How to cope with pressure from family and friends to break lockdown rules

Be it friends insisting you meet up, a parent saying, ‘Oh it’s fine, just come in for a cup of tea,’ or a sibling whose definition of ‘social distancing’ involves going in for a hug without warning, almost all of us have encountered a scenario in the last year where our feelings around pandemic restrictions have clashed with someone else’s.

Such moments can cause everything from mild confusion to upset, annoyance or all out anger, and lead to arguments, guilt and complicated conversations. “I don’t think anybody’s been prepared for much of the fallout from this,” says Relate counsellor, Holly Roberts. “I’ve never known such a divisive thing to be causing friendships that break and families to have rifts, it’s really difficult.”