I am enjoying lockdown more than I thought I would. I get up early, go for a very long walk with the dog, do a one-hour home workout later in the day, plus lots of writing, lots of reading, lots of music, a bit of telly. And I am lucky to be confined with a partner whose company I actually enjoy.

So I am not currently depressed, although I know from experience that this can change quickly. But I hope that my experience of depression, and how I have learned to deal with it, can be of use to others who are in lockdown. In many way, this sense of universal anxiety has been a great leveller, in that millions of people who have no personal experience of mental ill health are getting an insight into what it might feel like.

Here are a few tips and thoughts that have been of help to me, both in guarding against depression and dealing with it when it comes.

1 Look after key relationships. Your partner, your children, parents and grandparents, siblings, closest friends. Really try to look out for them.

2 Stay active. The temptation to do nothing is strong. Try to resist it.

3 Exercise. It is vital to physical and mental wellbeing.

Remember that all crises end eventually

4 Watch your diet. For many people, boredom = eating, dislocation = eating, loneliness = eating. It is important to be aware of it. Try to eat healthily.

5 Keep an eye on the booze. Someone tweeted recently: “This is like Christmas without the fun!” I think we all know what they mean.

6 Sleep. I have been struggling with this one. But an early night is a good night.

7 Read books. Don’t be a 24/7 news junkie. Books that have nothing to do with the current crisis, fiction or nonfiction, can be such a wonderful release.

8 Cut down on social media. Endlessly scrolling through Twitter and Instagram is not healthy.

9 Listen to music regularly.

10 Even better – make music. I play bagpipes and they are out every day.

‘The temptation to do nothing is strong. Try to resist it’ ... Alastair Campbell in his garden. Photograph: Karen Robinson/The Observer

11 Write down your thoughts. Keep a diary. Make lists.

12 Keep in touch with the people you would normally be in contact with.

13 Get in touch with someone you have lost contact with.

14 Do something good for someone else every day.

15 Do the easy things if you are finding it hard to do the difficult things.

16 Stay curious. Try new things.

17 Enjoy nature. If you follow me on social media, you will know I have been posting tree of the day photos (The Guardian has a tree of the week column). I cannot tell you how much pleasure I get on my morning walk deciding which tree to pick.

18 Remember that all crises end eventually. By the time this one is over, there will have been a lot of death, a lot of grief, a lot of suffering. But it will end, and most of the world will still be here. So …

19 Keep things in perspective. Don’t panic. And finally …

20 See an opportunity in every setback. The whole world is going to have to take that approach when this is all over, but we can do it in our own lives now. Most people are being kinder. There is a boom in volunteering. There is more respect for so-called unskilled workers, more appreciation of NHS staff and carers. The air is cleaner. My asthma is better. My carbon footprint has shrunk from dreadful to almost Greta-like. I guess that is a long-winded way of saying try to look on the bright side. What choice do we have?

This is an edited version of an article that was published originally on Alastair Campbell’s website