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Poll: What factors affect your mental health the most right now?
This poll is closed
What factors affect your mental health the most right now? (select all that apply)
Lack of purpose or routine16%
Uncertainty around my education16%
Uncertainty around my future career prospects10%
Isolating with family8%
Lack of support system (eg. Teachers, counsellors)5%
Lack of exercise/ability to be outside8%
Loneliness10%
Financial worries4%
Concern about myself or my loved ones getting ill8%
Exposure to negative news/social media7%
Lack of real life entertainment (eg. cinema, gigs, restaurants)9%
Total votes: 4465
Since the outbreak of Coronavirus, we’ve seen a huge amount of conversation on The Student Room about how it’s affecting your mental health.
It’s a complex situation, and if you’re feeling anxious, it’s likely there could be a number of things contributing to that.
We want to understand what are the things that are having the biggest impact for you at the moment? We’re going to be working to bring together the best advice and share it with you all, so we can all help support one another during this difficult time. We’re all in this together.
Can you share with us a little bit of your story?
Are there any coping mechanisms you normally have access to, which you’re now missing in lockdown?
What positive steps are you taking toward managing you mental health?
Where have you gone for support during this time?
Take care everyone and remember that Papyrus advisors are online all this week to help support if you have questions they can help with.
It’s a complex situation, and if you’re feeling anxious, it’s likely there could be a number of things contributing to that.
We want to understand what are the things that are having the biggest impact for you at the moment? We’re going to be working to bring together the best advice and share it with you all, so we can all help support one another during this difficult time. We’re all in this together.
Can you share with us a little bit of your story?
Are there any coping mechanisms you normally have access to, which you’re now missing in lockdown?
What positive steps are you taking toward managing you mental health?
Where have you gone for support during this time?
Take care everyone and remember that Papyrus advisors are online all this week to help support if you have questions they can help with.
Scroll to see replies
Reply 1
21
the only way my mental health has really been impacted is by uncertainty around education but it hasn't really impacted me much. I suppose also no more face 2 face mental health services but still in contact. oh, and isolating with family. but I live with them anyway.
I do experience chronic loneliness but this has not been impacted by the lockdown.
I've not slept in and I've kept my routines to help
I do experience chronic loneliness but this has not been impacted by the lockdown.
I've not slept in and I've kept my routines to help
Reply 2
21
oh, and I use my daily exercise to do a walk or run with some guided meditations for walking and running 
Reply 3
I have been completely alone for the last 3 weeks, talking to family and friends via video etc is not a replacement for company.
I cope with light drinking and escapism, it works.
I cope with light drinking and escapism, it works.
Reply 4
I work from home normally, and also study part-time via distance learning, so not much has changed for me in that respect (other than not travelling with work), but I'm still feeling the impact hugely. My work is busier and more stressful than normal as I work in the pharmaceutical research industry and I don't have the normal 'down time' I usually do.
Are there any coping mechanisms you normally have access to, which you’re now missing in lockdown?
I'm very much a person who likes routine and I tend to try to do things like my shopping at quieter times and places, so I am definitely missing that feeling of control. I find even the changes to queueing, for example, quite stressful but I don't really have the option to remove myself from the situation because it's the only way I can get what I need at the moment.
I also usually enjoy browsing social media or watching rubbish youtube videos, but I'm struggling to get away from COVID references on those at the moment, it seems to be referenced in absolutely everything.
What positive steps are you taking toward managing you mental health?
I absolutely love going to the theatre/opera/ballet and have been missing this a lot, so have spent time finding lots of live streams and options on youtube to watch on my projector and have a pretend 'night at the opera'.
I've been cooking/baking more mainly to make better use of the food that is available but also because I find it quite therapeutic to follow a physical process. I've also done a bit of DIY around the flat to feel like I'm producing something with visible/tangible results.
Where have you gone for support during this time?
I've mostly been chatting to friends and family, but they're all pretty anxious too.
Are there any coping mechanisms you normally have access to, which you’re now missing in lockdown?
