Anxious about the new COVID guidance? That's okay
Experts in and around Lancashire say the changes in the rules are likely to drive an increase in peoples anxiety
If you're feeling anxious about the changes to the COVID guidance across Lancashire and Greater Manchester you're in good company.
In fact, experts in Wigan say it's bound to make people anxious but there are a few things we can do to help.
Yesterday new, stricter advice was issued to people across the two regions asking them not to meet indoors, to minimise non-essential travel and to take regular COVID-19 tests.
You can find out more about that new guidance here.
We spoke to Karen Nolan, a psychotherapist in Wigan, about how people may be feeling, she said:
"We all know, where we have setbacks in our personal lives what that feels like."
"If you have something that goes wrong at work, you start to get that resolved and then you get another setback. It can feel really demoralising and demotivating"
"This is that but on a much bigger scale."
"Even people who are not prone to getting anxious are picking upon the kind of anxiety that's in the community."
"That anxiety is kind of in our collective unconscious because actually, we are all worried about this at some level."
"It's the uncertainty that generates the anxiety and there is a lot of uncertainty."
"We've been sitting with this uncertainty for a long time, even people who are not prone to getting anxious, they are picking up on the kind of anxiety that's in the community."
So what can you do if you do have anxiety?
Well, everyone is different but Karen gave us a few tips to start with:
"I think with anxiety, my take on it is, what's underneath it often is fear."
"The fear, I think, comes from not having control and not having certainty."
"Focus on what you can control, your own actions and your decisions."
"If you're, you're wanting to decide about getting a vaccine or not, get information from a good source, like your GP, to help you to make that decision."
"Wearing a mask if you can wear a mask and thinking about social distancing and about the advice that's being given and how you can apply that to your life."
"Maintaining some structure is important."
"Frame your day, if you're still, working from home, keep in regular hours, getting up, getting dressed, not sitting at your PC all day in your PJs."
"Thinking about, you know, your diet and exercise and even if it's just, 10 minutes, getting outside, having a walk."
"Making sure that you have some connection, and contact with your family and friends even if for the moment a lot of that has to be done by Skype."
"And there may be some things that you can't make a full decision on at the moment."
"Lots of people are thinking about things like a career change or starting a course at uni, or booking holidays."
"It doesn't stop you from making tentative plans."
"I think one of the things I've certainly missed is that sense that you've got things in your diary to look forward to."
"There may not be firm plans yet but there are things in the pipeline that you can look at."
"My Mum and Step-Dad spent a lot of time on YouTube looking at videos of Tenerife, because they love going there on holiday so that's been their way of reminding themselves of the sunset and look forward to something."
For more support check out these resources:
Mental Health Charity Mind: https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/anxiety-and-panic-attacks/self-care/
NHS Anxiety Advice: https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/feelings-symptoms-behaviours/feelings-and-symptoms/anxiety-fear-panic/
Anxiety UK:https://www.anxietyuk.org.uk/