Recently, I have noticed that I have been receiving a lot more worried messages from colleagues than normal about the impact of repeated lockdowns and coronavirus on their families and businesses - and the tone of the messages is changing. I am sensing more anxiety and a feeling of, ‘I am running on empty’ and ‘I can’t cope with this for much longer’ and ‘when will it end?’ than previously.
This was not helped by Ofsted’s recent report which states that nearly 1000 childminders left the profession in the last 3 months of 2020. The uncertainty and relentless nature of the messages shared on social media seems to be fuelling this anxiety and I think it is time we talk about – and consider how to protect – our mental health.
When we think about our families, we may feel a sense of some control – we can take steps to avoid places where lots of people gather, to minimise the risk of them becoming ill and we can reassure and support them, so they are better able to manage their reactions to what is happening.
However, concerns about self-isolation are a trigger for many colleagues – how will they cope? What will they do? What if they fall ill? Will essential services be available to them? How will isolation work? Reading reports from other countries who are currently self-isolating or in lockdown may only add to the anxiety many colleagues feel about the future.
For our businesses, there is a huge level of uncertainty. Many providers need to carry on working for as long as they can until the government tells them what to do next – they have no alternative. I know from messages I am receiving and posts I am reading on social media that the most common concerns at the moment are around how to cope without a regular income, especially if parents refuse or cannot pay if there is a government shut down and money needs to be found for the usual bills, plus extra spending at Christmas.
The feeling of ‘ lives spiralling out of control’ because of lack of basic resources - and an inability to provide properly for our families – for many, a concern about being in the house with the same people every day for weeks on end – for others, a sense of not knowing what to do for the best if a child has been poorly or a family member of a child is self-isolating…
How can you manage the anxiety?
Wash your hands – that’s the message coming from the Government. However, for many people with OCD and anxiety, handwashing can become excessive and skin can be damaged as a result. So yes, wash your hands properly and regularly, but ensure you put on a rich, healing cream every single time you wash them to protect your skin.
Note: choose your hand wash carefully as well. try, where possible, to opt for skin friendly soap which does less damage to your skin.
Stay informed about coronavirus by only relying on trusted sources of information such as the Government, Ofsted and NHS websites. There is so much nonsense and speculation flying around the internet and media at the moment and false news, in itself, causes anxiety.
Note: some news services are guilty of over-exaggeration as well, so choose your sources of information carefully.
Share information with parents – and age-appropriate information with children. They may be worried about the impact of the virus too and appreciate having someone who is informed and up-to-date with latest advice to speak to and share with. Keep parents updated about, for example, the latest advice on hand washing and catching sneezes and coughs with the elbow, avoiding hugging and kissing relatives, staying away from large gatherings etc.
Note: the free coronavirus poster for parents has been updated by Childcare.co.uk to reflect the change of isolation period from 14 days to 10 days –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/coronavirus/parents.
Take a break from the internet and read a book, go for a walk, connect with family or do some crafts – do something else to take your mind off the situation. Sometimes, the relentlessness of negative posts on social media can make members more anxious and less likely to access the group for support – which is exactly the opposite to what we want in these troubled times!
Note: look out for admin posts on the Independent Childminders Facebook group – we try to add information for everyone rather than everyone coming onto the group asking the same question.
Keep busy – to cope with worries about self-isolation, experts advise you to create a ‘sense of purpose’ and consider the things you might do to keep yourself and your family busy now, while you have time to plan. You might, for example, dust off board games, declutter the house, plan some house renovations or ensure you have sufficient cleaning products to do a deep clean. A colleague told me she was planning an online declutter and to sort out all her files and folders – I thought that was a good idea!
Note: keeping busy and active will be especially important if you have to stay inside the house for long periods of time.
What if…? The ‘what if it happens to me?’ questions are impossible to answer until you actually get ill. If you have underlying medical conditions, you might be more anxious than those who are generally healthy. Think ahead now – as well as staying as healthy as possible, how will you get medical advice? How will you ensure prescriptions and other essentials are delivered? Who is your emergency contact if you need help?
Note: experts advise that advance planning may help you to reduce any anxiety you are feeling.
Stay connected – keeping in touch with family and friends throughout a period of isolation will be important, as will helping you to feel part of a community.
Note: embrace and learn how to use free online ways of keeping in touch such as Skype and Zoom.
