Kindness provides hope and comfort
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
It’s ok not to be ok sometimes, says Trisha Bury, a senior member of the community mental health team at Dr Gray's Hospital in Elgin.
On March 23, 2020 life changed for us all as the UK was ordered into a national lockdown to
try and stem a pandemic which was raging throughout the world.
With death rates rising Covid-19 caused fear, uncertainty, isolation and loneliness for us all and continues to do so for many.
Nine months later there is light at the end of the tunnel, with vaccines trials showing successful results and the hope that it will begin to be rolled out soon.
Christmas is round the corner and many are worried that there won’t be much festive cheer and time spent with our family.
There has been much talk of people’s mental health being affected with coping skills almost
depleted.
In the beginning there was many stories of kindness and caring towards our neighbours and the community. We looked out for each other, stood outside every Thursday at 8pm to clap for the NHS and baked lots of cakes.
Time has worn on so has our tolerance and patience, have we forgotten how to be kind?
To be lonely and isolated, unable to see your family and living a life which is still not back to
“normal” and we are afraid, is it any wonder a person’s mental health is suffering, what can we do to get ourselves and others through this?
Let’s go back to the beginning of lockdown to see what was different to how things are now.
Everyone who could, put on their trainers and walked, social media was flooded with pictures of our beautiful Scotland and all the cakes we baked. Bikes made a comeback, old new and even a penny farthing has been spotted in Moray.
Exercise and fresh air made us feel invigorated, it was good for our physical health and in turn our mental health. So let’s keep this going, exercise boosts your self-esteem, lessens anxiety and isolation, lifts your mood and is good for your memory.
Baking made a comeback especially banana cake! What a sense of achievement and it tasted so good, but we have to watch the weight, another reason to continue with the exercise. Your neighbour or a person on their own also likes a piece of cake, just imagine the smile on their face to open the door to find you left a slice of cake on their door step and you thought of them. You feel good and they feel good too, isn’t that a nice feeling.
Isolation and loneliness has been difficult, human beings are sociable and need to interact with
others. How can we overcome this, stick to the rules and stay safe? You can go out to a café for a
coffee and meet your friend, follow the rules and enjoy your friends company (obviously this will be on hold when the new lockdown comes into effect from Boxing Day).
You can go out for a coffee yourself and watch the world go by, chat to people you meet as you social distance. Just seeing people go about their business makes you feel more connected.
Colouring in books and puzzles improve your concentration and boost your memory, do a jigsaw,
read a book, you have time to relax and not feel guilty! The library is open for order and collect, check their website and in the country the mobile library vans are still making their visits.
Social media is a good way to feel connected, but too much can raise stress levels, it’s alright to take a break now and then. Just remember not all that’s on social media is true or accurate, not everyone posts a true account of their lives it may be their way of feeling better in their selves.
The national and local news keeps us informed, but sometimes a break from this is also needed to lessen our anxieties and give us time out from distressing times.
Financial worries have affected more people than ever before, this is a stress that keeps you up at
night and you just can’t see a way out. Christmas is almost upon us and you just don’t know which way to turn, the anxiety is relentless. There is help near at hand, and there are many in the same situation and here are a few places that can support you through this.
The Scottish Welfare Fund are there to help families on a low income contact them on telephone
number 01343 563456.
Moray Council’s flexible food fund has reopened for applications for anyone facing financial
hardship. Cash is allocated monthly to help pay for food during the pandemic crisis and for access to this telephone 0300 123 4563.
Many of our communities have food pantries or blessed boxes where food is available to anyone
who needs it, these are filled up regularly. People who have, are willing to share with you by
replenish the boxes with essentials. Your community does this because they care.
Moray Food Plus is a crisis service and work on a referral basis from agencies such as social work, housing and health. They also accept self-referrals, please contact them on telephone number 01343 208293 for more information.
Once a referral is received the team of volunteers make up a food parcel containing three days’ worth of food - they can also supply pet and baby food on request.
Self-help apps are available if you are good with technology and here are some that are free.
www.smilingmind.com a mindfulness app that helps bring balance to your life.
