In 2020, many people suddenly stopped their normal work or exercise routines and instead, found themselves sitting for longer in front of screens, whether TVs or laptops. Many of us had no option but to work or study from the couch, dining table, or even our beds, snatching hours to get things done in between childcare or working late as we shared computers.

With gyms, classes and sports restricted, exercise was limited. The stress, anxiety and fatigue didn’t help. Whenever you have a change in lifestyle like this it can influence your health. Inevitably, after a few months, backs, necks, shoulders may have started to ‘complain’. Sometimes this is new, sometimes it has led to a flare-up of old symptoms.

So, let’s break those habits that have led to these issues and get you moving again!

Move better with osteopathy!

Your osteopath can provide more advice, care and treatment to help you get moving better. Taking a whole-person approach to your health, your osteopath will help you think about the changes that have affected you and what you might do to bring more comfort and ease to your body.

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A lockdown in response to a pandemic will impact the daily lives of everyone. Protecting your physical and mental wellbeing is essential in helping to keep us safe, and adapting to rapidly changing times.

Each person will have a different response to the situation, and remember it’s okay to have feelings of stress, anxiety and sadness.

If you are experiencing stress, feelings of anxiety or low mood, use the NHS mental health and wellbeing advice website for self-assessment, audio guides and practical tools.

Every Mind Matters also provides simple tips and advice to start taking care of your mental health. If you are struggling after several weeks and it continues to affect your daily life, please contact NHS 111 – either online or by phone.

Below are tips for taking care of your mental health and wellbeing during a lockdown. For more advice and guidance visit the government’s guidance for the public on mental health and wellbeing.

Connect. Consider how to stay in touch with friends and relatives via telephone calls, video or social media instead of meeting with them in person.

Help and support others. Think about how you can help support those around you.

Voice your worries. Feeling worried, scared or helpless is normal during lockdown circumstances. A lockdown is a difficult time for everyone, so sharing your worries can also help others.

Take care of your physical health. Mental wellbeing has a big impact on how we feel emotionally and physically. Taking decisions to have healthy behavioural patterns will help to manage stress and maintain wellbeing. Try to eat healthy, well-balanced meals, drink enough water, exercise inside where possible and outside once a day, and try to avoid smoking, alcohol and drugs.

Get good sleep. Maintaining regular sleeping patterns and keeping good sleep hygiene practices – such as avoiding screens before bed, cutting back on caffeine and creating a restful environment. The NHS Every Mind Matters sleep page provides practical advice on how to improve your sleep.

Manage difficult feelings. Acknowledging that under lockdown circumstances there may be some things that are out of our control will help to manage anxiety. Focus on things you can control, including where you get information from, and actions to make yourself feel better prepared.

Manage media and information intake. 24-hour news and constant social media updates can make you more worried. If it affects you, try to limit the time you spend watching, reading, or listening to media coverage.

Focus on the present. Focusing on the present moment, rather than worrying about the future or thinking about the past, can help to manage difficult emotions. Relaxation techniques and breathing exercises can help to reduce anxiety

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Anxiety is our mind and body’s response to stressful and / or unfamiliar situations. Everyone experiences anxiety at times – in fact, it is a natural reaction to certain situations.

Anxiety can cause our heart to race, feel sweaty, shaky or short of breath. It can also cause changes in behaviour, such as becoming overly careful or avoiding things that trigger anxiety.

A certain amount of anxiety helps us to stay alert and aware. When anxiety becomes overwhelming, our worries can be out of proportion to the situation at hand and can interfere with our daily lives.

Here are some tips to help you manage day-to-day feelings of anxiety. If your anxiety is affecting your daily life or causing you distress, consider seeking further professional support.

Identify your triggers

Certain things can cause us to feel anxious. These are known as anxiety triggers. Sometimes they can be obvious for example drinking caffeine or alcohol or not getting enough sleep. Other times they are not so obvious and can take time to figure out for example, work or financial related matters. Identifying your triggers can help figure out the best action to take.

Change your environment

To help stop anxious thoughts, sometimes the best thing is to walk away from the situation and change your environment. Go for a walk outside, exercise, make a cup of tea, dance to some music etc. Taking time to focus on your body rather than your mind can help stop anxious thoughts.

Question your thoughts

Slowing down your thoughts and questioning them can help to identify the negative thoughts. Challenge your fears by asking if they are true. Watch this reframing unhelpful thoughts video by the NHS to help tackle anxiety.

Face your fears.

Our expectations of a situation are often worse than the reality. By facing what we have been worried about, a positive outcome often helps us learn to better manage and reduce our anxiety in the future.

Practice deep breathing

Try to slow down your breathing by counting in for 4 and out for 4 for five minutes in total. This will help to reduce tension and bring perspective to the situation. Try an NHS recommended relaxation exercise.

NHS Every Mind Matters has plenty of resources to help cope with anxiety.

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