Money worries – this will be a reality for most self-employed people. Can you afford to heat your house and pay your bills? Now is the time to plan ahead and talk honestly and openly with childminded families so you know where you stand. For example, if your Parent / Provider Contract or Fees Policy says you do not charge when you are closed or ill, you have little alternative but to keep to that policy, but speak to families – if they are getting paid, they might be prepared to pay a retainer fee throughout a period of closure.
Note: when you know what income you will be getting, you will be able to plan – then you can put worries about the unknown to one side and focus on your family and their needs.
Set screen time boundaries – for yourself as well as for family members. Being online for too long is not healthy and while it might be tempting to play games or watch television all day to stave off boredom, lack of movement will cause other physical symptoms so set boundaries now.
Note: go for a walk and get some fresh air every day.
Reassure staff – if you have staff, keep talking to them: you are responsible for ensuring they feel supported in the workplace, so reassure them you are up to date with your legal responsibilities such as paying sick pay from day 1 if they are ill from the virus and talk to them about what you expect to happen if you are forced to close.
Note: you can share information with staff about keeping safe, but you will need to carefully consider your reactions if they choose to break the rules. Think things through now – discuss with staff – then there are no surprises in the future.
Pay it back – some providers are working together with their local communities to ‘pay it back’ and support neighbours by, for example, offering to do shopping and run errands for them. This type of initiative has been shown in studies to promote good mental health and a feeling of wellbeing.
This pandemic is not going to go away. For the foreseeable future, concentrate on –
- Eating well and staying hydrated – so you are as healthy as possible.
- Sleeping well – go to bed with a book so you are well rested.
- Staying active – walks in the fresh air, seated exercise, dancing, online pilates classes or yoga can help you to stay healthy and clear the mind.
- Talking to a friend or relative if you are concerned – bottling things up will not help.
APPLE – Anxiety UK suggests using the APPLE technique to deal with anxiety and worries. It is especially useful if you have suffered trauma in the past –
- Acknowledge: the uncertainty you are feeling about the future as it comes to mind.
- Pause: don’t react immediately – just take a moment and breathe.
- Pull back: remind yourself that thoughts are not statements of facts.
- Let go: of the thought or feeling and imagine it floating away on a cloud.
- Explore: the present moment – what is good about your life? What can you see, hear, smell or touch now? What can you do to power through the moment? For example, you might find it useful to learn a d practice some breathing exercise.
Self-isolation checklist
What if you are told you have to stay at home for 2 weeks?
I have put this here because colleagues are thinking about these things and I find myself (personal preference) that I like to have a good checklist to follow so…
- Food and drink – do you have enough food and drink for everyone? Put together menus so you can shop mindfully and responsibly without over-buying.
- Cleaning materials – if you need to do a deep clean, do you have enough resources? Are you cleaning enough – but not too much? If you are overwhelmed, it’s probably too much.
- Money – how will you budget? Where can you save money? Do you have alternative options if you are closed for a long period?
- Work – if you can still work and remain open, will parents continue to pay if they are at home?
- Medication – do you have enough – or a reliable way to get more?
- Parents – talk to them about the latest government advice – do they understand the reasons for the currently advised medical conditions and exclusion period? What will you do if they fail to follow the rules? Bear in mind - you cannot control how they act, but you can control how you respond.
- Doctor – do you have access to an online doctor if you cannot attend surgery?
- Keep stimulated – what courses can you plan to do? What work or pleasure related reading have you been promising yourself you will cover?
- Using online for good – what games can you play with family or friends to keep in touch?
- Commitments – what steps do you need to take to ensure your daily commitments are covered?
- Keeping connected – do you have up to date contact details for and ways of staying in contact with family and friends? Can you set them up with technology now so you are ready?
- Getting outside every day – if you don’t have a garden, how will you access outside areas?
- Routines – will be hard to follow if you have to isolate – do you need to create a schedule so the household will run smoothly?
- Exercise – how will you stay fit if, for example, access to the gym is limited?
- Entertainment – do you have books to read, things do to, relaxing activities to promote mindfulness?
I hope this helps – especially if we are forced back into isolation in the new year or everyone is put into tier 4 to deal with the virus.
Keep in mind the first message: fail to prepare = prepare to fail!
Chat soon, Sarah.
Picture from Google images.