We have watched the news with anticipation each day, we have counted down the days till we could see friends, family, go to our favourite restaurant, go to the gym, escape the city.
We cheered with the news of lifted restrictions- planned our catch ups, picnics, and soon to be dinners, cafe visits, mini getaways and haircuts!!
So why do I feel so scared?
While these new freedoms are very exciting, the pressure to frantically plan everything that we haven’t been able to for so long can leave us feeling anxious and a little overwhelmed.
Many people are also experiencing anxiety about things like weight gain during lockdown, loss of fitness, job insecurity and also simply the lack of socialisation!
We want you to stop with the guilt, shame and ‘should-ing’. You have made it through maybe one of the hardest times of your life. It is no small achievement. You may have some battle scars, you may be feeling fragile, but the fact that you are getting up each day and getting on with it is something to be CELEBRATED!!
Here are some tips for dealing with post lockdown anxiety:
Give yourself permission to say ‘no’. You don’t need to schedule 4 catch ups in one weekend. Your gym will be there the following week and you can really go another week or two before trying to snag a booking at the restaurant you’ve wanted to try.
Be kind to yourself: Clothes not fitting like they did pre-covid? Buy a size up. Do not punish yourself for something that was largely out of your control!
Schedule some ‘down time’ It may sound like the last thing we need after months of lockdown is more down time. But it’s mental downtime that is important. Our emotions have been under alot of strain for quite some time, and giving yourself time out allows you to balance and centre yourself when you feel overwhelmed.
Priority lists: Schedule your catch ups, your social time, your to do lists. If you have kids you may find that alot of your time will be taking them to social and sporting commitments as well so its important to have it all mapped out while we ease back into busy-ness again.
Get outside as much as possible: Its no secret that nature really helps to reset and re-calibrate. Some fresh air, sunshine and beautiful scenery is a proven anxiety reliever and a great way to ease yourself back into exercise and feeling good.
Take your foot off the accelerator and just breathe- we will all get there in good time.
