Looking after my mental health at home

Content creation support and artwork by Finn Souter with images from Pixabay

K Newman reflects on the challenges and coping strategies from lockdown

Five years after the COVID-19 pandemic turned the world upside down, its impact on mental health is still deeply felt. As we mark Mental Health Awareness Week 2025, we celebrate the power of community and reflect on the lessons learned about resilience, connection, and the importance of support.

For many, lockdown was a time of profound personal struggle. Young people, like me, faced uncertainty, isolation, and the sudden loss of normality. The challenges of navigating anxiety and change during that period continue to shape how we cope with mental health today.

I used to work five, sometimes six days a week, so being out of work for over a month has affected my life drastically. With so much time at home, I had to establish a new routine, to help abate my anxiety and depression, while staying safe.

My job was enjoyable, and it served as a good distraction from some of my negative emotions and internal issues. With a pretty abrupt end to work, I was overwhelmed by lots of difficult emotions. I can’t even keep track of how much I’ve cried within the space of a week.

I find social isolation very difficult, as I’m an extrovert. I draw on other people’s energy to help boost my own, so being by myself during lockdown was a shock to the system.

I know it helps me to calm down if I read a good book, put pen to paper and make an effort to surround myself with simple stuff I like. Pretty flowers make me happy. I’ve only recently started to read more, and write down my thoughts; it feels good.

I’m still developing an understanding of myself and who I actually am, and my friends help me explore that.

I missed hugging my loved ones and going out with them during my free time. I missed going clubbing in the gay scene and feeling connected to the LGBTQI+ community for emotional support and love.

My mother is a key worker. I was nervous of her extra exposure to the coronavirus.

Like everybody, I had all my social events – which give me so much to look forward to – cancelled. It was totally gutting. However, I suppose it made me cherish the parties, gigs and festivals more, once they started again.

These feelings were normal, especially when we were all feeling disconnected. Seeking support was key and there are resources like the Switchboard LGBT+ Helpline, a free, confidential service offering emotional support, and London Friend which provides affordable counselling and support for the LGBTQI+ community. We don’t have to struggle alone. 

During the pandemic, it was much harder to renew the prescription for my antidepressants. According to my pharmacist, there is a national shortage of Sertraline, the medication I take. It was tricky even to request a prescription from my GP because the phone lines are constantly busy.

This didn’t fill me with confidence. How is the NHS going to manage to provide for all the vulnerable people after the pandemic, if there are such difficulties already?

My mother was and still is a key worker. I was very nervous of her extra exposure to the virus. Lots of her colleagues were regularly not able to work, so she felt obliged to do double shifts, and had weeks of working without a break.

I felt bad for her, and wished I could take her place so she could have take a rest. Sadly, due to my furlough agreement, I wasn’t even allowed to volunteer free of charge to assist anyone, not even as a cleaner. A most difficult aspect during furlough is being paid a lot less.

I used to work plenty of overtime to make ends meet and contribute to my family. I had the highest wage in my household. With my overtime, I used to work between 40 and 60 hours, but my contract was for only 16 hours per week. So the 80% of my wage I received was based on just the 16 hours. This was barely enough to pay my bills.

Taking on more cooking and cleaning gave me routine and clearer purpose

I was still receiving some money, which I’m thankful for. A few of my colleagues actually had their contracts terminated.

So I had to rely on my mum to cover my end on rent, food and toiletries. Obviously this made me feel terrible. She really doesn’t get paid enough for the hard and essential work she is does.

I’ve went from being totally independent, to relying on my mum’s wage to put food on the table, and keep a roof over our  head. She didn’t expect anything in return, I still feel like a bad person for depending on her, even though I was nearly twenty. Sometimes I did feel miserable and like I was a burden.

Taking responsibility for the cooking and cleaning gave me a routine and a sense of purpose. It also eased things for my mum. Whether making her favourite meals, cleaning, buying flowers, or posting a letter, I think she appreciated it.

Never had I been so grateful or aware of how strong and resilient my mum was. I only wish I could do half the things she did.

I’ve definitely become more conscious of my family and what is important to me. Perhaps with this time in isolation at home, I’ve become stronger and more independent.

Looking back, I see how that time shaped me. I learned to sit with difficult emotions and became more self-reliant with a deeper understanding of what truly matters. Most importantly, I now know that talking about mental health is essential.

Expressing myself through Exposure has been a good way to manage some tough emotions.

If you’re feeling anxious and overwhelmed, why not try and get your thoughts and feelings down on paper? Check out more on this here. You can also contact The Mix for support on: 0808 808 4994 or visit their website here.