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The psychological pressures of lockdown have affected everyone in different ways.

Even though the restrictions are being eased, this has been, and remains, a very difficult, different time for us all.

Lorraine O'Malley​, Lead Sports Scientist (Sports Psychology) at City Football Group has kindly taken the time to share her thoughts and offer great practical words of advice in this world of uncertainty.

Choppy waters. An expression used to refer to troublesome, difficult, or uncertain times. We are all trying to navigate our way through the choppy waters that Covid-19 has presented us. 

We are all in the same pandemic fuelled storm responsible for creating these choppy waters, each of us attempting to sail in our different boats. Importantly though, everyone’s boat is different, just as our outlook, approach, and coping mechanisms for managing ourselves and situation is different during this time. 

We are living through challenging times which are distinct for us all. Some people’s daily routine will have shifted greatly from a full-time job to being furloughed, all whilst attempting to manage a family and life. 

Equally, there are those still ‘on the pitch’ working from home juggling work and family as well as the novel task of home-schooling. Some are surrounded by family and loved ones, some are truly living isolation alone. 

Others are coping with loss and bereavement on top of the above. This uncertainty and disruption to life provides everyone with varying degrees of challenge and stress as well as opportunity. 

The opportunity to spend time with loved ones, to reflect, to start something new. Therefore, at this time focusing on our wellbeing can help steady the ship and ride out the storm as best we can. 

I would like to speak to this narrative around what we might do to help our wellbeing, appreciating that there are numerous ways to cope. 

Understanding and applying the five ways to wellbeing is a simple yet effective starting point. Apply what you can, accept some days will be more challenging than others and strive to do more of what is helpful for you each day. 

Connect - Talk, listen, be there and feel connected with others. Sounds simple, we can all relate to using various virtual technologies to try and connect with work, family and friends. Connecting, however we do it can help build a sense of belonging and self-worth, one of our basic psychological needs. It can give us an opportunity to share experiences and provide an avenue for emotional support. A tip for connection, try when you do connect to be fully present, to be able to listen and talk. If it is rushed and you are distracted you won’t feel the same satisfaction from it.

Be Active - Do what you can, enjoy what you do, to move your mood. It is best to fit how you are active into your schedule and make it something you enjoy. You are more likely to gain a sense of satisfaction from it and continue it in the future. Start simple and create nudges to encourage you to move your body. Sticking on your favourite song and dancing for a couple of minutes moves your body and your mood. A daily walk, bike ride, run, trying a new way to be active such as yoga or Pilates.

Take notice – remember the simple things that give you joy. Kindly acknowledge your thoughts and feelings. Be curious, take notice of what’s going on in your inner world. You might say to yourself, ‘I’m noticing I’m feeling worried’. Make room for difficult feelings and be kind to yourself. What kind of things would you say to a loved one in this situation? Apply those same words and actions to yourself. Similarly, take notice of the good in every day. Practicing mindfulness can help you take notice of thoughts and feelings. Apps such as Headspace are offering some basic courses for free during the pandemic as a helpful place to start. Additionally, writing a gratitude journal before bed, acknowledging what are you grateful for today helps us seek for exceptions at a time when it might be more challenging to see good news stories. Start to write your own good news stories about what you are grateful for each day. 

Keep Learning – Embrace new experiences, see opportunities, surprise yourself. This can, but is not limited to doing online courses, webinars or gaining qualifications. It can be as simple as reading, listening, or watching something new, even trying something new to learn helps us feel a sense of satisfaction and competency. 

Give – your time, your words, your presence. Do something nice for a friend or family member, even a stranger. If appropriate volunteer your time. Giving your time to others can be beneficial to our own wellbeing. It can reduce stress, improve our emotional wellbeing and even benefit our physical health. With Mental Health Awareness Week having just passed in May with its theme of kindness, turn this inward and consider how you can be kind to yourself. What have you done today for you? What care can you take towards yourself, allow it to be a conscious choice where you constructively combat stressors in your daily life. 

Be kind to yourself and simply start small, try one thing to move your mood around the five ways to wellbeing. If it helps, then try and to do more tomorrow. 

Accepting the uncertain times we are in and the thoughts and feelings that accompany it is difficult. Accepting that we will all have good days and bad days, feeling overwhelmed with emotion is okay and to be expected. 

The choppy waters eventually calm, the horizon will clear and we will work our way through this challenging time in life. 

Acknowledging ‘Life can be difficult’ and it is never too long before another storm might appear, but rest assured in how adaptable we are being. 

It is in troubled times, often when we are deeply challenged with change and difficult situations that we manage to adapt, to survive even thrive. So, keep going or rather keep rowing, we are doing the best we can.

It is important to acknowledge that if you experience prolonged challenges with your mental health that severely affect your day to day activities, of which you are unable to cope with. Please seek additional support. 

Speaking to someone is the first step and an important one. The NHS website, has a list of helpful contacts for mental health and wellbeing support and charities (https://www.nhs.uk/). 

Every mind matters from the NHS has some great links to relevant and helpful content linked to Covid-19 (https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters/). 

If you are struggling with bereavement and loss in isolation, then Cruse bereavement website offers some helpful information and sign posting also (https://www.cruse.org.uk/get-help/coronavirus-dealing-bereavement-and-grief). 

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