A study conducted by University College London has reported some interesting findings about anxiety and the lockdown due to Covid-19.
Stress related to the Covid-19 pandemic has steadily fallen since lockdown began, along with general levels of anxiety, according to UCL’s Covid-19 study, the UK’s largest study on adults’ wellbeing and mental health during the coronavirus epidemic.
The study, which was launched a month ago, has over 74,000 participants and reports on how adults feel about the lockdown, government advice, feelings of loneliness and wellbeing, and their mental health.
According to the latest results, just under one in five people report that Covid-19 has caused them major stress over the past week, down from more than one in three people in the days before lockdown was introduced. Major stress was defined as stress that was constantly on your mind or keeping you awake at night.
The survey found that wellbeing has also increased in the last three weeks, with people reporting higher levels of satisfaction with their life, although this is still lower than at the same time last year. There is also less evidence for improvements in wellbeing among people aged 18 to 29 and for those with a diagnosed mental health condition.
How will the easing of lockdown affect us?
The simple answer is – we don’t know. The world has never experienced anything like the coronavirus pandemic and so it’s not easy to predict how people will react and readjust as restrictions are eased.
It may be that the thought of reconnecting will make some people feel anxious. The idea of socialising again is probably not an attractive one for thos of us who suffer from social anxiety.
Draw on previously learned skills
If you have lived with social anxiety before the pandemic, you will probably have learned skills which help you cope. These coping mechanisms will come into their own again as lockdown eases and socialising becomes part of daily life again. People without any prior experience of this type of mental health problem could struggle to cope because they have never had to manage these conditions before.
How I Treat Anxiety
At Behavioural Freedom, I use a skills-based model for treating anxiety. During our sessions, I will teach you relaxation techniques and helpful ways in which you can fundamentally and positively change the way you behave, think and act. It’s also important to note here that you can’t be stressed or suffer from anxiety when you are in a relaxed state. The skills you’ll learn during your time with me will be vital to both your on-going treatment and perhaps more so as you leave my care.
A combination of Applied Relaxation and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is considered by the British Medical Journal to be one of the most effective therapies to alleviate anxiety and put you on a path to having a positive mind-set and being able to live life to the fullest, free of worries. By combining both and adding in the element of hypnosis, I believe this is the most effective, pragmatic and relevant approach to the treatment of anxiety.
Please contact me today to start the journey back to behavioural freedom.