I'm very much a person who likes routine and I tend to try to do things like my shopping at quieter times and places, so I am definitely missing that feeling of control. I find even the changes to queueing, for example, quite stressful but I don't really have the option to remove myself from the situation because it's the only way I can get what I need at the moment.
I also usually enjoy browsing social media or watching rubbish youtube videos, but I'm struggling to get away from COVID references on those at the moment, it seems to be referenced in absolutely everything.
What positive steps are you taking toward managing you mental health?
I absolutely love going to the theatre/opera/ballet and have been missing this a lot, so have spent time finding lots of live streams and options on youtube to watch on my projector and have a pretend 'night at the opera'.
I've been cooking/baking more mainly to make better use of the food that is available but also because I find it quite therapeutic to follow a physical process. I've also done a bit of DIY around the flat to feel like I'm producing something with visible/tangible results.
Where have you gone for support during this time?
I've mostly been chatting to friends and family, but they're all pretty anxious too.
Reply 5
uncertainty around education has definitely been a big one for me, not knowing what was going on after a-levels were cancelled made me feel really anxious. i guess i coped with this in a similar way to if we weren't in lockdown- by talking to friends about it, playing guitar and trying to distract myself- but i've definitely found it harder to ask for help from my school (i find conversations so much easier than drafting and writing an email to a teacher!) which i normally rely on quite a bit when things aren't great.
i guess i've been looking after myself by trying to stick to a routine (is much easier in term time when there's a timetable to follow!), taking time for myself (going on walks, baking and chilling with my cats
) and trying to keep in touch with friends and family that i can't see.
i guess i've been looking after myself by trying to stick to a routine (is much easier in term time when there's a timetable to follow!), taking time for myself (going on walks, baking and chilling with my cats
) and trying to keep in touch with friends and family that i can't see.Reply 6
Original post
by Toastiekiduncertainty around education has definitely been a big one for me, not knowing what was going on after a-levels were cancelled made me feel really anxious. i guess i coped with this in a similar way to if we weren't in lockdown- by talking to friends about it, playing guitar and trying to distract myself- but i've definitely found it harder to ask for help from my school (i find conversations so much easier than drafting and writing an email to a teacher!) which i normally rely on quite a bit when things aren't great.
i guess i've been looking after myself by trying to stick to a routine (is much easier in term time when there's a timetable to follow!), taking time for myself (going on walks, baking and chilling with my cats) and trying to keep in touch with friends and family that i can't see.
i guess i've been looking after myself by trying to stick to a routine (is much easier in term time when there's a timetable to follow!), taking time for myself (going on walks, baking and chilling with my cats
) and trying to keep in touch with friends and family that i can't see.@Toastiekid
I know reaching out for support is always something that takes a huge amount of courage. I understand that talking in person and over email is really different and this change could be quite daunting- remember if you are needing support right it is important that the people around you know so they can help you. Who do you think you could contact for support?
It sounds like you are doing a great job of forming a new routine. Adjusting to a new routine can be really tough- it is great that you are prioritising the things that help you!
Rachel
Reply 7
21
Original post
by BlinkyBillSince the outbreak of Coronavirus, we’ve seen a huge amount of conversation on The Student Room about how it’s affecting your mental health.
It’s a complex situation, and if you’re feeling anxious, it’s likely there could be a number of things contributing to that.
We want to understand what are the things that are having the biggest impact for you at the moment? We’re going to be working to bring together the best advice and share it with you all, so we can all help support one another during this difficult time. We’re all in this together.
Can you share with us a little bit of your story?
Are there any coping mechanisms you normally have access to, which you’re now missing in lockdown?
What positive steps are you taking toward managing you mental health?
Where have you gone for support during this time?
Take care everyone and remember that Papyrus advisors are online all this week to help support if you have questions they can help with.
It’s a complex situation, and if you’re feeling anxious, it’s likely there could be a number of things contributing to that.
We want to understand what are the things that are having the biggest impact for you at the moment? We’re going to be working to bring together the best advice and share it with you all, so we can all help support one another during this difficult time. We’re all in this together.
Can you share with us a little bit of your story?
Are there any coping mechanisms you normally have access to, which you’re now missing in lockdown?
What positive steps are you taking toward managing you mental health?
