Up next in 10
Jeremy Kenton on Coronavirus and dealing with self-isolation anxiety
1K views
Jan 13, 2025
Get ready to breathe with our own self-isolating health correspondent Jeremy Kenton, who has more on Covid-19 Coronavirus. This time the focus is on dealing with being shut away at home during the newly extended 'lockdown' period here in Spain. It can be tough, especially if you're own your own or if you already suffer from anxiety or other mental health issues. A reminder that the number for Samaritans in Spain (in English) is 902 88 35 35.
View Video Transcript
0:00
this is Bay radio we're all at home were
0:04
all worried
0:05
we're all anxious some of us are more
0:07
anxious and others and if any of you put
0:10
a history of anxiety this is going to be
0:12
a very trying time for you but remember
0:15
that this is something that we're all in
0:17
the same position over it's really
0:20
important to try and distract yourself
0:23
try and establish a routine
0:25
denne flop around in your dressing gown
0:27
all day but literally get up in the
0:29
morning have a shower get dressed have
0:33
breakfast washing hands regularly but
0:36
establish a routine so do something that
0:40
you wouldn't normally do learn a new
0:42
technique and we've all got that book
0:44
inside us even if it's just a short
0:46
story just putting pen to paper
0:48
anything that will self absorb you and
0:51
that self absorption is very important
0:54
one of the reasons why we feel anxious
0:57
is because of an increased amount of
1:00
cortisol which is a hormone that creates
1:02
those feelings of stress and anxiety and
1:05
we can control core soul raise levels by
1:10
a number of methods one obviously is
1:12
medication and if you feel that you
1:14
really aren't coping go to your local
1:16
pharmacy talk to them behind the desk
1:19
and they will help you they will if
1:21
necessary give you something depending
1:23
on your past medical history to help you
1:26
or affirm your GP and speak to them but
1:30
the important thing is that you need to
1:32
do things to distract yourself one of
1:36
the classic problems that many of us are
1:38
doing and I've been talking to a lot of
1:40
my patients so that last week is where
1:43
they are watching the news too much
1:45
they're paying too much attention to
1:48
what's going on and you need to focus
1:50
yourself away from that obviously we
1:53
want to stay in touch with social media
1:55
we want to know what's happening locally
1:57
but it's very important that you limit
2:00
yourself to watching the news perhaps
2:02
twice a day in the morning and at night
2:05
otherwise you'll become self absorbed in
2:08
that which will increase your level of
2:10
cortisol which will increase your level
2:12
of Ang's
2:13
so what can we do about it now we all
2:17
know that when we're anxious this can
2:18
come in waves of anxiety that it can
2:22
lead to what some people call a meltdown
2:24
what can you actually do to help that
2:27
well the simplest thing is breathing
2:29
exercises now breathing regularizes
2:34
cortisol activity so that is actually a
2:36
chemical reason for this a physiological
2:39
reason and the body breathing can
2:41
control it and we all know about the old
2:43
trick or hopefully you know about the
2:45
old trick breathing into a paper bag so
2:48
that it changes the carbon dioxide and
2:51
carbon monoxide levels oxygen levels so
2:53
it allows you to calm down but there are
2:56
other simple breathing techniques and
2:57
one of the easiest is this and it's so
2:59
simple and it can really really help you
3:01
but first of all before you can breathe
3:04
we need to get rid of all the old stale
3:06
air otherwise it's a bit like trying to
3:08
fill a bottle water when it's already
3:11
full of old stale water breathe out
3:15
through the open mouth but literally put
3:17
your hands on your tummy and side the
3:19
breath out from mental count of five so
3:23
breathe out with me and if it helps you
3:33
count on your fingers as you breathe out
3:36
so one hand on your tummy and breathe
3:38
out through the open mouth making a sign
3:40
noise one
3:43
[Applause]
3:48
so that's for a count of five and then
3:51
breathe in for a count of seven through
3:55
the nose seven so breathing in and then
4:06
expel the breath out again but pressing
4:08
on the tummy and sighing the breath out
4:10
through the open mouth so the nose is a
4:12
filter so breathing in through the nose
4:15
and sighing the breath out through the
4:17
open mouth and keep doing that until you
4:20
feel karma you can do the sitting you
4:23
can do it laying down some people find
4:25
it helpful to do it sitting so they feel
4:27
their feet on the floor so they're
4:29
granting themselves and that's very
4:31
important but what other things can we
4:32
do that routine is so important distract
4:36
yourself don't feel guilty about
4:38
watching Netflix or Amazon Prime or old
4:42
DVDs or old videos if you still got a
4:45
video recorder look at your life look at
4:48
the things that you've done in the past
4:49
look at old photos stay in contact with
4:52
people and try not to talk about what's
4:55
going on laughter is often the best
4:57
medicine and that's extremely important
5:00
if you're on your own this is even more
5:02
difficult but more important to do at
5:05
least if you are in a home with others
5:07
it's easier to talk to others about how
5:09
you're feeling and to try and turn that
5:12
feeling and anxiety into a feeling of
5:14
happiness
5:23
you
#Anxiety & Stress
#Mental Health