As I write this blog, I am currently in my fifth week of isolation. I, like all of us, am finding the strain of not being able to go out, see my family and friends, or go to work/ University very difficult to cope with. Adapting to such a dramatic and sudden change left me feeling completely disorientated and my mind was at the brink of spiralling into a state of total confusion, depression and feeling lost without the usual routine of life to keep me stable and focussed.

After the first week of lockdown I finally started to come-to, and my mind started catching up with everything that had been happening. I realised that I was losing control of myself and needed to make some changes to keep myself mentally healthy so that I could also keep myself physically healthy. When going through difficult periods in the past, I found the best way of maintaining control was to ensure that I had some structure to my days: simple things that help anchor you to reality, and keep you from getting lost in your own mind. In the second week of lockdown I started introducing routine elements to my life: I set a daily alarm, I went for a set walk each day and I started doing 3-4 hours of revision daily. After a couple of days of starting this new regime, I realised that I had started to feel better: I had more energy, I was happier, and I was feeling in complete control again.

I am now in my fourth week of living in my new routine, and I am still ensuring that I incorporate all the different elements into each day. I’m feeling even more in control, and I find that the structure I have incorporated into my life is ensuring my mental well-being in these uncertain times. I also find myself grateful that I live in the age of the internet and video calling. Even though I can’t be with those I care most about in person at least I can see and talk to them via a webcam. My regular conversations with my family and friends is what keeps me laughing when there often doesn’t seem much to laugh about, and keeps me hopeful of the better times to come when we can all be together again.