Keep Calm and Lockdown
Haze UsmarJane Millichamp - 1 May 2020
Interview with Dr Jane Millichamp, Registered Psychologist and Professional Practice Fellow at the Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago
It’s been said a few times in media over the last weeks: the lockdown experience has not been the same for everyone. Depending on our individual circumstances we might have felt anything from excitement or relief at the upcoming quiet and/or free time, to anxiety or terror at the possibility of uncertain financial times ahead or being kept apart from a loved ones, or stuck in a house with them for weeks with no immediate prospect of relief. Yes - we’ve all been in a boat, but not the same boat by any means.
As someone who lives alone with my indoor-only cat and has worked from home for two years, I was fairly confident heading into lockdown that this wasn’t going to be too much different from business as usual for me. So it was an unpleasant surprise when, some weeks into lockdown I realised I perhaps wasn’t coping as well emotionally as I had hoped to. Being immunocompromised meant no going to the supermarket, and I had loaned my car to a carless friend so my groceries could be delivered. I hadn’t realised the important function those little trips out to make ‘meaningless’ small talk with strangers in passing had served in terms of my mental wellbeing. Even my cat seemed to be missing having our close friends in the house every week or so. Things were starting to feel truly surreal.
In the end, I suspect like many people, I just bumbled through with a combination of video calls, Netflix, exercise, complaining, and crying, wending a path through the misery with the help of what felt like some fairly arbitrary self-talk like, “It’s normal to have more down days during this time” and, “Things are still ok as long as I keep doing the things”. This last one felt particularly important - perhaps a desire to cling to anything resembling normalcy - so, through all the down days, do the things I did. Nothing earth-shattering - no weight loss challenges, no epic bake-a-thons (maybe a couple of semi-epic bake-a-thons), no new languages learned - just basic things like working, showering, brushing the cat, playing my guitar (albeit half-heartedly), eating actual vegetables, keeping up with the housework, and exercising, even if I didn’t feel like any of it. Many a workout started (and still starts) with a sad face and a mumbled complaint, only to be replaced moments later with a smile as a sense of accomplishment set in.
It seemed I had the practical stuff basically down. But still not much in the way of joy. I started to wonder what else I could be doing to help get myself through lockdown mentally and emotionally somewhat intact. Particularly as for many of us who are ill or older, lockdown isn’t yet over at Level 2.
So I googled “How to get through lockdown NZ” and started to browse through the results. It is (or should be) a truth universally acknowledged that googling for answers to serious life problems is not always the best idea, as the advice can be variable in quality and sometimes even dangerous. Especially when ‘get through’ could mean just about anything to anyone. As I read I felt some of the advice was more helpful and some less so.
According to various marketing firms (located via a Google search), only 6% of people read as far as page two of a search when looking for something online. Advice on the first page of my search came from psychologists, ‘wellness experts’, chronic illness sufferers, and grandparents, among others, and included a range of different suggestions, with a few common themes emerging.
‘Remain socially connected’ was one that nearly everyone suggested, with ideas like video calling a family member, waving to a neighbour, texting a friend.
‘Stick to a routine’ was another common one, with advice to shower daily, make the weekends different from the weekdays, and have a written daily schedule.
Some pages advised to set goals, goals, goals, in order to make full use of this ‘golden opportunity’ we’ve been ‘given’. There were lists of free things to do or try while in lockdown, and even an entertaining little video of UK grannies advising to keep yourself occupied, stay in touch, support frontline workers, and obey the government advice [1]. Another page suggested reminding ourselves that “this too shall pass” and one encouraged readers to “see an opportunity in every setback”. Some of the advice resonated but some of it was exhausting even to read, let alone try to live up to!
How would the advice provided by such a search compare with that of a professional in the field of behavioural psychology, who spends their days advising people how to get through hard things, I wondered? So I asked one.
Enter Dr Jane Millichamp, Registered Psychologist and Professional Practice Fellow at the Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago. Dr Millichamp’s professional role includes teaching aspects of psychology to medical and dental students - things like how to break bad news, assessing suicide risk in adolescence, cross-cultural communication, managing difficult emotions, and teaching a course called “Communicating in Challenging Situations”.
I interviewed Dr Millichamp about her top tips for getting through a lockdown, and this is what I learned.
Be kind - and cultivate joy.
According to Dr Millichamp, our Prime Minister’s message of “Be Kind” should be practised on ourselves, as well as others. Be kind to yourself, in particular. Dr Millichamp urges us to practise self-compassion at this time - finding ways to treat ourselves, taking regular breaks if we are working, and getting out and enjoying nature if we can. The pseudoscientific-sounding ‘forest bathing’, based on psychology professors Rachel and Steven Kaplan’s ‘Attention Restoration Theory’ as part of their environmental psychology work at the University of Michigan in the 1980s, has shown some benefits in areas such as restored concentration ability, anxiety reduction, and positive effects on stress levels. ‘Pleasure centres’ in the brain’s limbic system activate when we focus on so-called ‘soft fascinations’ like watching passing clouds, trees waving in the breeze, or waves on the sea [2]. Getting outdoors also helps increase our Vitamin D levels through exposure to sunlight.
