Before lockdown Stephen Fry gave some advice on managing anxiety during self-isolation.
Anxiety and stress are almost as virulent as this awful coronavirus.
Take a deep breath and allow time to take on a different dimension, taking more time to do everything.
He says that we would be wise to redefine our sense of time. To do that he suggests drawing up a timetable for each day and allow plenty of time for all the tasks.
We should also turn off notifications so we are no longer constantly being bombarded by headlines, and then decide on a time during the day when we will look in on the news. Some weeks ago a friend advised me not to watch any news reports in the evenings – and I have found that really has helped my sleep patterns.
To reduce anxiety Stephen Fry says that we need to cut out the noise. He makes one very salient point: the real experts, such as scientific advisors, tend to qualify their statements with phrases like “We think” or “It’s possible”. Anybody who claims to know what is going on, with great certainty, probably doesn’t, and we should blank them out.
Perhaps I am airing this a bit late, as I enter my eighth week in self-isolation, but I have several more weeks, if not months, to go even if lockdown is lifted in general. So there is still scope for improvement in how I manage myself and my time.
I have noticed that I am less tolerant of interruptions to the task in hand than I used to be. I need to focus on one activity at a time rather than operate in my normal multi-tasking mode. I also seem to need a rest in the afternoon, in spite of the fact that I haven’t been physically active.
The unique experience that we are all going through is clearly having an impact, even when we think we are coping well.
At the end of the interview, Stephen Fry points to some useful resources on the Mind website.
Please note
We have been in full self-isolation since 16th March to protect my husband whose immune system is compromised.
If you are in self-isolation then join the Lib Dems in self-isolation Facebook group.
You can find my previous Isolation diaries here.
* Mary Reid is a contributing editor on Lib Dem Voice. She was a councillor in Kingston upon Thames, where she is still very active with the local party, and is the Hon President of Kingston Lib Dems.
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One Comment
I noticed the point about cutting out the noise. I live under an airport flight path, near a busy main road, and in a side road used by many to avoid traffic lights. When I read this I listened and realised that I couldn’t hear anything. There is still traffic on the main road but very much reduced. I rarely hear a plane. And now and again a vehicle passes on my road. So the main source of noise is the birds.
As far as news reports are concerned, I thought that they had stopped. There just appear to be party political broadcasts telling the triumphs of the glorious leader. I knew what to look for because I still remember “1984” on TV with Peter Cushing. This and “Animal Farm” were in any case taught to us at school to illustrate the horrors of socialism.
Having read Mary’s posting I have decided to redefine my sense of time. I think I might try going backwards, especially since this seems to be required by some to keep the universe running, while conserving momentum and energy.
If Einstein could develop his ideas on relativity using thought experiments, I think they are my best route in redefining time. I always favoured experiments that involved bangs or flashes, but it must be this strange silence.