Today’s blog has been written by Headspace Guildford’s very own Assistant Psychologist, Phoebe Crook.
The weeks of lockdown are slowly turning into months and there has been a realisation that things may not go back to normal for a while. At present you might feel disconnected from people and this is totally understandable. The initial few weeks people were making lots of effort to stay in touch with friends and family, but this may have dropped off as inevitably people are not leaving the house so you may have limited things to say to friends. It is important to remember that everyone is having to adjust during this difficult time, and that crucially we are all, whilst physically disconnected, connected in our fight against this virus. Something that I like to reflect on is the simple and ingenious ways that people are managing to stay connected. Simple acts such as phoning a friend or relative, facetiming someone, or organising virtual quiz nights all help to ease the loneliness and make us realise that we are all in this together. Equally, acts such as clapping for the carers, rainbow paintings in windows and Joe Wick’s PE classes have boosted the morale of the country. In these challenging times I urge you to seek out news sources that celebrates the community spirit that has emerged from this virus, for example, the news of Captain Tom Moore raising millions for the NHS. By surrounding yourself with this kind of news you cannot help but feel connected with others in a common desire to battle this virus. Additionally, by surrounding yourself with positive news you will find that when you talk to your family and friends that you will have more things to talk about that are not related to the doom and gloom of the virus.
Finally, I think it is important to acknowledge that whatever you are doing now is helping the overall fight. There may be a desire to want to do more and yes if you want to, for example help a neighbour with their shopping, then definitely do that but do not feel guilty if all you are doing is staying at home. Whilst we all appreciate and take our hats off to every key worker out there, you should remember that staying at home is also important. Despite the challenges it may bring, acknowledge and appreciate that staying at home is helping the whole country and that everyone, is fighting together to try and get back to normality.
So, this week, remind yourself that we are all in this together. And that every small act is helping us get one step closer to beating this.