{"id":12022,"date":"2021-09-02T17:42:00","date_gmt":"2021-09-02T07:42:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/herheart.org\/?p=12022"},"modified":"2021-09-02T17:42:00","modified_gmt":"2021-09-02T07:42:00","slug":"fatigued-locked-down-tips-for-your-mental-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/area54.thedct.net\/herheart\/fatigued-locked-down-tips-for-your-mental-health\/","title":{"rendered":"Fatigued & locked down: Tips for your mental health"},"content":{"rendered":"

Lockdowns are hard. Whether you\u2019re currently in one, you\u2019re still recovering from one, or whether you\u2019re worried about the next one.<\/p>\n

So what can we do to manage our mental health during all this uncertainty? What do the experts recommend?<\/p>\n

Today, thanks to some fast organizing skills by The Leadership Lessons host Shirley Chowdhary, we had an opportunity to find out.<\/p>\n

On the #MindSpace panel we heard from Mental Health Commissioner Alan Woodward, GP Dr Kiran Jassal and CEO of the National Mental Health Commission, Christine Morgan.<\/p>\n

First up, we discussed why these times are particularly challenging on our mental health. It starts with \u2018pandemic fatigue\u2019: the novelty of the Zoom catch-ups and the puzzles and chalk messages and teddybears in windows have all well and truly worn off. And most of us didn\u2019t really expect to still be managing lockdowns in 2021.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are fatigued at having to cope with the lockdowns,\u201d said Morgan.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt just doesn\u2019t seem to end. It\u2019s like trying to run a marathon. Losing energy. Running out of steam. Coming off a low base. Manifesting itself in different ways. Creating a short fuse. We don\u2019t have the same capacity to be kind. We\u2019re tired.\u201d<\/p>\n

From there, there\u2019s the uncertainty about when and how this all ends. The goalposts keep shifting. Indeed, we recorded this session today just as NSW announced its highest number of COVID-19 case numbers since the beginning of the Pandemic began, and hours before Victorians learned they would be going into yet another lockdown.<\/p>\n

And importantly, there are the unique and specific challenges people are facing, creating different challenges with different levels of support available. Some are living alone and isolated. Others are managing remote learning and caring responsibilities on top of their paid work. Some are facing significant financial stress, and others again are facing their own fears and stress in other aspects of their lives. For families, Dr Jassal noted how the \u201cRoutine, Ryhtm and Ritual and the safety net these things provide have largely been lost during lockdown\u201d.<\/p>\n

Below are some of the key tips shared during the virtual panel session.<\/p>\n

Remember help is available<\/strong><\/p>\n

There are numerous helplines available to support Australians during this period \u2014 and Australians are using them, with a record number of calls to Lifeline on Monday (something Woodward saw a positive in, given it shows we are reaching out). Other options include BeyondBlue, Kids Helpline, 1800 Respect, MindSpot, eHeadspace, Beyondblue, ReachOut.com. Also, there is the national online digital mental health portal,\u00a0HeadtoHealth.gov.au<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Woodward noted some of the benefits of these helplines and services, saying they give \u201cconvenience, confidentiality and control over how you interact.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dr Jassal added that if low feelings are interfering with your life, that you should contact a doctor. \u201cGo and seek help sooner rather than later,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

You\u2019re not alone in \u201cCOVID heaviness\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

Dr Jassal said a lot of women are approaching her practice, saying they are unable to cope. They are frustrated, exhausted and running on empty. \u201cMany of my patients were already exhausted and overwhelmed with their workload while working online and the Lockdown has truly exacerbated that.\u201d<\/p>\n

She stressed that while GPs will always ensure there are no other underlying issues at play, that these feelings of burnout and frustration are increasingly common.<\/p>\n

Kindness is everything<\/strong><\/p>\n

The K-word came up over and over again during this session, with panelists noting the need to not only be kind to each other but also to ourselves. \u201cIn the midst of chaos, kindness rules,\u201d Woodward said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe should recognise the benefits of taking time for ourselves, and not always upholding great expectations of what we can do \u2013 or how difficult situations should be resolved. Use nature and enjoyable activities to lift your mood. Make sure the basics are right: sleep, exercise and diet.<\/p>\n

\u201cKindness matters,\u201d Woodward continued. The more we are kind towards others the more our own mental health rises. And sometimes the only thing that you can do in a difficult situation is show kindness \u2013 it is within your power to do so.<\/p>\n

Connect with others<\/strong><\/p>\n

Many people are withdrawing during these current lockdowns, Morgan said. She added that while in 2020 we learned to connect better with each other, the pandemic fatigue means we\u2019re starting to disconnect. We need to turn that around and again see the value in those phone conversations and virtual meetings.<\/p>\n

Replenish yourself<\/strong><\/p>\n

Looking after yourself at this time is not an indulgence, it is self-care, said Morgan.<\/p>\n

She recommended building some kind of self-care into your day, whether that\u2019s reading, exercising, taking a bath or something else.<\/p>\n

She also advised people to eat and sleep as well as they can, and to take breaks from the constant need to know everything about what is going on.<\/p>\n

\u201cCreate an Oasis for yourself,\u201d Morgan said. \u201cRebalance the scales by doing something indulgent for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n

The National Mental Health Commission also recently released a number of tips for coping with \u2018Pandemic Fatigue\u2019 \u2014 which may include feelings\/behaviours like tiredness, frustration, restlessness, irritability, lack of enthusiasm, increase substance abuse and hopelessness.<\/strong><\/p>\n

These strategies include:<\/strong><\/p>\n