Where have you gone for support during this time?
Take care everyone and remember that Papyrus advisors are online all this week to help support if you have questions they can help with.
Are there any coping mechanisms you normally have access to, which you’re now missing in lockdown?
grindr & nightclub hookups
What positive steps are you taking toward managing you mental health?
triple valium dose
Where have you gone for support during this time?
/
Reply 8
There are a few things I've read recently about mental health which really resonated, so I'll share them here in case they're of any use to anyone.
The first one was talking about how we are all getting much less sensory stimulation that we are used to. If you're at school or uni, or work in a medium to large size business, or in customer service, it's very normal that you'll interact with up to 100 people each day. You'll often be in lots of different environments throughout the day, and those give you different types of sensory stimulation as well. Right now, the world is much quieter than it usually is, we're experiencing less smells, we may be experiencing less taster, we're almost certainly experiencing less touch.
There's a lot of research on zoo animals which suggests that sensory enrichment has a positive impact on animals, from lizards to tigers to great apes. So one way to look after yourself is to try and increase your sensory experiences- maybe play some background music or ambient noise when you are working, take a bubble bath or light a scented candle or some incense, try to get some sensory experiences in on your daily exercise. Taste is possibly a hard one right now for some people, but if you can experiment with different flavours do so!
Being around nature is also really important for our wellbeing- if you aren't able to regularly get out among plants and trees, try buying some potplants etc to keep around the house- or even grow some greens from the tops of root vegetables.
The second thing was talking about how the situation more generally is probably contributing to a lot of people feeling "weird" or unsettled.
Basically, part of our stress response is very much biological still- and that part evolved mainly to deal with threats like being eaten by lions, being beaten up by a bigger member of the group or forest fires. This is a bit of pop psychology, so please don't @ me if it's a bit oversimplified, but basically, when were are in a threatening/stressful situation, it triggers something called our amygdala- part of our brain that co-ordinates the fight or flight response.
Basically, when we are faced with a threat, we have a few possible instinctive responses, fight, flight or freeze (there's also fawn, but that's a bit more complicated). When we detect a threat, our amygdala floods our body with hormones like adrenaline and cortisol, which are hormones that help us get ready to run really fast, or fight something. Your heart rate goes up, your breathing becomes more shallow, you become hyper alert, etc. etc. We are also a social animal, so if we see someone else in our group getting into this mode, our body starts prepping us to face the threat as well- anxiety can actually be a bit contagious!
The problem is, all of this is getting us ready to run away from a lion, or fight a rival over those really nice berries. It's not much good to us when the advice is to sit tight and stay indoors/on our own. It sounds really obvious when you think about it, but if you are getting lots of anxiety fight or flight type feelings, and you have to fight them to do the opposite, that's not great for your mental health. Again, we are also social animals, so we instinctively seek out our "group" at times of stress- but we can't do that right now, either.
There are some positive things you can do to help with these feelings:
-Breathing exercises for anxiety may come in really useful- even if you don't normally feel anxious.
-Get social input via facetime/zoom/whatever.
-Do something active- e.g.a home workout or go for a run if you haven't used up your daily exercise quota. This will give all of that adrenaline somewhere to go and help fool your body into thinking you have dealt with the threat.
-Step away from media/people/situations that are increasing your anxiety.
-Do something crafty with your hands that takes a lot of attention- this is sort of like mindfulness for people who can't meditate very well (i.e. me). If you occupy enough of your brain with an activity, these feelings can start to go away. Pick something really low stakes and not permanent if you can- for me, it's often trying to do a complicated braid in my hair. For some people it might be knitting, sewing, painting by numbers etc. Yoga/TaiChi can also work well for this.
-And finally, just be kind to yourself and others, because this is actually a super difficult time and what we are being asked to do is actually really hard. Acknowledge this is tough and it's ok if you don't write the next King Lear or paint the next Mona Lisa or learn to speak fluent Russian or whatever. And try to cut others some slack when you can.
