THE JOY OF A ROUTINE

It might be boring, but setting a routine can reduce stress, ease anxiety and help you sleep

- KATE COPELAND

Our lives have all been disrupted by COVID-19, resulting in a big surge in anxiety and issues of mental health. A recent study, carried out by researchers from the University of Exeter, delivered some stark findings. The team used data collected from nearly 12,000 people who, for many years, have been asked questions about their mental health, and found that almost a quarter of respondents reported experiencing at least one mental health problem during lockdown – up from 10 per cent in pre-crisis times. As they put it: “The scale of this deterioration in mental health is of a magnitude, unlike anything we have seen in recent years.”