Anxious About Normality?

After months of uncertainty, restrictions are beginning to lift in the UK, the prospect of ‘normality’ is closer than ever. 

But how are you feeling? For many, the excitement may be highly motivating, but for others, they could be feeling extremely anxious about what the future may look like. But it’s okay to also feel a mix of both. Our lives have been completely turned upside down over the past year and we have all adapted to create our new routines.  

To learn more about occupational therapy and how we can help you? Read our previous blog here. 

Why am I anxious for normality?

The novelty of lockdown has probably worn off and now we are in our little bubbles of normality. We have all created new routines and new ways of coping so the thought that it will all change again can be extremely unnerving for us. There are also many internal and external pressures that will also contribute to the way we feel, so it’s no surprise that we may be hesitant about the upcoming changes. 

What to do if you feel overwhelmed and anxious?

As Occupational Therapists, we help people to overcome barriers no matter how big or small, emotional and physical. So we have some tips to share if you find yourself feeling anxious and overwhelmed. 

1. Square breathing

Focus on your breath and try this square breathing technique, it can help relax the body, the mind and re-centre your focus.

The method is simple:

The science behind this is simple. Your body is constantly trying to maintain equilibrium. When you inhale, blood is drawn from your heart into the vasculature of your lungs. This creates a relative deficit of blood for the rest of your body. Your heart compensates by increasing the heart rate and pushing more blood to your body.

When you exhale, blood returns to your body from your lungs and the heart slows back down. This increase in heart rate during inhalation and decrease during exhalation is known as respiratory sinus arrhythmia.

2. Keep hydrated

We say it a lot at KMA, but being hydrated really makes a lot of difference to our function.

It’s suggested on the NHS website that in the UK we should drink over 1.2 litres of water per day, but do you know why?

Some main benefits of staying hydrated are:

1. Preventing and relieving headaches
2. Maintaining memory function
3. Increasing blood flow and oxygen to the brain
4. Improving mood and concentration
5. Helping to maintain regularity in digestion
6. Aiding liver and kidney function

The list goes on, so what are you waiting for go and refill your glass!

3. Brain dump

Brain dumping is a simple task but one that can really help clear some headspace. It’s also easy to carry out. All you do is write down everything that’s going on in your head. From there, sort into various lists, such as ‘personal life’ ‘home tasks’ ‘work’ etc. 

The process of transferring everything from your head onto paper will inevitably clear some much needed ‘brain space’ and enable you to departmentalise your anxieties in a structural way.