Effects of Covid-19 on Mental Health
We have been experiencing this global pandemic for more than 8 months now and it hasn’t slowed down at all. Day after day, the numbers keep rising and our lives keep changing and evolving to adapt to the new normal. Whether it’s the social distancing protocols or wearing a mask, every aspect of our lives has been affected in some form or the other. But if we take a moment to pause and think, our mental health has been impacted to a large degree due to the ongoing pandemic. It has made us social beings get locked up in our homes, the overall stress and anxiety levels are on the rise due to all the news that one is consuming, people are fearing unemployment and the associated financial crisis and most importantly the feeling of uncertainty of what the future holds.
If you are a student reading this, chances are your graduation day didn't happen the way you imagined it would. All your plans had to take a back seat and one of the most tangible achievement of yours wasn’t given its due moment. Not just this one day, but not being able to meet your friends, go out and about all contribute to feelings of frustration and anxiety. For teens who were already facing a mental health challenge, their ordeal gets multiplied manifold. To top of all of this chaos, our social media started to be flooded with people painting, baking or pursuing any other creative project and quotes like “If you are not productive now when you have all the time in the world, you will never get to that task” or “If you can’t get work done now, you were just making excuses in the past and are not serious about growth” etc. To all those of you, you have to understand that using the extra time to complete a project or pursuing a hobby is not wrong. It will help get your mind off all the uncertainty and anxiety but this does not work for all, and it certainly is not a measure of one’s worth. You need to understand that we are living through a pandemic and now is certainly not the time to have a race of productivity. It is completely valid to feel overwhelmed and not have a clue of where your life is headed. Pause and take a deep breath. You will figure this out!
Here are some easy steps that could help cope your stress-
Limit your time on social media- This will help to reduce worry and agitation that you and your family face by spending time consuming media coverage that you perceive as upsetting. Gather information that will help you accurately determine your risk so that you can take reasonable precautions. Find a credible source you can trust such as WHO website or, a local or state public health agency instead.
Maintain a healthy lifestyle- This includes proper diet, sleep, exercise and social contacts with loved ones at home and by email and phone with other family and friends.
Seek help- It is perfectly okay if your feelings of restlessness persist even after trying everything you could think of. If you feel overwhelmed, talk to a health worker or counsellor. Have a plan, where to go to and how to seek help for physical and mental health needs if required.
We surely are in trying times, but it will get better. Stay safe and take care! :)
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Written by Suniya Aleem Qureshi from Hyderabad, India
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