Immersing yourself in nature and getting out for a walk does wonders for your mental health. Photo / Bevan Conley
2020 has been a roller-coaster ride of apprehension and uncertainty due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
Jenny Ling and Ethan Griffiths find out there's a tonne of things we can do for our mental and physical wellbeing during these trying times.
We thought we'd nailed it.
We thought the weeks of strict lockdown, where huge sacrifices were made in a desperate bid to kick Covid-19 to the kerb in New Zealand, had worked.
Tentatively, the nation moved down alert levels, and we adjusted.
Having no new cases of community transmission for 102 days we heaved a collective sigh and started to believe we'd got there.
But as we huddled around our televisions and devices on August 11 at 9.15pm to watch Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announce four confirmed cases from a family in Auckland, the reality of this global pandemic hit home.
It's going to be with us for some time.
Every one of us has been affected; whether you're trying to run a business and adapt to fluctuating alert levels and reduced cashflow, or a parent wondering how to juggle work with home schooling.
There are those who've lost loved ones, businesses that have gone under and thousands who have lost their jobs.
Those with family and friends living overseas will be wondering when they'll ever see them outside of a Zoom meeting again.
The second wave, and the subsequent return to level 3 for Auckland and level 2 for the rest of the country, is taking its toll on our mental health and wellbeing.
New research by business consultancy Rutherford shows people are feeling more anxiety and anger this time round.
The sense of community Kiwis felt during the first lockdown in March appears to have decreased amid growing frustration and despair, the social media analysis suggests.
New Zealanders feel "over it", Rutherford head of insights Dr Gregg Franco said.
Despite all this, health experts say there are a multitude of actions we can take to cope with the ongoing crisis.
They believe the importance of self-care, including a healthy diet, exercise, getting enough sleep, and mindfulness and breathing techniques, can't be overstated.
Whanganui psychologist, facilitator and researcher Dr Kristen Hamling of Wellbeing Aotearoa said it would be unusual not to feel anxious at a time like this.
"If you're not feeling out of sorts sometimes either you've got a heck of a lot of tools to manage that or you've got your head in the sand," she said.
"Stay focused on problem solving and staying in the here and now.
"If you start to notice yourself tipping over into worry, well that's problem solving gone wrong."
Hamling said a good idea was for people to give themselves a window of tolerance.
"It's really important to keep ourself in the parasympathetic nervous system - that's where we have the time to rest and digest.
"There's so much in the world that provokes anxiety, stress, fear and worry.
"That sets the alarm off in our head and we have to be able to turn that off during the day. We do that by breathing, grounding ourself in the present moment."
"One thing I'd suggest is scheduling some worry time during the day, allowing yourself five minutes in the morning with a notepad in a particular place to write down all the things that you're worried about and all the things you can do something about. You shut that book and do not come back to it until the end of the day."
Hamling said another idea was to keep and eye of what she calls MOJOs or moments of joy.
"We have to make sure we have time to turn off our negativity bias; that tendency of our brain that focuses on all the bad things happening around us.
"We need to have these moments in the day where we just stop and say 'holy s***, that is a beautiful sunset, wow that wind is powerful, I can see the blossoms in the tree'.
"These moments during the day give us some positive emotion and give us grounding to turn off our alarm."
Hamling said people who were struggling should ask for help.
"Do not do it on your own. 1737 is good resource, as is the Health Navigator website," she said.
"You've got to focus on what you can control, not what you can't control. Active coping which is asking what you can actually do to help my situation right here right now."
"Keeping yourself busy and active in the community is really important too. Ask yourself where you can go to volunteer, be part of a group, play sport. You need to keep yourself engaged, interested and supported. Just do something, something you love. Don't sit at home."
Life coach Maria Quayle-Guppy from Reset Mindset said people going through difficult times often feel a significant loss of control.
People need to adjust their expectations of themselves and recognise things are constantly changing, she said.
"A lot of it comes down to when you've lost control of something. We don't know what's happening with the Covid levels changing, but the reality is in life we never know.
