Wintering Out COVID-19: Beating the Blues during the Months Ahead

Sleep

Evidence suggests that many of us do not get enough sleep.  We need on average 8 hours.  Keeping to a regular routine of bedtime and rising time can help.  Avoid alcohol and caffeine, especially in the evening.  Wind down for an hour before bed and avoid bright screens/ lights.  Keep TVs and phones out of sleep spaces.  A cooler room temperature can also help you stay asleep through the night.

Connect

Depression sometimes tricks the mind into thinking we’re ill and should avoid others.  Take time to connect safely with people you care about.  Avoid people you find difficult if you’re feeling down.  Reach out to share with someone you know will respond with kindness.

Exercise

About half an hour of exercise three times a week is ideal to boost mood.  Talk to your physio about alternatives if you are a wheelchair user.  Exercising outdoors and getting light exposure early in the day (15-30 mins) is especially helpful if you notice your mood is sensitive to seasonal changes and takes a hit in winter.

Kind Mind

Overthinking revs up the stress response.  When we’re feeling down, the mind goes into an unhelpful thinking pattern called rumination.  It’s “dog chasing its tail” thinking.  It might be the habit of a lifetime, but it’s worth stopping and noticing your automatic thinking patterns; catching and redirecting unhelpful thinking will pay dividends (see CBT link below).

Unstitching well-worn thinking patterns not an easy thing to do however, and you may well need the support of a good counsellor or therapist.  Find someone registered and fully qualified.  Try another therapist if the first one you meet is not a good fit for you.

Notice & Create

Keeping a gratitude journal has been shown to nurture a happier mindset.  Stop and notice things you grateful for; it could be as simple as clean water, or the love of a pet or family member.

Evidence suggests that creative activity supports wellbeing in lots of ways.  Writing, baking, music, knitting.  Start a project, however small. You don’t need to be any good at it, you just need to enjoy it.

Allow

If you are a person living with MND or are supporting a family member with MND it’s natural to feel all sorts of difficult feelings; loss, frustration, fear, exhaustion … you are having to adjust to an ever-changing condition and with all the added stress of COVID; allow that you might have a down day or even moments of overwhelming distress. 

Try meeting yourself at your own door with compassion, saying “This is a moment of suffering. How can I take care of myself in this moment?”

Tech Break

It’s important to stay up to date but it’s equally important to limit exposure to news and situations over which we have limited control (such as the pandemic). 

Also, a word of caution on social media; the evidence suggests that it often triggers us to make negative comparisons between ourselves and others.  Consider a break from social media if you’re feeling down.