Coping with lockdown when you're over 18

Chances are, you're not alone in how you're feeling but it can be hard to know that, if you're not out and about and seeing other people. 

Try to keep talking to the people you live with or, if you live alone, then make time to call friends or family on the phone or online. Even a quick chat can help you feel less alone and stressed. 

Whatever you're going through, there are places you can go to for support:

• talk to The Samaritans about anything that might be happening
• make an appointment with your GP or, if you don't have one, find your nearest doctor
• The Mix can offer you advice on where to get support from

Whether your education has stopped, you’re off work or you’re just not doing the same things you’re used to, it can be easy to lose your routine.

Doing nothing can feel great at first but the longer it goes on, the more effect it can have on your mood. Making a healthy routine doesn’t mean working all day or being productive, it just means making the time to eat and sleep properly, and do all the jobs you need to do. This can help you to feel healthier and happier. 

A healthy routine can include:

• setting a time to get up and go to bed every day (including enough time to sleep)
• planning what do first thing in the morning – like getting dressed, having breakfast or doing some relaxing morning exercise
• planning at least one thing each day that’s social, even if it’s just having a conversation with someone you live with
• making time each day to do something you’re proud of, whether that’s tidying up or working on a goal
• leaving the house, if you can, to go for a walk or do some exercise
• doing things you enjoy.

Get more advice on building a healthy routine. 

There are lots of reasons you might not feel safe where you live. You might be:

• having arguments with your family or the people you live with
• experiencing domestic abuse or being hurt by your partner
• unable to stay where you are permanently

It's not okay for anyone to hurt or abuse you but it is okay to leave your home if you’re experiencing domestic abuse. Everyone has a right to feel safe in their own home. 

If it's an emergency, you should always call the police on 999 but there are also lots of places you can get support:

• Relate: Advice about relationships, including issues around domestic abuse.
• National Domestic Violence Helpline: A 24-hour, free helpline run in partnership between Women's Aid and Refuge
• Men's Advice Line: Advice and support for men experiencing domestic violence and abuse
• National LGBT+ Domestic Abuse Helpline: Emotional and practical support for LGBT+ people experiencing domestic abuse.

If you're worried about being hurt at home in some way, making a safety plan can help you if you feel unsafe or think something might go wrong. It can also include information you'll need in an emergency. When you're making a safety plan, it's important to talk to someone you trust, or to us here at Childline. 

Your plan could include:

• who to call - this could be an adult you trust, Childline or the police
• safe places you can stay if you have to leave home, and a plan of how to get there if you need to travel
• things you’ll need in an emergency, like medication or a phone charger
• what to do if you’re caring for someone else.

There are lots of reasons you might be worried about your finances or where you live. Losing your job, having debts you can’t pay or having things changing around you can all make it harder to keep on top of things.

Struggling with money is something that lots of people go through, but people are often too scared to talk about it. It’s important to remember, though, that people can’t help if they don’t know what’s happening.

If you're struggling with money, Citizens Advice has lots of information to help, and will have local centres you can contact for advice. The Mix also has lots of advice on your tenancy during the pandemic. 

Lockdown, and the pandemic in general, have made it hard to move, as well. You might feel like you're stuck where you are, or are worried about being kicked out with nowhere to go. 

If you're facing homelessness, it's important to get help as soon as possible. The best ways to get support are to:

• talk to your key worker or support worker, if you have one
• speak to the housing team at your local council
• get support from Shelter if you're based in England or Wales, or find out where else to get support. 

More and more people have to stay with their family after they’ve turned 18 because it’s too expensive to leave. Sometimes it can take time to be able to change things, but it’s important to think about how you can make the best of things at home if you have to stay. We’ve got lots of advice on coping with family problems, and The Mix has support if you're living with your parents. 

Most colleges and universities have had to either change their courses or move them online completely because of social distancing rules. For lots of us, this has meant learning and managing our work in completely new ways.

You might be worried about keeping motivated or not learning everything you need but  there are some ways to make online learning easier:

• make sure you have what you need
• if you haven’t got a stable internet connection or you don’t have a computer that’s working well enough to connect to your lectures, speak to your tutor or the support services at your uni or college to find out your options
• act like you would if you were there in person:  get dressed and remove any distractions. Focusing on your lecture and learning as if you were there in person can help to make sure you’re taking everything in
• remember to take notes just as you would in person

You could also:

Talk to people on your course
Setting up videocalls with people on your course can help to make sure you’ve got the support you need now and in the future. It can also make you feel connected to others  going through the same things as you.

Make space to work

Find a quiet place to work and attend lectures. If you don’t have the space at home, negotiate with the people you live with about times when they won’t disturb you.

Create a timetable
Keeping up with your work can be hard, especially when there are lots of different things to do. Planning the times when your lectures are, when you can study and when you can take breaks can help you to feel calmer and more organised.

Work and the pandemic

Finding work can be hard at the moment, and if you’ve got a job then it’s natural to be worried about social distancing. If you’re unemployed, you’ve lost your job or you’re off sick from work and you’re being paid less than you normally would, then you may be able to apply for benefits to help you cope. Find out more about benefits, and take a look at The Mix's advice on finding work.

If you’re feeling anxious or worried, it’s natural to focus on the news and what’s happening. But spending too much time reading about it or looking at stories online can make you feel even worse.

Try limiting the amount of time you spend checking the news. You could allow a certain amount of time each day, or only check the daily news summaries. 

If you’re seeing a lot of stories on social media, it can help to take a break from those as well. It's also good to remember that not everything you see is real. 

You can still go out to exercise, and it’s an important way to improve your mood.

Like last time, this lockdown will come to an end. Lots of people are being vaccinated and the more people who are protected, the safer we’ll all be.

It can be easy to get bored at home, but it can also be a great opportunity to learn a new skill, or get ideas for things to do using our coping kit. From practicing juggling to teaching yourself origami, the possibilities are endless.