Stress levels are elevated during this pandemic – there’s no doubt about it! Fear and anxiety about the coronavirus can be overwhelming and cause strong emotions in adults and children alike. Often women have many people depending on them – perhaps a partner, children, parents and extended family, friends and neighbours. It’s especially important for us to understand, and prepare for, what this stress can do to us. We can expect to have a lot of mixed feelings – naturally we feel anxiety, and maybe waves of panic, especially when seeing new headlines.

Right now the only thing many of us can feel certain about is – uncertainty.  But does that mean that we are at the mercy of this uncertainty? Or are there steps we can take to bolster our mindset, keep ourselves motivated, care for those around us, and most importantly, be proactive about those mental and emotional slumps that are sure to come to all of us at some time.

It’s important for us to acknowledge that people respond in a variety of ways. For some this time of lockdown has been an incredibly productive time. They may have been able to tick several goals off their ‘to-do’ list, whether it be writing a book, furthering their studies, learning a new skill, or taking up a hobby. Others have gone into ‘flight’ mode, unable to function at their usual level, feeling overwhelmed, lonely, and like they’d love nothing more than to crawl into bed until this is all over.  It’s also safe to say that some have experienced both of these reactions, perhaps even on the same day.

Here’s a helpful exercise:

To start with, it may be helpful to make a list of what we can and cannot control right now. This will give us a visual reminder, and hopefully help us come to some acceptance of the situations we cannot control, and focus on what we CAN do.

 

Now that you’ve thought through what you can and cannot control, here are 5 suggestions for caring for your mental health during the pandemic:

1. Find ways you and your family can reduce stress.
  • Take breaks from watching, reading, or listening to news stories, including social media. Hearing about the pandemic repeatedly can be upsetting.
  • Make time to unwind. Try to do some other activities you enjoy, such as building a puzzle or planting a vegetable garden.
  • Create periods when you can be screen-free and calm, engaging your attention in normal daily activities and routines such as housework, meal preparation, and family game night. 
  • Seize opportunities to share lightness and humor. Laughter right now is a relief for all of us!

 

2. Take care of your body.
  • Take deep breaths, stretch, or meditate. Not only does this improve flexibility, balance, endurance and physical strength, meditation helps to keep the mind sharp and clear, relieves stress and improves overall well-being.
  • Try to eat healthy, well-balanced meals. Good nutrition helps our mood. Stress makes us seek comfort foods, and in turn high carbs and sugars impact our mood. Many population-based studies show that a Mediterranean diet has been linked to better mental health and stress resilience, whereas a junk food western diet is linked to depression and anxiety. Try to fill your home with fresh produce, frozen vegetables, and whole foods when possible.
  • Exercise regularly, get plenty of sleep. Go to bed early and go outside each day to be active. Remember that our activities, thoughts, and mood are closely linked. If you want to change your mood, change your activities and/or your thoughts.
  • Avoid alcohol and drugs. There is a two-way relationship between substance addiction and anxiety and depression. Substance abuse can trigger anxiety and depression. And, anxiety and depression can also lead to becoming addicted to drugs and alcohol.
  • Create new routines and keep practicing health behaviors. Routine and ritual are restorative to us. Our brain wants predictable activity so we can relax our vigilant nervous system. 

3. Take care of your community. 
  • Taking care of yourself, your friends, and your family can help you cope with stress. Helping others cope with their stress can also make your community stronger. 
  • Know the facts to help reduce stress. Understanding the risk to yourself and people you care about can help reduce stress. Learn and share the facts about COVID-19 and help stop the spread of rumors. When you share accurate information about COVID-19, you can help make people feel less stressed, make a connection with them, and help stop stigma.
  • Find ways of expressing kindness, patience, and compassion. This is a hard time for everyone. People across the world are sharing this experience with you. We are all in this together and we may all emerge with a renewed appreciation for our interconnectedness. Helping others in need is both critical to get through this well, and also creates more purpose to our days and well-being.

4. Take care of your own mental health.

Our mental health is just as important as our physical health, but unfortunately, we seldom give it the importance and care it deserves. When our body gets ill, we will seek medical attention, but when our mind is sick, we try to ignore it and carry on with our lives. Oftentimes this only makes it worse.

  • Connect with others. Talk with people you trust about your concerns and how you are feeling.
  • Call your doctor or talk to a medical professional if stress gets in the way of your daily activities for several days in a row.
  • If you’re already struggling with depression or anxiety, or with any other mental health condition, continue with your treatment and be aware of new or worsening symptoms. 
  • Seek out sources of positive input, whether it be on social media – #ImStaying, for example – or other media sources that focus on stories of hope and resilience that are all around us, despite the uncertainty.

5. Support your loved ones. This is critical!
  • Check in with your loved ones often. Virtual communication can help you and your loved ones feel less lonely and isolated. Consider connecting with loved ones by telephone, email, text messages, video chat, or social media.
  • Take time to share your feelings and to listen and support others. It will go a long way. Talking with others who have our best interests at heart makes us feel safe. 
  • Use the gift of technology to connect with others about the things you normally would – host your book club online, for example – which can create feelings of connectedness. Host a dinner using FaceTime or Zoom so you can talk while you eat (and talk about some positive things, not just this crisis).
  • And if you have fur-babies, loving and caring for our pets can be phenomenal stress reduction for us too!

As we continue through this lockdown period, knowing that it too will end, it may be helpful to remember that the term “Social Distancing” is actually a misnomer. We are actually “Physical Distancing” while we work hard to stay socially connected. Let’s switch to that phrase!

To donate to the #ImStayingFund,
please click here:

 

Please submit your story to us HERE
For more positive and uplifting stories visit us at #ImStaying

GOOD THOUGHTS • GOOD WORDS • GOOD DEEDS