Coping with Lockdown and Social Distancing: Stress relief & Self-Care

The unexpected events of 2020 have caused changes to lives across the world. With the lockdown requirements changing often, the government has been advising and implementing regulations for social distancing for over 6 months. This means that remote working or working from home, and video calling is still a norm for many of us. This article discusses different ways to help take care of your wellbeing and keep calm during these times. 

Sleeping Problems during Covid-19 Pandemic 

The importance of a good nights sleep is widely known. All of us have those bad mornings where we are more irritable because of a lack of or disturbed sleep. This is because the impact of sleep on someone's physical and mental wellbeing is significant. 

A survey conducted by King’s College London of 2,254 British adults investigated how the covid-19 outbreak and subsequent lockdown has impacted their sleep. They found that since the lockdown began on Monday 23 May, people across the country had experienced changes in their sleep. Half reported that their sleep had become more disturbed, and six out of ten said that their sleep had become worse after the lockdown. This data is one example of how the covid-19 pandemic has had significant impacts on the sleeping patterns. 

There are products available to help you during sleep difficulties, though it is always recommended to discuss these with your GP first. Kalms is a popular brand offering traditional remedies to help relieve irritability, anxiety and the stresses of everyday daily life.  For adults over the age of 18 suffering from sleeplessness and needing support in getting a good nights sleep, Kalms Night One-A-Night contains valerian, which is traditionally used for its sedative action to relieve sleeplessness without causing drowsiness the next day.

Sleep deprivation can also be as a result of noise. With working from home and trying to limit outdoor social interactions, people are finding themselves sending more time with the people they live with. Some may have even chosen to live with family during these times, or due to unforeseen circumstances such as redudeny. If snoring is keeping you from having a good nights sleep, check out Nytol Anti-snoring Throat Spray. Nytol Anti-Snoring is a scientifically-proven spray that acts to help combat the source of snoring. Snoring is a sound that occurs when air flows past relaxed tissues in your throat which causes the tissues to vibrate as you breathe. With Nytol Anti-Snoring, take three quick squirts before bed to help you reduce the volume of snoring throughout the night. The throat spray contains active ingredients that help reduce such vibrations and keep the key areas in your throat lubricated throughout the night. The key active ingredient is phosphatidylcholine which coats your throat muscles and prevents them moving and vibrating. The foam properties also combine to ensure it stays where it’s needed in your throat and provides lasting relief.

Read our full guide on how to get a good nights sleep for more information.

Increased Stress during the Covid-19 Pandemic  

Work Stress

Work life and home balance has become increasingly difficult to maintain with the changes to working lives and society as a whole. With circumstances frequently changing during the covid-19 pandemic, it has been even harder for people to maintain healthy routines. Some of us have been struggling with increased stress because of lower hours, or workers having unusual shifts which clash with the limited times shops and services are now operating. Others who have had to work from home in a small flat or with young children due to remote schools would also be a new stressor which others are now experiencing. 

Skin Care

Due to these difficulties, you may have found yourself being more stressed than usual. It is important to take care of your body when stressed as it's easy to neglect self-care when your routine has been disrupted. Skin care is important during stressful times to keep the natural oils balanced and help prevent acne. Products like Dermol 500 Lotion are important to use for their moisturising properties if you need help managing dry skin conditions, such as eczema and dermatitis, which can sometimes become more irritated during stress. Dermol 500 Lotion replaces lost moisture and helps the skin retain moisture to reduce scaling, redness, and itching. 

Clearasil is another leading skincare brand offering skin wash and skin scrubs to help maintain healthy skin. Clearasil face wash has been designed as a gentle cleanser that deep cleans pores while also hydrating the skin. Clearasil Gentle Skin Perfecting Wash contains aloe vera and cucumber extracts and vitamin B3 in a pH-balanced formula to help make it  gentle to skin. This also helps to keep the skin clear of breakouts and leaving hydrated after washing. 

Exercise during Coronavirus

Exercise as we know it has also changed due to the rules surrounding social distancing. Weight Watchers researched and revealed how 93 days of lockdown impacted wellbeing. 48% of responders said they've eaten more, 29% said they drank more alcohol, and 46% have been less active since working from home. It is important to maintain a good amount of physical activity and balanced diet to keep your body healthy. Exercise has also been found to benefit mental wellbeing and relieve stress because it can make your body release chemicals called endorphins which interact with the receptors in your brain to help reduce the perception of pain and also release good feelings. 

Different ways to maintain physical activity include: 

• Visiting the gym - Many gyms have reopened across the country and have put into practice various measures to help minimise the risk of Covid-19 spreading. It is important to check with your local gym what rules they currently have in place as some will be taking pre-bookings only while others will have new instructions on equipment use you need to be aware of, such as whipping equipment after use.
• Going for walks - Walks are a great way to get a break away from the screen while working at home and to relieve stress. It is easier to walk while also socially distancing compared to other types of exercises such as gyms and sports. Choose a nice walking area and take care of your wellbeing by taking a stroll around. 

Screen Eyes

Screen eyes is an uncomfortable dry feeling in your eyes which is caused after looking at a screen for long periods of time. With many of us working remotely and still social distancing, many interactions are still virtual meaning we are spending a lot of time staring at screens. 

The term eye strain is also often used to describe similar symptoms that are related to use of the eyes. Eye strain also happens when your eyes get tired from intense use, but this can include focused driving, reading and long periods of time on a screen. 

Screen Eyes and Eye Strain Symptoms Include: 

• Tired eyes
• Burning or itching eyes
• Watery or dry eyes
• Blurred  vision
• Headaches
• Sore neck, shoulders or back

Some of these symptoms could also be a sign of an eye disease or other medical condition, so it is important to speak with your GP if you are having frequent discomfort or any pain in your eyes. 

There are various products available to help protect your eyes and keep them hydrated. This can help to relieve some discomfort associated with screen eyes. Hylo-Care Eye Drops are  formulated to provide moisturising properties for the eye that help to support the healing in a damaged or injured cornea after eye surgery or which are caused by dry eyes. The formula contains 0.1% Hyaluronic Acid, which is a substance that naturally occurs in the body and has long term moisturising effects. Hyaluronic Acid binds and retains water making it a key moisturising substance and ingredient in the eye drops formula. Hylo-Care eye drops also contain 2% Dexpanthenol, a derivative of vitamin B5, and Dexpanthenol. When Dexpanthenol is applied to the eye it converts into pantothenic acid, which provides additional moisture making the product a great option for dry eye sufferers. Hylo-Care eye drops are also compatible with all types of contact lenses making them a great option for contact lense users. However, always read the box and leaflet before us to ensure the eye drops are right for you or speak to a pharmacist for further information.

If you wear contact lenses or regularly suffer from discomfort caused by dry eyes, read our full dry eye and contact lens care guide for an in-depth look into different ways to take care of your eyes. 

If you are wondering which products could help you during stress or tiresome times, talk to our pharmacists by visiting a local pharmacy near you, or speaking with your GP. 

Sources:

https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/sleep-and-tiredness/why-lack-of-sleep-is-bad-for-your-health/
https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/lockdown-uk-sleep-poor-disturb-less-vivid-dreams-study-kings-college-london-a9547981.html
https://www.weightwatchers.com/uk/covid-19-lockdown-weight-gain
https://www.kcl.ac.uk/news/how-the-uk-is-sleeping-under-lockdown