Lockdown one year on and feelings about the future

By Lindsay Woodward

Tuesday 23 March saw the one year anniversary of the lockdown in the UK - a National day of reflection thinking of those we've lost, giving thanks to our hero key workers, a personal reflection on how our lives have changed and what the future holds.  With the lockdown anniversary and the roadmap set out ahead for the 'reopening' of our country it's been a week of mixed emotions. Understanding and processing those feelings is important, and this article sums it up really well. 

I came across this article ‘Lockdown anniversary reaction’: six ways to process how you’re feeling - Positive News - give it a read, especially if this week has left you feeling a bit meh! 

This made a lot of sense - Anniversaries are a time to stop and take stock. “We give ourselves permission to have our feelings on anniversaries,” says Linda Blair, a clinical psychologist. “They can be a time to reflect on how we feel, but also to let go of feelings.”   This month marks the one-year anniversary of the first coronavirus lockdown in the UK. It could be a difficult time for many of us; it’s been shown that on the anniversary of a traumatic event, some people have an increase in distress, what’s come to be known as an ‘anniversary reaction’.  Plus, the pandemic is still ongoing, which could make this anniversary even more challenging. “Usually an anniversary marks the end of something, but this is a reminder that we’re still going through it,” says Natasha Clewley, an accredited counsellor with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy."
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The six points summarised: 

1. Acknowledge how you feel
2. Be kind to yourself, particularly if you've lost a loved one
3. Reflect on what you've learned
4. Plant something
5. Talk to someone
6. Take it at your own pace