It is totally normal to be anxious during these unique times. Some things we can do that are evidenced based to relieve anxiety are :

1. Breathe through your nose (using one breath) for the count of four – then breathe out through your mouth (using for one breath) for the count of eight. When we are anxious or have negative thoughts, we breathe in more than we breathe out.

2. Acknowledge the anxiety and negative thoughts with compassion and kindness to yourself and then say “Do I need to worry about this now” We tend to worry about something in the future – we almost never have to worry about the negative thought now – at this present moment.

3. Visualise – close your eyes and keep a nice picture in your mind for a minute. This really helps anxiety. If a picture does not immediately come to mind – you can look up a photo or computer image.

4. Learn to accept uncertainty – unexpected things happen and accepting this in the longer term will make your life easier and reduce your anxieties.

Go to sleep early, eat nutritious food and any type of exercise

Sleep is the ultimate healer. Nothing can make a molehill look like a mountain more than lack of sleep. Eating well and any exercise (such as body balance, yoga, marching, walking etc) increases self-esteem, self-confidence and a sense of empowerment.

Be kind to yourself: Stay in the moment Most of us in one hour spend one minute in the present and the 59 minutes in the past or future. Try to refocus on what you are doing in the moment – what you see – what you hear – what you notice. When you are washing your hands as we have to do much more than we ever did – try and be totally in the moment – feeling the water on your hands, the bubbles of the soap, the feel of the towel or tissues or dryer on your hands. You might also use hand cream for self care. Another good tip is to be mindful when eating – to enjoy every mouthful.

It really helps to make the choice to be nice for yourself. Listen to your favourite music – read a magazine, watch your favourite programme, watching something funny on You Tube. Try and treat yourself the way you would a best friend. When we are anxious we tend to be a bully to ourselves.