'Routine and communication' key to protecting mental health during self-isolation

The chief executive of the local mental health charity, Sandra Vaughan, said people staying at home should make a routine and stay in touch with others.

She said: "If people don't look after themselves mentally, they might not look after themselves physically.

"If you're stuck in the house for a long time, you need to get into a routine as the days can merge into one.

"Get up at a certain time and make sure you have enough to sleep.

"Keeping hydrated and eating healthily will be good too, even if it's completing a jigsaw or reading a book.

"The other thing is keeping active."

Sandra also appealed for people to keep in touch with neighbours.

"A lot of it is trying to keep in touch with people," she added.

"Not everybody who is likely to be vulnerable is going to have access to phones.

"It can easily slide if people don't have to go out to things and people can stop self-care.

"Trying to keep contact with people is going to be key.

"A pet can also be a good thing for people, a bit of motivation and companionship.

"We've got a lot of peer support groups and we're trying to support them for as long as possible to meet, but after that we're trying to put in place a closed group for people to text and support each other.

"If people are on their own and worrying about things, they will be building it up into something big and might need to talk to someone.

"Stockpiling is a worry for a lot of people too, especially for those on benefits as they haven't got the money to be buying things in advance.

"Some people are caring for others and supporting them but there are others being quite selfish too.

"It's all about checking on the person next door and making sure they're ok, maybe even someone they've never seen before.

"Just a text or 10 minutes on the phone to each other will help."

For more information visit dudleymind.org.uk