Dealing with the uncertainty of Covid-19

For more than two weeks now I have wanted to write about the impact of Covid-19 on our mental health but it is hard to know how to add to an area with so much information and opinion already.

Every media piece has focused on it and adds new information to digest, yet it still seems so new and hard to grasp. Then it occurred to me, that's the unspoken issue - dealing with the unknown.

Currently we are living in a situation of encouraged social isolation, increasingly this is becoming an enforced situation. Yet, we have no idea what impact this isolation will have or indeed how long it will last. What started as three weeks has quickly shifted to The Prime Minister announcing that we can turn the tide in twelve weeks, today I read a headline that estimated this situation could be ongoing for eighteen months; although a quick read of the article soon showed how incorrect the misleading headline was.

The truth is, none of us know. There is confusion about how Covid-19 started and how to halt it's speedy international spread. We don't know how long this international crisis will last and being in this sense of unknown is a bad state for all of us. It sets of the alarm bells in our brains which keeps us unsettled and hypervigilant.

It is essential that we each find our own route to relaxation. This may be through practicing mindfulness, meditation or activities such as colouring or puzzles. These activities may sound juvenile and maybe that is why they work. If these activities calm a child, they will also calm an adult- that danger sensation is the same for all ages. It is caused by the amygdala, a small area at the side of the brain that kept cave men aware of dangers. But it is essential for us to calm it if we are to survive through this uncertain period.

I believe there is an other solution, to use this time to not only survive but to thrive; by speaking.

Speak to your family, your friends or coworkers. We are all going through this and there is comfort in knowing we are in this with others. So pick up your phone and send a message, make a call, make a connection. Use your facetime or your zoom or yogurt pots with string to your next door neighbour. The method doesn't matter, the talking does.

However, for some this time is even more serious. It brings money issues, family issues and relationship problems to the fore. Maybe you are realising all the ways in which life is making you unhappy. Or realising that you are unhappy, with your situation or with your life experiences. Having time alone with your own thoughts can be scary for some and speaking with a friend isn't enough or isn't an option.

If this reaonates, then maybe it is time to get in touch and arrange some counselling. Or maybe, life right now seems ok but you have always considered delving into your life and now is the perfect time because you have more time.

My philosophy for counselling has always been 'It's time for you". It works in two senses and maybe either or both apply to you right now.

It is time for you - spring 2020 is your time to invest in you.

It is time for you - because by telephone or zoom, we can dedicate a session a week for you and only you, to use anyway you need


I look forward to speaking with you.