Lockdown restrictions are being eased around the UK, which means that the wider world is beginning to open up to us once more after months of quarantine. And while it’s exciting to think about getting out and about again, some of you may also be feeling a little bit anxious about straying too far from home.
If you are feeling this way, it’s important to remember that you’re not alone and there are many out there sure to be experiencing re-entry anxiety, as it’s been dubbed.
While being at home over lockdown has certainly had its inconveniences, the idea that doing so is what has kept us all safe has become firmly ingrained in our minds, so it would be no surprise if you were feeling anxious about leaving the safety of the four walls of your house, where you’re going to have to adjust relatively quickly to a new way of life… once again.
Anyone experiencing this kind of anxiety may want to ease themselves back into the world gradually, making sure they don’t take on too much, too soon. If you have the facilities to drive, you could use your car more often and avoid public transport for the time being if you don’t want to be in enclosed spaces with others for the time being.
Avoiding alcohol and other addictive substances over the coming weeks would also be advisable, as it could prove problematic later down the line if you use it as a crutch. Instead, try to focus on healthier habits like getting lots of exercise and cooking delicious and nutritious food to help support your mental health and wellbeing.
Talking about your feelings can also prove very beneficial and it’s important to know if others close to you are feeling similarly, as you can then help support each other. You may also find it useful to speak to others who feel less anxious than you do, as this can give you a fresh perspective and help clarify your mind.
Self-care has never been more important than it is right now and it can be very beneficial to make time to do what you enjoy and what you find relaxing. This can really help with stress reduction and increase your capacity for self-compassion and resilience.
One way to help give you immediate relief from anxiety is to focus on your breathing and there are all sorts of ways in which you can do this.
A Short Meditation On The Breath is a meditation where we focus out attention on our breathing.
Mediation is one of the most effective ways of reducing stress and tension in the body. Although it has been practiced for thousands of years it has only been applied in western psychotherapeutic treatments since the 1970s. There are numerous mindfulness programmes incorporating meditation which focus on stress reduction and recurrent depression however mindfulness is also used to help people overcome issues such as, grief, pain reduction, substance misuse, work, family and financial stress.
In this mediation practice we sit and focus our attention on the breath as it moves in and out of the body. Sooner or later the mind will wander away from the focus on the breath to thoughts….a worry or something that has been playing on our mind. When we discover the mind is no longer with the breath and lost in thoughts we gently and kindly reconnect with the breath once again as the focus of our attention.
Mediation relaxes both mind and body very deeply and will relieve the tension and stress built up in your body.
If you need any further help with anxiety, get in touch with online mindful therapist Alex James today.