Three years ago I was so anxious I could barely leave the house. Following a minor operation on my throat, what had previously been a slight pre-occupation with my health turned into a full blown obsession. I fixated endlessly on symptoms, both real and non-existent. 1/17

It took hard work, lots of support from family and friends, lots of expensive therapy (thanks Mum) and a year of my life to get back in control. And luckily, ever since, I’ve felt as happy and healthy as anyone in their early 20s has a right to feel. Then coronavirus hit... 2/17

This pandemic is causing a mental, as well as a physical, global health crisis. Coronavirus is a real threat and people are trapped inside with plenty of time to worry about their own health, the health of their loved ones and the future. It’s the perfect recipe for anxiety. 3/17

Despite this, I feel like I’ve been coping remarkably well. Aside from the occasional wobble, I’m not overthinking every cough or muscle ache, not staying up late scanning my body for symptoms. I’m doing absolutely fine. Why? 4/17

I’ve realised that everything I’ve been through has set me up to handle this exact situation. I know the things that keep me well, know how to spot when I’m struggling and know the techniques to get me back on track. 5/17

So, as someone who has already gone through what many of you might be experiencing, I’m sharing my entirely non-scientifically backed top tips for staying ahead of health anxiety (and anxiety in general) during this pandemic: 6/17

1. Google is NOT your friend. It’s important to know the symptoms of coronavirus but avoid spending lots of time looking up any ailments you have. If you do need to do some research, stick to government backed websites https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/ 7/17

2. Excessive news is not helpful. Listening to endless updates about coronavirus all day long can make it difficult not to obsess over it. Limit yourself to a certain amount of news every day. 8/17

3. Try and meet your basic needs. When I was ill, I always felt better when I ate enough food and got enough sleep. Prioritise these things. 9/17

4. Exercise is helpful. With more time on my hands, I’m managing to do more exercise than I was before. It’s making me feel better and I’m going to enter the new world looking at least four times as sexy. 10/17

5. Distractions are helpful. Do whatever you need to do to take your mind off things. One of my greatest life achievements is getting to 7th in the world at a phone game called Formation when I was ill. 11/17

6. Mindfulness is helpful. I thought it was all a load of rubbish until I tried it. Now I’m a full blown convert. To help everyone at the minute, Calm have started releasing a daily meditation for free - 12/17

7. Check in with yourself. It’s especially important at a time like this to stay in turn with your mental health. Do a quick check in at the end of every day to see how you’re feeling. Like with physical health, it’s always better to catch poor mental health early. 13/17

8. Tell someone if you’re struggling. Just because everyone else is also in lockdown doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t speak up if you’re struggling. Some people will be finding this harder than others, out of no fault of their own. Talking is always the best first step. 14/17

9. Try combatting the intrusive thoughts. There are exercises you can do if you find yourself getting too anxious. The worksheet I used can be found here - http://shorturl.at/pqKOR  15/17

10. Things will get better. It’s perfectly normal to feel a bit shit right now. Try and remember that all of this is only temporary. 16/17

That’s all from me! I’ll end this all with a completely terrible and irrelevant joke… Why did the scarecrow win an award? Because he was outstanding in his field. 17/17