Dealing with Stress & Anxiety

Stress and anxiety are actually part and parcel of the ‘fight or flight’ mechanism that has served humans well over many thousands of years, from learning how to deal with danger to performing well at an interview. Without a certain level of heightened response to situations we will not perform well.

When these heightened responses become overwhelming it is damaging to both your mental health and physical health.

The Covid-19 pandemic has forced us to reduce social contact, home-school our children, take part in ‘virtual’ consultations instead of face-to-face ones, and some people have needed to shield. This has in turn caused us all to reassess what is important to us, what frightens us and what increases our feelings of isolation and anxiety. At no time has it been so important to maintain a healthy mental state.

On the 13th and 20th January 2022, Immunodeficiency UK hosted two mental health and well-being webinars with presentations by Dr Mari Campbell, Clinical Psychologist at the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust.

The first session aimed to help people with the stress and anxiety that the immunodeficiency community are experiencing during the Covid pandemic.

You can download a pdf of Dr Campbell’s presentation shown on the 13th January 2022 here.

The second session focussed on talking about your immunodeficiency, navigating conflict, assertiveness and managing sleep.

You can download a pdf of Dr Campbell’s presentation shown on the 20th January 2022 here.

Resources highlighted

You can find below some of the simple routines, suggestions and resources that Dr Mari Campbell, Clinical Psychologist at the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust, talked about during our mental health support webinars: