Dr Cheryl Rezek, a clinical psychologist, joined our coffee morning to share her top tips for dealing with anxiety in lockdown...


On the last Friday of every month, a medical professional joins our weekly coffee mornings. Last month we were joined by Dr Cheryl Rezek, a clinical psychologist, who shared her top tips for dealing with anxiety in lockdown. 

From positive engagement with chronic conditions to meditation, loads of mental health topics were covered in the session. For our members that couldn’t make it, here’s a quick round-up of the event! 

‘What I try to do is get people who do not know about mental health, mental wellbeing and therapy to understand it, without the jargon and statistics,’ Cheryl says. There’s no denying she did just that for all of the talkhealth members that 'zoom'd' into the chat. 

We are all aware of, or even affected by, the mental health issues that have been caused by lockdown here in the UK. Cheryl spotlighted people’s weakening resilience to lockdown, money worries and relationship issues as some of the many problems that are causing increased anxiety. 

She said: ‘The intensity of the fear for life has reduced because this has been going on for a year now, nowadays people are anxious about what they are going to do after a year missed.’ 

For everyone that attended, taking each day as it comes and giving purpose to the small things were great strategies for dealing with lockdown anxiety. 

Our members also took the opportunity to ask more general questions about mental health and chronic health conditions. One of the areas that got people talking was how to promote positive communication around chronic conditions with loved ones and friends without withdrawing from them. 

‘Something that helps with this is trying to put yourself in an imaginary glass bubble. You can see everything the same, you can hear everything the same, people can engage with you but you have this protective glass around you,’ Cheryl explained. Becoming comfortable with putting this healthy barrier up allows for you to feel protected from intruding questions and possible unwanted suggestions. 

Cheryl is an advocate for the positive impact that mindfulness can have on everyone’s mental health. Throughout the session, she highlighted breathing exercises and meditation as key and simple strategies for the grounding of our mental health.

We are delighted to share some of Cheryl's tried and tested mindfulness resources so that everyone can get a slice of her expertise: 

 Spirit Rock, The Free Mindfulness Project, and Lions Roar are some of the organisations that provide some great information and free beginners meditations or mindfulness courses.

Matthieu Ricard is a Buddhist monk, author and translator who works to spread awareness of mindfulness, happiness and altruism. His website is jam-packed full of great videos and other resources that will kick-start your mindfulness journey! 

Cheryl’s NSPCC recommended book My Monkey Mind and The Mountain: Mindfulness for 8 – 80-year-olds, is a simple introduction to mindfulness that will educate both you and your kids on the power of positive mental well-being. You can purchase a downloadable copy here! There is also a wide range of guided meditations on her website

 

To find out more about our coffee mornings, click here

If you or anyone you know needs support for their mental health check out our talkmentalhealth hub and mymentalwellbeing support programme, where you’ll find loads of expert-backed, actionable advice.

Information contained in this Articles page has been written by talkhealth based on available medical evidence. The content however should never be considered a substitute for medical advice. You should always seek medical advice before changing your treatment routine. talkhealth does not endorse any specific products, brands or treatments.

Information written by the talkhealth team

Last revised: 10 March 2021
Next review: 10 March 2024