Managing Mental Health: COVID-19 Lockdowns

Jake K. Newell
Apr 10, 2020
5 min read

There's pretty much one thing which has, for obvious reasons, taken centre stage in many people's lives. At the time of writing, there have been an estimated 1,661,952 cases, with approximately 100,380 deaths worldwide as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak. As a result of the outbreak and the lack of a vaccine, many governments have adopted a range of measures, which include lockdowns and restricted movements of its citizens. It is plain to see the result of such lockdowns, and the inherent decrease in social contact with others, is an increase in people struggling with mental health issues. This can include, amongst many others, the following: anxiety, depression, loneliness, OCD and PTSD. The issues of loneliness and vulnerability have been particularly concerning for elderly members of society: they are advised not to leave their homes and may live on their own. Thankfully, many communities have come together to support their elders.

I have written previously about COVID-19 and general implications for mental health (accessible here). In that post, the focus also covered my general concerns about work and family. I would encourage you to read that post (if you haven't already) alongside this current one to give you some supplementary information. In this post, I want to specifically explore steps that individuals can take to address the issues that can arise from lockdowns.

Before I dive in, I want to say that this post is a request of a friend, following on from a Q&A on my instagram. Out of respect for their privacy, I've decided to keep this friend anonymous.

I will be the first to admit: being stuck at home with very little opportunity to leave is one that I am struggling with big time. Whilst I'm more than happy to admit that I have I introverted tendencies, I don't like the idea of being confined to spaces for an extended period of time; it makes me feel 'trapped'. This feeling of being trapped can also be known as 'Cabin Fever'. Cabin Fever is a common reaction to being isolated in a building for a period of time. As we can see, cabin fever is the result of intense isolation. In very extreme cases, Cabin Fever may become so intense that it reaches the level of a specific phobia. If you are worried about your reaction to being cooped up, please remember that there are many other people also struggling with this issue. Do not feel like you're on your own or that you're being silly. It is a completely legitimate issue.

For completeness, here is a list of symptoms of Cabin Fever:

Restlessness
Lethargy
Sadness or depression
Trouble concentrating
Lack of patience
Food cravings
Decreased motivation
Social Isolation
Difficulty waking
Frequent napping
Hopelessness
Changes in weight
Inability to cope with stress

When I read through this, I see that I match up to a number of the symptoms. I feel a lot more lethargic during the days, find that it is difficult to wake up (and when I am awake, I do then nap), a decrease in both motivation and concentration and the amplification of my depression. As we can see from the symptoms, there is a huge overlap between Cabin Fever and the way it can interact with depression and anxiety. For completeness, here is a reference guide as to what depression and anxiety actually are. As a result, it is very likely that this feeling of isolation will exacerbate other mental health issues.

Much like the steps that I have taken to address my general anxiety and depression (such as sport, music and my general tips on MH during COVID-19), there are a number of ways to address Cabin Fever. You will see that, again, there is a huge overlap between the preferred approaches (although for the purposes of struggling with isolation, I'm placing much more emphasis on conversation and getting out of the house, where possible):

The biggest thing that can be done to tackle issues of isolation: talking to friends. The brilliant thing about the current state of technology is that we can talk to our friends all over the world. Keep in touch with your friends, whether it's a text conversation, phone call/FaceTime, snapchat or the infamous group chat. I've been adopting this myself: I have a weekly FaceTime call with both my closest friends and my friends from work. Below in the links section, I have included some fantastic initiatives that are being used to help anyone who is feeling isolated/lonely and wants someone to talk to. In particular, a fantastic initiative by the NHS for "Check-in and Chat volunteers" can be found here: https://www.goodsamapp.org/NHS.

Another step to consider is the room that you're in. Whatever you do, do not stay in the same room for the entire day. If you were to stay in bed or your bedroom all day, this would cause problems with 'sleep hygiene'. The result is a completely ruined sleep cycle - I have to put my hands up, I've been struggling with the ruined sleep pattern, but that is more down to Netflix binges.

This leads me onto my next point quite nicely: don't spend all day looking at screens. It is tempting to use social media outlets to talk to friends and family, but I would urge you to actually use the video & audio elements of applications such as FaceTime, WhatsApp and others. Have a REAL conversation. I find that having a face to look at or a voice to listen to during a conversation is a real step up from simple texts. This can help address any issues of feeling isolated.

This might be a bit of an obvious one, but try to make the most of either your garden or balcony (if you have one) or any government guidance on being outside. For example, the UK government has recommended that each citizen be entitled to go outside for a period of no longer than 30 minutes for exercise. On top of this, there is a need to keep your distance from others. If you are in the UK, a simple walk in the sun on your own may help. If you live abroad, it may be worth considering something similar if it is permitted. The reason I raise going outside (but cannot emphasise the need to do this SAFELY and RESPONSIBLY enough) is simple: the additional movement/activity and access to fresh air has been scientifically proven to help with one's mood through the release of hormones and endorphins. By doing so, you take out the root cause: the feeling of isolation.

Keep yourself busy by doing household chores or learning a new skill. By doing so you're taking your mind off of the negative situation, being productive and in turn, creating a better environment for you to live in. This can help you make the most of your extra free time and help you feel like you're being productive whilst either self-isolating or socially-distancing from others. It also has the advantage of giving you something new to look forward to, giving you much needed variation and distracting you from the goings on in the world. One final point to consider is this: new skills/interests can lead to new conversations with new people. As a result of your new found interest, you will be able to communicate with new people via social media. This may lead to having satisfying conversations and help reduce the feeling of isolation.

As usual, I've provided a series of links below which I hope will helpful. They have a specific focus on initiatives to help with the feeling of isolation as a result of COVID-19, but also have some dedicated MH material also:

Remember: you are a beautiful human being. You are loved. You matter. You have so much good that you can offer this world.

Until next time,

J x

Managing Mental Health: COVID-19 Lockdowns

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