School, work and shop closures have resulted in most people’s lives being swiftly turned upside down.

Just as stress levels have risen, many of us also lost access to our go-to coping skills. We’ve been limited in how often we can see our loved ones. We can’t go to the gym. We can’t do many of the fun activities that help moderate our stress.

So it’s not surprising that researchers have discovered that quarantine has lead to a rise in mental illness.

Unlike the lockdown rules, practising mindfulness knows no bounds. I spoke to my flatmates (and students at LSBU), Christine and Mike, about how they’ve been coping through the pandemic.