After so long in lockdown, many of us are suffering emotionally; how it affects us really depends on our circumstances.
Some of us have lost our jobs, our income or a proportion of it, our normal routines have gone by the wayside and for some of us, the very worst has happened – they have lost members of their family or dear friends without the small comfort of being with them.
Many of us are still working, yet no one is clapping or impressed and although the knowledge that they still have their job and income should be a comfort, it can be difficult going to work everyday, potentially facing hazards when the rest of the country seems to be sunbathing.
For many of us it has been a welcome break from the drudgery of work, commuting, rushing to get things done without enough hours in the day. Time for lie-ins, runs or walks when we like, cooking family meals from scratch, spending time with our children (if they live at home), catching up on tv and those box sets that there wasn’t time for before. We’ve had time for reading, home improvements, learning a language or a new skill. For the most part the weather has been gorgeous, sunshine and spring flowers.
Yet so many of us feel anxious, unsure, wary and perhaps a little scared and we constantly ask ourselves ‘is this normal?’
The answer to that is that nothing is currently normal. Our way of life has changed dramatically and even though this is temporary, it is sometimes hard to recognise this. Soon enough we’ll be back to commuting, working, meeting friends and family and look back at this time, hopefully remembering the good things to come out of it.
Our planet has definitely benefitted; cleaner air, water and environment. We’ve heard bird song rather than traffic. We have now realised the value of being with our friends and family, many of whom we have not seen for months. We have had time to smell the roses, enjoy sunsets and take pleasure in small things.
Some of us will have regrets, asking ourselves why we didn’t use the time better, why we ate or drank too much. We may wish we could have the time again and use it better. Seeing others who have used it well can cause us to feel inadequate, like failures. More obviously, some of us have had to self isolate for months (people that are older or have underlying health issues) and this lack of freedom and fear of contagion can be paralysing. Fear can affect any one of us, even those that are fit and well. They fear for their family and with nothing to distract them, this can easily become almost something close to paranoia.
So why is life in lockdown affecting us so much? Why are so many people feeling anxious, depressed and really down? Actually it stems from our ancient ancestors. Early humans were rewarded for carrying out certain evolutionary processes; when they hunted and gathered and successfully supported themselves and their families. Even more relevant to lockdown, we are better as a tribe rather than as individuals, so they were rewarded when they interacted and socialised with others. And scientists are adamant that they definitely recognised this reward. The reward was a chemical response in the brain that produced various neurotransmitters that made them feel good (the most important of these neurotransmitters is serotonin). As a result they felt motivated, but most of all it was a coping mechanism. It helped them cope with day to day activities, helped them cope both with physical fear (it made them braver) and with physical pain (made them resilient) and it bonded them with their fellow human beings. We still have the same brain chemistry today.
When we produce a constant flow of serotonin we are nice, happy, coping, brave souls! So we can see that having been isolated with only our household for company, and in some cases totally alone, we are not getting the social interaction that we need to produce the necessary levels of serotonin. As a result we could feel depressed, anxious and low. This is a totally normal response to our current situation.
So how can we resolve this? How can we help ourselves now? Well the easiest way to start is with phone calls, face to face calls using various apps such as FaceTime or Zoom. It allows us to socialise at a safe distance without fear of spreading or getting the virus. Walking outside is also very helpful. Although we need to keep a safe distance, we can see and interact with others and being surrounded by nature is also great for relaxing our nervous system and making more serotonin (and increasing our levels of vitamin D).
Serotonin is produced by neurones in our brain, so the more neurones we produce, the more serotonin we have. A fun way to produce more neurones is to learn a new dance. Now don’t think Strictly! You can learn a few steps online or watch a demo on YouTube, alone in your bedroom or sitting room, so no fear of looking stupid. The good thing is that you don’t even need to be any good! Just trying new steps and trying to get them right is enough. In addition you’ll burn a few calories and if you keep it up for a small amount of time per day you may also improve your fitness. Win win?
If you are feeling down, whether it’s mild or overwhelming you can try:
- calling your friends and family on the phone
- call with face to face apps like FaceTime or Zoom
- get out into nature for a walk or exercise
- go out and just breathe fresh air in the sunshine
- try learning a new dance in private
- meditation to calm your mind and reflect that things are ok
- doing something creative in your home like baking, knitting etc
- tidying a part of your home
- make your bed every day
If you try taking any of these steps you should start to feel better and improve your mood. Please feel free to download my free sleep session to improve your sleep. Of course, if you really need help, if life is really feeling too much, then please contact me at info@thecadoganpractice.co.uk and book a session.
We will get through these times, to quote Abraham Lincoln “and this, too, shall pass”