The first one was talking about how we are all getting much less sensory stimulation that we are used to. If you're at school or uni, or work in a medium to large size business, or in customer service, it's very normal that you'll interact with up to 100 people each day. You'll often be in lots of different environments throughout the day, and those give you different types of sensory stimulation as well. Right now, the world is much quieter than it usually is, we're experiencing less smells, we may be experiencing less taster, we're almost certainly experiencing less touch.
There's a lot of research on zoo animals which suggests that sensory enrichment has a positive impact on animals, from lizards to tigers to great apes. So one way to look after yourself is to try and increase your sensory experiences- maybe play some background music or ambient noise when you are working, take a bubble bath or light a scented candle or some incense, try to get some sensory experiences in on your daily exercise. Taste is possibly a hard one right now for some people, but if you can experiment with different flavours do so!
Being around nature is also really important for our wellbeing- if you aren't able to regularly get out among plants and trees, try buying some potplants etc to keep around the house- or even grow some greens from the tops of root vegetables.
The second thing was talking about how the situation more generally is probably contributing to a lot of people feeling "weird" or unsettled.
Basically, part of our stress response is very much biological still- and that part evolved mainly to deal with threats like being eaten by lions, being beaten up by a bigger member of the group or forest fires. This is a bit of pop psychology, so please don't @ me if it's a bit oversimplified, but basically, when were are in a threatening/stressful situation, it triggers something called our amygdala- part of our brain that co-ordinates the fight or flight response.
Basically, when we are faced with a threat, we have a few possible instinctive responses, fight, flight or freeze (there's also fawn, but that's a bit more complicated). When we detect a threat, our amygdala floods our body with hormones like adrenaline and cortisol, which are hormones that help us get ready to run really fast, or fight something. Your heart rate goes up, your breathing becomes more shallow, you become hyper alert, etc. etc. We are also a social animal, so if we see someone else in our group getting into this mode, our body starts prepping us to face the threat as well- anxiety can actually be a bit contagious!
The problem is, all of this is getting us ready to run away from a lion, or fight a rival over those really nice berries. It's not much good to us when the advice is to sit tight and stay indoors/on our own. It sounds really obvious when you think about it, but if you are getting lots of anxiety fight or flight type feelings, and you have to fight them to do the opposite, that's not great for your mental health. Again, we are also social animals, so we instinctively seek out our "group" at times of stress- but we can't do that right now, either.
There are some positive things you can do to help with these feelings:
-Breathing exercises for anxiety may come in really useful- even if you don't normally feel anxious.
-Get social input via facetime/zoom/whatever.
-Do something active- e.g.a home workout or go for a run if you haven't used up your daily exercise quota. This will give all of that adrenaline somewhere to go and help fool your body into thinking you have dealt with the threat.
-Step away from media/people/situations that are increasing your anxiety.
-Do something crafty with your hands that takes a lot of attention- this is sort of like mindfulness for people who can't meditate very well (i.e. me). If you occupy enough of your brain with an activity, these feelings can start to go away. Pick something really low stakes and not permanent if you can- for me, it's often trying to do a complicated braid in my hair. For some people it might be knitting, sewing, painting by numbers etc. Yoga/TaiChi can also work well for this.
-And finally, just be kind to yourself and others, because this is actually a super difficult time and what we are being asked to do is actually really hard. Acknowledge this is tough and it's ok if you don't write the next King Lear or paint the next Mona Lisa or learn to speak fluent Russian or whatever. And try to cut others some slack when you can.
Reply 9
18
Are there any coping mechanisms you normally have access to, which you’re now missing in lockdown?
No, besides going out and buying snacks to binge on, which only made things worse anyway.
What positive steps are you taking toward managing you mental health?
Trying to relax by not thinking about grades and whether I’m going to get into uni due to not having much confidence in my teachers giving me the grades I knew I was capable of getting.
Where have you gone for support during this time?
Don’t have any support system besides staying in my room.
No, besides going out and buying snacks to binge on, which only made things worse anyway.
What positive steps are you taking toward managing you mental health?
Trying to relax by not thinking about grades and whether I’m going to get into uni due to not having much confidence in my teachers giving me the grades I knew I was capable of getting.
Where have you gone for support during this time?
Don’t have any support system besides staying in my room.