"Every day there are things that don't go to plan. Things change but that's okay, it's normal."
Quayle-Guppy said it's helpful to keep a routine and have "bite-sized goals".
Belly breathing - by breathing slowly through your nose, filling your belly with air and releasing the air slowly from the mouth - is useful for staying grounded.
Being mindful is another way to notice what's happening around you, she said.
"We can still have lots of moments of joy. Slow things down so you have got time to be living more presently.
"That can be as simple as watching your kids get muddy on the trampoline or setting things up so that you're still able to have enough balance in your day-to-day life."
Quayle-Guppy said creating a weekly plan and prioritising what is important helps people stay focused.
Make sure to include all aspects of life including exercise, hobbies, work, relationships, finance, education, healthy food and spirituality.
Telling yourself positive affirmations throughout the day can "stop the brain from catastrophising".
"Fill your mind with something positive which reassures you, otherwise what happens is your body just keeps making stress hormones so you're constantly on edge."
Psychology professional Odette Miller who works in Northland said understanding anxiety and stress can help.
It's perfectly normal to feel this way, she said.
"Feeling scared, worried, agitated or irritable can be emotional signs of anxiety, while physical responses include tense muscles, stomach ache, changes in breathing and increased sweating," Miller said.
"Anxiety is like an internal alarm system which helps us get ready and cope with dangerous events.
"Sometimes our alarm system will go off and it's not useful because we're not in a dangerous situation and the danger is some possible future, which is like a false alarm.
"Anxiety is a really natural response; we wouldn't want to be without it. The key is to notice it, know it's going to pass, and be kind to yourself while you're in it."
Miller said there are many tools available to calm the anxious mind.
Grounding exercises can help bring you back to the present moment.
This is done by using the five senses to acknowledge what you can see, hear, smell, touch and taste.
"Remember a lot of things we worry about are not based in reality. We can spend a lot of time worrying about things that may never happen.
"The present moment is usually okay most of the time and we're missing it because we worry about what might happen."
If you do get "stuck in a worry", Miller said, consider how to shortcut it by asking "what's the worst thing that can happen and how can I deal with it?". Also ask what's the most likely thing that will happen?
"Another good question to ask yourself, and this is really relevant for Covid, is what's inside my control?
"Whether or not Covid takes off in New Zealand isn't in our control. There's nothing we can do to really stop that happening.
"But I can decide what I can control... I can be prepared in some way, make sure I've got masks and hand sanitiser and I'm ready to work from home if I can."
Finally, Miller said having a chat to a friend or work colleague helps get a different perspective, as can getting out and about in nature for a walk or run.
She recommends talking to your GP if professional help is needed.
Belcher said it's okay to reach out and ask for help.
"It's not good to feel overwhelmed and feel you've got to box on by yourself. Sometimes just talking about it with someone else helps with the burden."
Naturopath and registered medical herbalist Shirley Belcher, who has worked in the natural health industry for more than 30 years, said diet plays an important part in overall wellbeing.
Not skipping meals and eating nourishing foods, including plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, along with proteins such as meat, fish, chicken and eggs, is key, she said.
"Don't let your blood sugar levels get low and end up eating half a packet of biscuits.
"Eating well will keep you going for longer. If you have sweet food that'll put your blood sugar levels up high and then before long, you're back down.
"That can give you mood swings and you're more likely to have emotional lows. You don't want to be making life more difficult by eating the wrong stuff."
Keep to your usual routines: Stick to your usual mealtimes, exercise routines and bedtimes and write a to-do list for each day so you have something to achieve.
Reach out: Reach out to whānau and friends for support and share how you are feeling.
Concentrate on what you can control: Concentrate on minimising your chances of contracting the virus by washing your hands, social distancing, and wearing a mask in public.
Practise grounding techniques: Being mindful and present can stop excessive worry.
Be compassionate: Give people the benefit of the doubt and don't escalate tensions.
Source: Depression.org