How To Stay Mentally Healthy During Lockdown

Published in

Casper Magazine

5 min readSep 8, 2021

Find out how to take care of yourself as lockdowns and the pandemic stretch on.

A photograph of a man sitting on top of a wooden desk. He has his legs crossed, his eyes closed, and his elbows on his knees, with his thumbs and middle finger touching on each hand. He sits in front of a laptop and notebook with a phone on it, and there are three different potted plants across the desk.

With lockdown extended once again in Melbourne, it’s understandable that a lot of people are feeling anxious, worried, and frustrated. According to a survey conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, one in five Australians has experienced high or very high levels of psychological distress linked to the pandemic, with people living in Victoria being most affected (27% of people, in comparison to 18% of the rest of Australia).

For everyone, the pandemic has provoked a challenge for managing our mental health. Lockdowns and increased isolation make it harder to seek out stress management activities like chatting with friends over a coffee, or participating in community sports.
– Dr Leanne Beagley, CEO of Mental Health Australia.

In an uncertain time like this, when we’re required to adapt to a “new normal”, it’s important for us to take proactive steps to protect our mental wellbeing.

We recently published an article about boosting your mood in lockdown, written by Dr Paul Hermann, which focused primarily on physical health. While that’s definitely important, here are some more tips that go beyond physical health that are recommended by Mental Health Australia’s 2021 World Mental Health Day campaign — ‘Look after your mental health, Australia 2021’ — to help you navigate these challenging times.

Stay connected with others

We all love to socialise. With social distancing and travel restrictions in place, we’re unable to meet up with our friends and family as we used to do, making us feel lonely, frustrated, and even depressed.

A photograph of a person holding a cupcake with a candle up to a laptop screen. The laptop has a video call with two adult and a young child, who is leaning forward and blowing towards where the candle is.

These days, however, keeping regular contact with our loved ones is easy enough with just a phone call, a text, or a video call. With access to a range of technologies like Skype, Zoom, and Facetime, your social events — from trivia nights and family dinners to book club meetups — or even just evening chats with your friend group can be virtual events. This will help you to stay socially and emotionally connected while maintaining social distancing, going a long way to assure you that you’re not alone in this.

We underestimate sometimes the comfort that phone contact can bring, you can still feel a sense of connection and closeness even if it’s not face-to-face.
– Psychologist Sabina Read.

Try to do something that you enjoy each day

During a pandemic, everything around you can feel like chaos, so doing something that brings joy to you can uplift your mood and help you feel safe and calm.

A photograph of a person from neck to waist, holding a pallet covered in paint in their right hand an a painting instrument in their left hand. An easel in front of the painter has a canvas with squares of multiple colours.

This could be anything at all, whether you start a new hobby or else get back to an old hobby you didn’t have enough time for. You can re-decorate your room, play board games with your family and friends, read a new book, watch a movie, write a novel, play an online game — genuinely, just do anything that brings a smile to your face and brighten your day.

Manage your media consumption and choose trusted sources

During a lockdown, it’s important to stay informed about what is happening around you so that you can act accordingly. However, watching too much news about infection numbers, death rates, and tracking each and every briefing can make anyone feel overwhelmed. It’s hard not to see an end to this years-long pandemic, and keeping an eagle eye on the numbers can make you feel extremely worried over the health of you and your loved ones.

Dr James Collett, a lecturer in psychology at Melbourne’s RMIT University, says that limiting your media exposure and sticking to trusted sources of information helps you stay ‘conscious and active’ while maintaining your mental well-being. It also helps you avoid mis- and disinformation, which is really common online, so if you want to stay informed, make sure you’re getting accurate information.

Be kind to yourself and maintain perspective

To maintain your mental health during an uncertain time like this, you should always be kind to yourself and maintain perspective. Giving yourself positive feedback for all the things you have done and achieved, no matter how small that is, helps cheer you up and maintains your mental health. Whether you managed to have an amazingly productive day, or you managed just to get some washing done, take those victories and praise yourself for a job well done! Things are tough right now, so we all deserve positive vibes — most of all from ourselves.

A photograph of a young person kneeling on a couch and leaning over the back of it to stare out the window. They have headphones over their ears.

Moreover, it’s important to understand that there are no right or wrong reactions to the uncertainties of the pandemic. Viewing all the changes around you with openness and acceptance can help you maintain your perspective and mental well-being.

Never be afraid to seek help

This pandemic is a new challenge for every one of us. Feeling anxious, frustrated, and stressed is normal in such a scenario, so if you’re struggling to cope with your emotions and your mental health, never be afraid to reach out and receive help.

You can talk to a trusted friend, family member, or a professional to get the help you need. The Australian Psychological Society has some great information and guides to help you manage the mental health impacts of lockdowns, and if you or anyone you know needs extra help, you can contact the following numbers for professional advice:

Lifeline

13 11 14

24 hours a day — 7 days a week

Lifeline Text

0477 13 11 14

6pm to midnight (AEDT) — 7 nights a week

Beyond Blue

1300 22 4636

Butterfly Foundation National Helpline

1800 334 673

Carer Support

1800 242 636 or 1300 554 660