Reply 10
Apart from the fact people are dying and are ill, I am loving lockdown!
No college, no exams, no homework, no stress! It's brilliant! I can do anything that I would normally do and spend more time with my family! What more would I want
No college, no exams, no homework, no stress! It's brilliant! I can do anything that I would normally do and spend more time with my family! What more would I want
Reply 11
Boredom
Lack of school
Not sleeping well
No friends
Coping mechanism I had was talking to best friend but as of Monday that’s no more
Lack of school
Not sleeping well
No friends
Coping mechanism I had was talking to best friend but as of Monday that’s no more
Reply 12
It's been tough to stay inside all the time with my family as I would've thought we'd run out of things to talk about / it would be too stressful and it would build large amounts of tension. In reflection so far, it's been good as we know to keep our space, and then we come together in odd parts of the day and in our walk in the afternoon which is a great time to get out.
I've also taken the opportunity to eat healthier and work out in the garden for at least half an hour every other day and then going for a walk later on in order to lose some weight (not crazy) whilst stuck inside all day
I've also taken the opportunity to eat healthier and work out in the garden for at least half an hour every other day and then going for a walk later on in order to lose some weight (not crazy) whilst stuck inside all day
Reply 13
Concern about myself or my loved ones getting ill is a big one for me. Mum's just had a year of preventative cancer treatment and has been given a letter telling her to stay home for 12 weeks (as has Dad). I'm stuck at uni so can only support remotely which kinda sucks. 
That's been coupled with some financial worries because my Mum's exhausted her sick pay now, and Dad's not receiving any work due to the virus (he was doing casual work with the football season, he's semi retired). They only have my Dad's pension income now.
That's been coupled with some financial worries because my Mum's exhausted her sick pay now, and Dad's not receiving any work due to the virus (he was doing casual work with the football season, he's semi retired). They only have my Dad's pension income now.
Reply 14
Original post
by AnonymousConcern about myself or my loved ones getting ill is a big one for me. Mum's just had a year of preventative cancer treatment and has been given a letter telling her to stay home for 12 weeks (as has Dad). I'm stuck at uni so can only support remotely which kinda sucks.
That's been coupled with some financial worries because my Mum's exhausted her sick pay now, and Dad's not receiving any work due to the virus (he was doing casual work with the football season, he's semi retired). They only have my Dad's pension income now.
That's been coupled with some financial worries because my Mum's exhausted her sick pay now, and Dad's not receiving any work due to the virus (he was doing casual work with the football season, he's semi retired). They only have my Dad's pension income now.
This sounds like a really tough situation to be in. Are they eligible for any of the government's financial support, if e.g. your dad is self employed?
Reply 15
Original post
by SarcAndSparkThis sounds like a really tough situation to be in. Are they eligible for any of the government's financial support, if e.g. your dad is self employed?
He's not self employed, no.
Reply 16
Are there any coping mechanisms you normally have access to, which you’re now missing in lockdown?
depends what you class as a coping mechanism- though i'm not doing awfully not having a routine has given me more time with my thoughts
my mom works for the nhs and my dad's a care worker, so i am worried about them catching the virus.
i usually talk to my friends if i'm worried or anxious and i prefer having these conversations in person, but i can still talk to them over the phone
What positive steps are you taking toward managing your mental health?
maintaining some sort of routine- i've a job so when i have shifts i'll make sure i go to bed earlier so i can wake up earlier. messaging my friends when i feel stressed etc. trying to spend more time with my family.
have been spending time reading my bible and reflecting.
depends what you class as a coping mechanism- though i'm not doing awfully not having a routine has given me more time with my thoughts
my mom works for the nhs and my dad's a care worker, so i am worried about them catching the virus.i usually talk to my friends if i'm worried or anxious and i prefer having these conversations in person, but i can still talk to them over the phone
What positive steps are you taking toward managing your mental health?
maintaining some sort of routine- i've a job so when i have shifts i'll make sure i go to bed earlier so i can wake up earlier. messaging my friends when i feel stressed etc. trying to spend more time with my family.
have been spending time reading my bible and reflecting.
