Support with Covid-19 Related Issues

The flyers below provide further information about the services that Ewen’s Room is offering during the current Covid-19 outbreak.

You can download a pdf of this flyer here.

You can download a pdf of this flyer here.

A significant number of people are currently experiencing higher levels of anxiety than usual. This is normal! It is often referred to as ‘Post-Lockdown Anxiety’.

What is post-lockdown anxiety?

Post-lockdown anxiety is a fear and worry about what’s going to happen once these restrictions are lifted.

We quickly adjusted to that ‘new normal’, we felt safe, we felt protected at home and for some there was the novelty factor of not having to go to work, not having to sit in traffic or on the train, the pace of life was a bit slower, it was a bit more comfortable, and maybe there were positives about being at home that we hadn’t really explored or understood initially.

Now as the restrictions are being lifted and a lot of people are worried about catching the virus and / or passing it on to others. Lifting those restrictions is taking away the comfort zone we’ve got into by being at home, taking things at a slower pace, and maybe the benefits that we’ve identified from working from home have been quite measurable and noticeable and people are going to miss that in some cases.

COPING WITH ANXIETY

If you do start to feel very anxious or panic-stricken, this five-step exercise can be very helpful during periods of anxiety or panic by helping to ground you in the present when your mind is bouncing around between various anxious thoughts. Before starting this exercise, pay attention to your breathing. Slow, deep breaths can help you to maintain a sense of calm or help you return to a calmer state.

When you are ready, go through the following ‘5-4-3-2-1’ technique to help you to ground yourself:

5: Acknowledge FIVE things you see around you. For example, you could say, I see the computer, I see the cup, I see the picture frame.

4: Acknowledge FOUR things you can feel or touch. You could say, I feel my feet warm in my socks, I feel the hair on the back of my neck, or I feel the pillow I am sitting on.

3: Acknowledge THREE things you hear. This could be any sound. It could be the sound of traffic outside, the sound of typing, or the sound of your tummy rumbling. Try though to focus on things you can hear outside of your body.

2: Acknowledge TWO things you can smell. If you can, it’s okay to move to another spot and sniff something. If you can’t smell anything at the moment, or you can’t move, then name your 2 favourite smells.

1: Acknowledge ONE thing you can taste. It may be the toothpaste from brushing your teeth, or a mint from after lunch. If you can’t taste anything, then say your favourite thing to taste.

This technique is one of many options you could use if you are feeling anxious or overwhelmed.

If anxiety is something that you struggle with regularly, and you continue to have trouble refocusing or coping with these feelings, please talk to your doctor.

You can access this information in leaflet form below:

You can download a copy of this leaflet here.

You can download a copy of this leaflet here.

Helping Others

If you need advice on how you can best help other people, two sources of useful information are this one from the NHS and this one from Mind.

Ewen’s Room is also running a six-session workshop on Developing Community Support starting on Tuesday 8th September. You can find out more about the workshops here.