Referencing a 2019 TEDxChristchurch talk by resilience expert Dr Lucy Hone, “Three Secrets of Resilient People” [3], Dr Millichamp suggests that before going off to sleep at night, think of three things that were positive in your day. This helps to cultivate a positive outlook. She notes that we can do some practical things to spark joy at this time, like sharing a laugh with friends, watching comedy, or singing to oneself, by video chat, or online with others. If you’re feeling low, put on music that you find invigorating or uplifting to ‘hijack’ your brain’s natural tendency to dwell on the negative.
In a BBC documentary called ‘The Human Mind’ Lord Robert Winston had adult twins watch happy or sad movies and listen to upbeat or depressing music, then gave them some money and sent them shopping. The ‘happy’ twin bought a few high-quality items, and was very pleased with her purchases. The ‘sad’ twin bought more items, but came home dissatisfied with her purchases. An interesting learning point from this is that low mood can lead to poor decision making, and to further low mood. In an isolated situation such as lockdown, it is in our best interests to try to remain upbeat - but in a healthy way, treating ourselves kindly.
Create routines - but don’t try to be perfect.
“It’s not about perfection; it’s about getting through these times” says Dr. Millichamp. A lot of us dream of making massive changes in our lives but this may not be possible in a time of lockdown. This ties in with self-compassion; there’s already a ton of pressure (consciously or unconsciously) so why add more? Dr Millichamp suggests trying to reinvent routines that you had before in ways that might have to be quite creative. Find some sort of daily rhythm or ritual that you can look forward to. You might set up a table and chairs in the backyard or sunroom and pretend it’s a cafe as you enjoy your morning coffee. You might walk in the morning instead of driving to work. It’s ok to miss a day or two but having some structure is important. Dr Millichamp doesn’t advocate a need to keep yourself busy all the time; instead, be gentle with yourself, and limit your exposure to sad and bad news items reported in the media.
Meditate.
Even ten minutes a day of meditation can have beneficial effects on wellbeing and ability to cope with stress. This is another area where the goal is not perfection - Dr Millichamp notes that even very experienced meditators can struggle to maintain their meditative state for more than a few seconds at a time. She recommends two free meditation apps - ‘Headspace: Guided Ten-Minute Meditation With Andy Puddicombe’ [4], and ‘Insight Timer’ for a range of meditation exercises.
Connect with others.
Going without physical touch is hard. We are social creatures and there is now significant research to suggest that social support is an important factor in promoting physical and mental health. The simple act of smiling at a child or saying “hi” to someone while out walking, can boost your mood and feelings of wellbeing. One thing Dr Millichamp says has helped her to maintain closeness to friends outside of her bubble, is practising the “distance hug”, where she holds her arms out, as if hugging her friend from afar while looking the person in the eyes and saying “distance hug!” There is evidence that even these small social interactions have a positive effect. We can also trigger the release of ‘happy chemicals’ in the brain by hugging those loved ones/pets in our bubble, or by self-massaging with a back-scrubber and scented soap while in the shower.
Sleep well.
We function so much better when we are well rested. Try to improve the quality of your sleep by practising good sleep hygiene - there are many good resources online from reputable sources such as the MAYO Clinic and University websites.
Dr Millichamp suggests some additional resources to promote healthy sleep: Matt Walker’s TED Talk ‘Sleep Is Your Superpower’ [5] contains many good tips, and a book, ‘Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change Everything’ by Stanford University’s BJ Fogg [6] has a section on getting good sleep, as well as other information that may be of use at this time.
Finally, Dr. Millichamp suggests writing a list of go-to pick-me-up activities at a time when you’re not down, as people often find it harder to think of activities they enjoy when they are already feeling low.
Right now, we don’t know how much longer we will be in Alert Level 2. Some of us are rejoicing in our new-found freedom and some of us are still effectively in lockdown. Whatever our situation, it is reassuring to know there are practical steps we can take to help ourselves. Keep being gentle with yourself, and take things one day at a time. Don’t try to be perfect - nobody is. For some additional ideas about coping with lockdown, check out this helpful Stuff article with practical advice from a psychotherapist and another psychologist [7]. If you find you are struggling, check out the official NZ Government Covid-19 website’s page on Looking After Your Mental Wellbeing [8].
[1] https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-52376726/coronavirus-grandmas-top-tips-to-get-through-lockdown
[2] A couple of links to further reading on soft fascinations: Schilhab TSS, Stevenson MP and Bentsen P (2018) Contrasting Screen-Time and Green-Time: A Case for Using Smart Technology and Nature to Optimise Learning Processes. Front. Psychol. 9:773. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00773, https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/49/4/272.short
[3] Lucy Hone TED Talk link: https://www.ted.com/talks/lucy_hone_the_three_secrets_of_resilient_people
[4] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVzTnS_IONU
[5] https://www.ted.com/talks/matt_walker_sleep_is_your_superpower?language=en