Life after Lockdown: Future-proofing your Mental Health

So, what sort of challenges are we going to face?

More people will likely be asked to work from home more often. Limiting the amount of staff will make people more comfortable in an office environment. If this is the case for you, make sure you have a space in your house that is dedicated to working. This will help you be in the right frame of mind when it comes to getting your head down at home.

If you are required to be back in the office, you will likely have to comply with social distancing measures. This may be difficult if you usually work close to colleagues and rely on input from different staff members. It is important to remember the bigger picture here, that social distancing in the workplace is to ensure the health and safety of your team and yourself. If you had to work from home during the lockdown, you know that productive working can be achieved, so the output shouldn’t be affected when back in the office.

It’s also important to be mindful of your back-to-work routine. Burnout is a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress that is often triggered by work-related situations. It occurs when you feel overwhelmed, emotionally drained, and unable to meet constant demands. Be realistic with your task list when back in the office (or at home), and raise any problems you face. 

The day-to-day challenges of uncertainty

If you were one of many to lose your job during the pandemic, do not give up hope. As the economy starts to rebuild, there will be many opportunities, even if it means taking up a temporary role while you keep searching for your ideal job again.

If a significant challenge for you has been financial stress, get in touch with your bank to see what help is available. Maybe prioritise your spending into a budget planner to ensure the fundamentals are covered, and you may notice that some expense isn’t necessary.

Some people may be concerned about attending hospitals for fear of catching something from other patients. While this worry is understandable, it’s paramount that your health does not suffer due to not wanting to seek medical help. If something is wrong, you must get it seen to, as it may become a bigger problem if you avoid it.

The most significant challenge people have gone through during the pandemic is losing loved ones. The mixture of emotions surrounding the COVID-19 crisis uncertainty and then seeing someone’s health deteriorate so drastically is a tough situation to cope with. Please reach out for professional help if you are struggling to deal with the trauma of losing a loved one.

CBT London therapists warn that mental health conditions are set to increase dramatically due to COVID-19 long after the pandemic.

For example, 25% of people who survived the ICU are likely to suffer from PTSD. An increase in stress levels is expected to occur for those who are caring for elderly relatives. Those who have tried to support their children with no access to school education may feel highly stressed, and those feeling strains on their relationships following close confinement. There is also concern about a high risk of relapse in recovered anxiety patients due to the general spike of anxiety amongst the population.

How can Onebright help to support you?

If you are struggling with your mental health, we are here to help. All our CBT London therapists are BABCP accredited, meaning they hold the highest gold standard a Cognitive Behavioural Therapist can be.