(edited 5 years ago)
Reply 17
Original post
by AnonymousHe's not self employed, no.
In that case, hopefully he's eligible for the furlough scheme and should get some wages paid?
Reply 18
21
Original post
by Obolindathe only way my mental health has really been impacted is by uncertainty around education but it hasn't really impacted me much. I suppose also no more face 2 face mental health services but still in contact. oh, and isolating with family. but I live with them anyway.
I do experience chronic loneliness but this has not been impacted by the lockdown.
I've not slept in and I've kept my routines to help
I do experience chronic loneliness but this has not been impacted by the lockdown.
I've not slept in and I've kept my routines to help
Original post
by Obolindaoh, and I use my daily exercise to do a walk or run with some guided meditations for walking and running
That's good your MH hasn't been impacted too much. Sounds like you've done some great stuff to keep your routine - walking with a guided meditation is such a good idea!
Original post
by DiddyDecI have been completely alone for the last 3 weeks, talking to family and friends via video etc is not a replacement for company.
I cope with light drinking and escapism, it works.
I cope with light drinking and escapism, it works.
Wow is it tough being alone? I know a couple of people in the same situation. So good that we have video, but it's true, not quite the same! What's your most helpful escapism tactic for your MH?
Original post
by Charlotte's WebI work from home normally, and also study part-time via distance learning, so not much has changed for me in that respect (other than not travelling with work), but I'm still feeling the impact hugely. My work is busier and more stressful than normal as I work in the pharmaceutical research industry and I don't have the normal 'down time' I usually do.
Are there any coping mechanisms you normally have access to, which you’re now missing in lockdown?
I'm very much a person who likes routine and I tend to try to do things like my shopping at quieter times and places, so I am definitely missing that feeling of control. I find even the changes to queueing, for example, quite stressful but I don't really have the option to remove myself from the situation because it's the only way I can get what I need at the moment.
I also usually enjoy browsing social media or watching rubbish youtube videos, but I'm struggling to get away from COVID references on those at the moment, it seems to be referenced in absolutely everything.
What positive steps are you taking toward managing you mental health?
I absolutely love going to the theatre/opera/ballet and have been missing this a lot, so have spent time finding lots of live streams and options on youtube to watch on my projector and have a pretend 'night at the opera'.
I've been cooking/baking more mainly to make better use of the food that is available but also because I find it quite therapeutic to follow a physical process. I've also done a bit of DIY around the flat to feel like I'm producing something with visible/tangible results.
Where have you gone for support during this time?
I've mostly been chatting to friends and family, but they're all pretty anxious too.
Are there any coping mechanisms you normally have access to, which you’re now missing in lockdown?
I'm very much a person who likes routine and I tend to try to do things like my shopping at quieter times and places, so I am definitely missing that feeling of control. I find even the changes to queueing, for example, quite stressful but I don't really have the option to remove myself from the situation because it's the only way I can get what I need at the moment.
I also usually enjoy browsing social media or watching rubbish youtube videos, but I'm struggling to get away from COVID references on those at the moment, it seems to be referenced in absolutely everything.
What positive steps are you taking toward managing you mental health?
I absolutely love going to the theatre/opera/ballet and have been missing this a lot, so have spent time finding lots of live streams and options on youtube to watch on my projector and have a pretend 'night at the opera'.
I've been cooking/baking more mainly to make better use of the food that is available but also because I find it quite therapeutic to follow a physical process. I've also done a bit of DIY around the flat to feel like I'm producing something with visible/tangible results.
Where have you gone for support during this time?
I've mostly been chatting to friends and family, but they're all pretty anxious too.
It's so interesting to hear how this is feeling as someone who normally works from home anyway. I wonder whether you're better equipped than some in certain ways because of that, but certainly doesn't change the lack of outside world and lack of control, for sure. I've had to come away from social media for the same reasons - covid is just (understandbly) everywhere. I still use it, but just massively reduced.
Such a great idea having a virtual 'night at the opera'! Which opera did you watch?
Reply 19
Weather is most important, so I can comfortably go out. Next is daylight- it's not anywhere near as bad to have restrictions in March and April than it would be in December and January.
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