The psychological hub at www.covid19.nhs.grampian.org is a short term support for distress due to Covid-19. They offer between 1-3 sessions to manage feelings and can sign post to useful
information and advice. You can self-refer via the link above.
Lockdown and furlough have thrown us together for extended periods of time and highlighted some relationship problems. www.thespark.scotland.org.uk offer counselling for anxiety, depression, stress and relationship problems.
www.mentalhealth.org.uk cover a range of topics with specific advice regarding how to look after your mental health during the pandemic.
If you would rather talk to someone, remember this is by phone due to Covid-19 restrictions in
place and no face to face contacts yet. Talking is good, sharing a problem can lessen the impact it is having on your life and sometimes by talking to someone, sharing your fears and worries is all it needs to bring everything back into perspective.
If you are a victim of domestic abuse there is a 24 hour helpline 0808 2000 247. Police Scotland will also respond to your call. Don’t suffer in silence.
The Samaritans have been around for a long time and are very experienced in supporting people
they can be contacted on telephone number 1116 123. Whatever you're going through, call them free any time day or night.
Breathing space can be contacted on 0800 838587 a free, confidential phone and web based service for people in Scotland experiencing low mood, depression or anxiety.
Mindfulness is the basic human ability to be fully grounded, aware of where we are and what we're doing, to not over react or become overwhelmed in a situation. There have been lots of talk about mindfulness recently and it’s a good place to be, by learning to take control of our own wellbeing.
Here are few places to start on your mindfulness and wellbeing.
www.nhs.uk Fitness studio have a selection of free videos including bedtime meditation, wake-up workout and Pilates. Something for everyone and beginners levels. If sleep is a problem then give it a go, everyone needs sleep to be able to cope and stay focused. Sleep can be a problem due to information overload, fear, being overwhelmed, not having enough to occupy ourselves and it has affect most of us during the past 8 months. Remember bedtime is about sleeping, have a routine, don’t put the TV or music on and make the room as dark as possible. Less stimulation, more chance of sleep.
www.ntw.nhs.uk/resource-library/relaxation-techniques free online fitness videos, aerobic,
strength, resistance and much more.
www.freeminfulness.org/download these are guided meditation exercises to teach mindfulness.
During lockdown the sale of alcohol escalated, for some it became out of hand and possibly still a
problem. Alcohol abuse causes relationship and financial problems, it will affect your physical and mental health, maybe now is the time to get help. ARROWS are based in Elgin and you can self-refer by visiting them at 23 High Street, Elgin or calling 01343 610500 they offer a range of support, get help now.
The above information is not exhaustive and there are many good and reliable help on the internet, finding the right one for you may take a bit of research, so give it a go.
There are times when you becomes so over whelmed, unable to cope and feel no one cares or is
listening or when you feel you can’t go on. At these times contacting your GP is alright, thoughts of self-harm or ending your life needs more than self-help, it requires professional support. If you have a mental health team contact them, let them know how you are feeling, if they don’t know what is going on they can’t help.
Out of normal working hours there are the out of hours doctors, G-MEDs who are integrated with NHS 24 and they can be contacted on 111.
If you have inflicted some harm to yourself then you should attend the emergency department. If
you are concerned about someone contact their GP or if out of hours the information above. If you have suicidal thoughts or thoughts to harm others and the urge to act upon these thoughts then seek immediate help.
We have all had a hard nine months whether you we isolating or having to work through, it has affected us all. Here in the north east of Scotland we have done well, keep going. Follow the rules not only to protect yourself, but to protect your family, friends and neighbours.
FACTS
- Face covering,
- Avoid crowded places
- Clean your hands regularly
- Two metre distance
- Self-isolate and book a test if you have symptoms.
Following the rules not only protects you and others, it reduces your anxiety
and the anxiety of others.
Make a phone call, write a letter, reach out to someone and above all let’s all be kind to each other, we are all in this together.
- Trisha Bury is a senior member of the mental health team at Dr Gray's Hospital in Elgin.
