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Easing Post Lockdown Anxiety for Therapy Professionals
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After months of maintaining social distance, you may notice you’re not as comfortable stepping out of the house as you once were. For therapy professionals, this feeling could be amplified in the workplace as you are required to be in close contact with both colleagues and patients. This could be particularly true for those coming back from furlough and working within the new reduced-contact regulations for the first time.
Although it may take some time to adjust to the next phase of reality, there are some simple steps you can take to ease post-lockdown anxiety:
1. Acknowledge your feelings
According to mental health experts, anxiety around post-lockdown life is an emerging phenomenon. Sensory overload returning to social situations could induce some physiological symptoms of anxiety, especially if you struggled with mental health issues prior to lockdown. Being able to identify and acknowledge these physical and mental feelings will be the first step to feeling better.
2. Invest in your physical health
Although some of you have been on the front lines or busy home-schooling your kids, many people have used lockdown to cook healthy food and dust off bikes or at-home gym equipment. Be sure to prioritise time each week for your physical health. If you’re a religious gym-goer who has been unable to exercise properly due to the pandemic, now may be the time to ease your way back into moving your body with yoga or Pilates, or even getting off a stop early to walk home. Keep it simple, and don’t overwhelm yourself with big, sudden changes.
3. Use your communities and colleagues
Chances are you’re not the only person you know who’s feeling anxious. If you don’t feel comfortable discussing your concerns with your co-workers, there are groups of healthcare professionals and resources available to you online: The CSP: Taking care of your mental health, Headspace, Mind, NHS supporting our people.4. Be kind to yourself
It was difficult to adjust to this pandemic, so it will be difficult to adjust as the country comes out of lockdown. Don’t expect to go from 1 to 100 overnight. You’ve spent over four months trying to make yourself and others feel safe, so the country going ‘back to normal’ might not be the most appealing thing yet. Go easy on yourself, and if you’re experiencing severe symptoms of anxiety or panic attacks, please contact a medical professional.
Useful resources
- The Chartered Society of Physiotherapists Wellbeing Guide
- Samaritans Wellbeing Support Line for Health and Social Care Workers 0800 069 6222
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