On 23rd March 2020, the British public were told to stay at home and to cease unnecessary social contact in a bid to prevent the widespread transmission of coronavirus. With individuals plunged into isolation within their own homes, accompanied by the 24-hour news cycle relaying the state of the nation and the potential long-term impact of this challenging situation, many felt both physically and mentally under attack from the virus, unable to get the headspace they needed to maintain hope and battle through. With the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM), a leading movement against suicide, seeing a record-breaking demand for their helpline, in the 2 months following lockdown, answering 24,100 calls and webchats, and directly preventing 101 suicides, we needed to help alleviate this strain on mental health and provide the UK with a weapon to fight back without diverting budgets away from the charity’s vital services.

On 23rd March 2020, the British public were told to stay at home and to cease unnecessary social contact in a bid to prevent the widespread transmission of coronavirus. With individuals plunged into isolation, accompanied by the 24-hour news cycle relaying the potential long-term impact of this challenging situation, many felt both physically and mentally under attack. With the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM), a leading movement against suicide, seeing a record-breaking demand for their helpline in the 2 months following lockdown, answering 24,100 calls and webchats and directly preventing 101 suicides, we needed to do something to help alleviate this strain and provide people with a weapon to fight back. That’s why we created the CALM Covid Blocker - a free to download Google Chrome extension that removed coronavirus related content from your web browser, helping people to limit when and how much COVID news they viewed.

The pandemic exacerbating certain psychological triggers that can eventually lead to suicide ideation such as feeling isolated, hopeless about the future and trapped. Whilst CALM’s core audience is men under the 40 in the UK (the group most likely to be affected under normal conditions) lockdown meant everyone could feel the strain.

We wanted to find a simple way to empower and help anyone maintain their mental health during lockdown, which would also help alleviate pressure on our helpline, reserving it for those most at the point of crisis. The Covid Blocker encapsulated the charity’s mission, positioning them on the frontline of mental health support, and providing individuals with an additional tool in their arsenals in their own personal campaigns against living miserably.

Available on the Chrome Web Store, the CALM Covid Blocker extension identified and blocked images and text relating to Covid-19 on any site visited. By allowing users to select how long they wish the extension to be enabled via an integrated timer, the blocker aimed to help people enjoy a moment of calm, and feel a little more in control of their media consumption as recommended by the World Health Organisation. The Covid Blocker encapsulated the charity’s mission, positioning them on the frontline of mental health support, and providing individuals with an additional tool in their arsenals in their own personal campaigns against living miserably.

The Chrome extension was supported by print/press and radio advertising to raise awareness of the tool and encourage people to download for their own benefit. By the end of the campaign, the Covid Blocker was downloaded across 9 countries globally, exceeding our original UK based objectives and highlighting the universal relevance of the idea during this worldwide struggle. From qualitative interviews, the Covid Blocker allowed individuals to feel and behave more normally again in other areas of their lives, finding some breathing space, and more opportunities to let some good back in.

By the end of the campaign, the Covid Blocker was downloaded across 9 countries globally, exceeding our original UK based objectives and highlighting the universal relevance of the idea during this worldwide struggle. From qualitative interviews, the Covid Blocker allowed individuals to feel and behave more normally again in other areas of their lives, finding some breathing space, and more opportunities to let the good back in.