With lockdown measures still in place, with many unknowns surrounding when and how the measures will be lifted, anxieties are high among many of us in this wonderful community and beyond. Even talk of the restrictions being relaxed slightly is making many of us anxious with worries over what it will mean to be forced to return to work and school, commuting and carrying out everyday tasks when we don’t feel ready.

If your anxieties are all consuming, and severely affecting your life, then it’s important to seek medical help. Your GP is a good first port of call, but mental health charities such as the Samaritans and Mind can also help.

There are steps you can take that makes managing anxiety a little easier, and it’s important to think of yourself and practice self-care. Here’s some practical tips to help you deal with your anxiety whilst the world continues to be an unfamiliar place…

• Add some structure to your day by having set working or home learning times. It also helps to go to bed and wake up at the same time as you would under normal circumstances, to help normalise each day. It can help to write down your plan for the day or even the week, and to have it pinned somewhere you’ll always see it. This is also a time to perhaps change things about your routine that you didn’t like before, such as going to bed too late and waking up feeling tired and groggy.

• Connect with friends and family using video calling apps such as FaceTime and WhatsApp at certain times of the week. If you’re used to having a few drinks with friends on a Friday evening, try to arrange everyone to be online at the same time and enjoy some time together, albeit from afar.

• Keeping active and carrying on with your Own Your Goals programme will help too. Exercising releases feel good chemicals called endorphins that help to boost the mood, which could help you manage your anxiety. Think of exercise as empowering, that despite all that’s going on, you’re still in control of your own body, how it moves and how often it moves.

• Make the most of the beautiful spring weather too, getting outside for an hour a day for walk, jog or cycle helps to relax us and reduce stress and anxiety levels. If you can’t get outside, or if an hour simply isn’t enough, open the windows in your home to allow the sounds, sights and smells of nature flood inside.

• If you’re not working, or you’re struggling with too much spare time, it’s important to keep your mind occupied. Look for puzzle books, reading materials and even a good box set to help distract you from overthinking. You could also use this time to declutter your home, which is very cathartic and mind cleansing. Take a drawer, cupboard or room at a time and concentrate on recycling/donating to charity/putting out for rubbish, all the things that you no longer need.