Dr Ian Nnatu , a consultant psychiatrist at the Doctify-rated private mental health hospital Nightingale Hospital (doctify.co.uk), gives advice on looking after your mental health during the lockdown.

Q: At the moment I go from upbeat, busy and optimistic, to quite lethargic and despondent. How can I get on an even keel?

We’ve been living through uncertain times and its been easy to become overwhelmed with the level of bad news. However, there are things that you can do to try and minimise the impact of all this. Here’s what I suggest:

Limit information overload

Try to limit the amount of information you take in. Limit your viewing of news programmes to once or twice a day. Avoid rumour and speculation as that may make you feel more anxious.

Practice self-care

Aim to maintain balance in your life. For example, practise self-care by taking regular exercise, have a good diet, and get enough sleep. Refrain from smoking, consuming excessive amounts of alcohol or substance misuse as a way to numb out feelings.

Also try broadening your horizons by learning a new skill, language or instrument.

Show compassion

Try to be a good neighbour or generally help others in need, as doing things for other people will also help ease feelings of anxiety and despair. Try to maintain your level of compassion for yourself and others, despite the current restrictions. Remember we are all in this together.

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