• The immediate and most common mental response is likely to be anxiety. Some of us may also experience panic attacks. Anxiety is rooted in an inability to tolerate uncertainty and a belief that we won’t be able to cope. This is why the extreme levels of uncertainty around Covid-19, together with the loss of control that lockdown brings, are likely to tip us in the direction of anxiety.

• After the initial panic subsides, another common experience will be low mood or depression. Almost overnight, we have lost many things that we take for granted: our plans for the foreseeable future, lighthearted chatter at the office and, in some cases, our freedom even to leave our home. Dealing with this will inevitably bring a sense of grief. The absence of normal social contact is also likely to weigh heavily on our mood at times. 

These dents in wellbeing will affect all of us to some degree, with knock-on consequences for our sleep, concentration, productivity and engagement. All of this is entirely normal in the very abnormal circumstances surrounding us. However, without careful management the cost to mental health could last a great deal longer than the pandemic itself. It is therefore important for us all to consider our mental state regularly and to learn the coping strategies that work for us.  

What can you do to boost your wellbeing during lockdown?

There are many behaviours we can adjust that will have positive effects on our mental health during Covid-19. Now is an excellent time to focus on those important practices of self-care. Start something new, pick up something that may have fallen by the wayside, dial up something you already do – or all three. Here is a list of ways you can influence your mental health for the better during Covid-19.

1.      Give yourself a break! First of all, a certain level of anxiety, the odd blue moment or losing focus briefly, are all entirely normal reactions to the global turmoil caused by Covid-19. Comparisons are drawn regularly to the World Wars for a reason. Quite often, however, the extra layer of judgment we give to our negative emotion is more upsetting than the experience itself (“This is terrible, why can’t I concentrate?”, “Oh no, my anxiety is coming back again!”). If you find yourself struggling for a moment, be assured that your feelings are a perfectly natural response to a situation like Covid-19. Just knowing this may help you emerge more quickly from the emotional fog.

2.      Meditate. Training your mind through mindfulness or meditation practices has myriad benefits for mental health. It helps bring your focus of attention toward the present moment and away from looping negative thoughts. If you are new to this practice, try out guided beginner sessions that are available on popular apps like Headspace, Calm and Insight Timer. It may take a few tries to get into meditation, but the scientific evidence for its impact on mental (and physical) wellbeing and performance make it more than worth the effort.

3.      Move. Your mental state influences the way you move. If you feel depressed, you may be lethargic and slow. Anxiety, on the other hand, makes you rush about. But this connection between the mind and the body is a two-way street – which is why exercise is so good for wellbeing. Exercise is a reliable way to reduce your stress levels and gives an immediate boost to your mood. Take advantage of the flexibility that lockdown brings by adding some form of exercise to your daily routine.

4.      Get enough sleep. The research on sleep is compelling. It matters just as much as eating, drinking and breathing. Disrupted sleep affects mood, energy and concentration levels – and it increases the risk of anxiety and depression. Prioritising sleep and installing healthy sleeping patterns are therefore fundamental to mental wellbeing. Divert some of the time you’ve been refunded from your commute into valuable extra minutes of shut-eye.

5.      Fortify the work-life divide. When you work from home for an extended period, it is easier than ever to blur the work-life boundary. This is dangerous because when work pollutes home, it makes it harder for us to switch off – and without effective downtime to rest and recharge, we risk mental fatigue and burnout. To stay fresh and motivated, do everything you can to strengthen the psychological divide between work and home. Being diligent about physical separation is important and sticking to a regular routine for your workdays will help (do something different for weekends).

6.      Watch your news intake. Panic scrolling through endless news updates will feed your anxiety monster. Instead, intentionally limit your exposure by checking the news only once or twice a day, for a fixed period of time and through reliable sources. This will give you enough information to provide a sense of control (reducing anxiety) without fuelling negative thoughts any more than necessary.

7.      Distant socialising. Many scientists have criticised the phrase “social distancing” because it suggests – quite wrongly – that we should be socialising less. This is dangerous because loneliness is seriously detrimental to our health. It pushes up our stress system (cortisol) and pushes down our emotional wellbeing (including neurochemicals associated with happiness and motivation). The negative effects of isolation don’t take long to emerge and will hit harder those of us who thrive off social interaction. One of the most crucial wellness habits if you’re in lockdown is therefore social connection. Switch to real-time communication rather than going to email as your default. Embrace video-call technology – even occasionally. Arrange informal video catch-ups with your colleagues to make up for those missed coffee breaks and light-hearted water-cooler moments. And outside of work, check in regularly with friends and family. 

The current lockdown and its after-effects are going to last a long time. The more tools you have in your wellness toolkit the better. Check in with yourself regularly and revisit your strategies as the pandemic – and its the impact on your mental state – evolve. Of course, if you find you are struggling after making these adjustments, do reach out to your employer or seek help from a mental health professional. 

Dr. Ula Cartwright-Finch is Managing Director of Cortex Capital, Visiting Researcher at University College London and Lecturer at Queen Mary University of London. She has worked as an international disputes lawyer for over a decade in London, Hong Kong and Madrid. She also holds a PhD in Psychology, and collaborates with leading researchers applying psychology to legal practice. Ula delivers training and advice to lawyers using insights from behavioural science to help them perform and excel.