Coronavirus

Last updated: 1st May 2020, 12:30

Looking after your mental health during Covid-19

You might find yourself feeling worried about the spread of coronavirus and its impact on you and your loved ones. These feelings are normal and it’s important we acknowledge them and remind each other to look after our physical and mental health. For more specific guidance on how to look after your mental health while staying at home, check out our section below.

There are steps you can take to look after your mental health and wellbeing. A number of organisations have published guidance on mental health considerations relating to the coronavirus outbreak, including:

Mind
The Mental Health Foundation
The World Health Organisation (note: dated 6th March 2020)
Young Minds

On this page you can find:

On our website
We recommend looking at our “Find Support” page for further support. We also have guidance on looking after your mental health and wellbeing.

Guidance for those with ongoing mental health difficulties

For some people, the coronavirus outbreak may trigger compulsive thoughts and unhelpful behaviours, particularly if you have pre-existing conditions such as an anxiety disorder or Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. If you are receiving support for your condition, you might find it helpful to talk to your clinician, therapist, or other medical professionals. There are also an increasing number of online resources available for you.

Various organisations have produced guidance for those who have existing mental health conditions:

Anxiety UK: "Health and other forms of anxiety and coronavirus"
BBC: "Coronavirus: How to manage Anxiety and OCD during the pandemic"
Beat Eating Disorders: "Eating Disorders and Coronavirus"
OCD-UK: "OCD and Coronavirus Top Tips"

For additional help:

You might find general guidance for coping with symptoms helpful, such as that from the following organisations:

Staying at home and your mental health

Currently, everybody in the UK is being asked to stay at home except for certain specific reasons. The prospect of not being able to leave your house much, if at all, may be upsetting, and could impact your mental health. This is why it is important you take proactive steps to give yourself a sense of normality, maintain a routine, and do things you enjoy. Some examples of things you can do include:

Stay in touch - keep in contact with your family and friends, you can still connect from a distance - call your friend, have a video-call catch up with your family or check in with someone on social media.
Continue the things you enjoy - try reading that book you’ve been meaning to start, watch that new series or try a new skill.
Get into a daily routine - you might find it helpful to plan out your time in advance and know what you are doing each day, so you have something to look forward to.
Look after your personal environment - create a space that you are able to enjoy and feel comfortable in.
Take a break from social media if you need to - if the updates are getting too much it is okay to take a step back.
Check in with your university and students’ union - this will help you to understand any changes to your course and assessments, where you can go for support and institution specific updates.

Keep in mind...

You might find keeping up-to-date with new information helps you feel empowered, or you might find it overwhelming. Some people find it helpful to set boundaries with themselves for how often they check the news, or for how long they spend reading about the outbreak. It is also important to remember that not all sources of information will be reliable, and so it is important to get your information from trustworthy sources.

Remember to follow NHS guidance at all times if you or somebody in your household is experiencing symptoms, or if you suspect you have come into contact with somebody with the virus.

Supporting your friends and family

During this time it is really important that we are all looking out for each other. Here are some things you can do to support your loved ones:

Reach out - stay connected with people even if you can’t see each other in person - send a text, make a call or be inventive online with your university community.
Check in - ask how this is affecting your friends and family and if there is anything you can do to help each other. Check-in with those who might be at more of risk during this time to see if there is anything you can do to help.
Stay informed - make sure you are following and sharing reliable information from trusted sources (NHS)

Useful resource

Take a look at our Look After Your Mate guide. This guide, which is shaped by students’ own experiences, will support you to look out for your mates, from starting a conversation to navigating the student journey.

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