COVID-19 is undoubtedly one of the greatest tragedies of this century. Around 3,405,019 have perished, countless people have lost their jobs, yet the virus shows no sign of stopping. To make matters worse, it’s mutating and showing resilience to any form of medicine and vaccines.
In order to flatten the case and the mortality rate curve, governments have imposed lockdown. As a result, people are stuck at home; and there’s no point in getting out. What if you catch the virus? But people are not doing so well at home either. Many are facing mental health issues, like anxiety and depression. As per the reports, many have succumbed to mental stress and exhaustion.
What Does the Survey Have to Say?
The World Health Organization conducted a survey to evaluate how the provision of neurological, and mental health services has changed amid the pandemic. The results have been highlighted below.
- Adolescents and children (72%), Women (61%), Adults (70%) reported disruptions in mental health services. In total, 60% of the world’s population reported it.
- Around 35% of the people received a late response to emergency interventions, such as withdrawal symptoms or prolonged seizures.
- There were also delay in psychotherapy and counselling sessions, as reported by 67% of the surveyed population.
As you can imagine, the burden of tending to mental health issues increased amid the COVID-19 pandemic. As a consequence, people started getting tardy responses from the services.
Measures to Get Rid of Stress and Anxiety
If you look around, you will find that most people have pessimistic viewpoints. They are of the opinion that ‘we will eventually lose the battle against COVID-19’, or ‘there is no hope’. However, they are wrong. Agreed, the Covid-19 pandemic has been a tragedy, and it would take months for the countries to recover GDP and the corporate world to get back on track.
But, it’s just a phase, and it will pass too.
In the meantime, one needs to take care of their mental health, and they can do so by following the tips specified below.
1. Turn off News Notifications
It is easy to get stressed just by watching the news. You check the notifications, and all you see is the number of deaths, rising cases, lockdowns, deteriorating economy, unemployment, grieving family members. It is indeed upsetting, and if you keep on watching it, you are bound to get anxious.
Staying updated is essential. So just filter your feed and check out the instructions laid out by the WHO, doctors and government. Just tune in to any channel to check for the availability of the vaccines, precautionary measures. Social distancing protocols, etc.
2. Work Out
The trend of hitting the gym just began a few years ago. If you are truly health consciousness, then you can try it out at home too. There should be no excuses. Furthermore, those who are not in the habit of working out, should try it too. The more you sit idle, the more you are bound to have the negative feelings
And if you are into yoga and meditation, not only will you enjoy physical and mental benefits, but you will also be able to boost your immunity. The yogic postures, pranayams, and breathing exercises regulate your hormones, improve bodily functions and takes care of the respiratory system.
3. Enjoy Staycation
A staycation is equivalent to vacation at home. Or, if the Covid restrictions permit you to travel within your area, then you can book an Airbnb and enjoy a lovely weekend. Just pretend that you are on vacation at a beach or mountainside. And you can prepare dishes and activities accordingly, p[provided you stay in the room.
If you go by the statistics, then 63% of the US adults have taken this sort of vacation. If you are at home, spend time with your siblings and parents. Try out new dishes, plan for fun activities that you can post on social media, or play games.
4. Keep Yourself Engaged
Contrary to popular belief, I would like to add something. Most people would say that office tasks make them burnt out. And amid the pandemic, it is impossible to keep calm and composure. Well, it’s true. But just hear me out. You are at least blessed that you have a job at hand and you have some task at your disposal that will keep you engaged.
An idle brain is a devil’s workshop. Had you not been working, your imaginations would have gotten the best of you. Since you have to stick to a deadline, and focus on the quality of the work, your brain cannot process anything else, even if it wanted to.
5. Focus on Your Hobbies
Well, you might be sulking over the fact that you have to stay indoors, but you can use the extra time to your advantage. You can utilize the time to play chess, practice keyboards or piano. Or, if you have a knack for writing or reading storybooks, you can do as you please.
Thanks to the videoconferencing platforms, you can get in touch with others and discuss important matters. This might be research papers, song composition, or online lessons.
6. Talk to Your Friends
Do not be by yourself. You should have a conversation with others over the phone or through Skype calls. If you are feeling bored or depressed, just give someone a call and check whether he or she is available for a chat. If you are a part of an online group on Facebook, WhatsApp or any other forums, check what’s happening.
Reconnecting with old friends or relatives, you might have lost contact with over the years may turn out to be therapeutic. However, if things seem too challenging for you, seek the help of the counselors.
7. Maintain a Journal
One good way to instantly stop worrying about unnecessary things is to maintain a journal. Whenever a worrisome thought crops, write it down in your diary. Keep doing it until the anxiety drops by half. Make a list of what’s going well and what’s not. Try to focus more on the positives. Remember, there are people who are going through the worst adversities.
Be consistent with what you do. Just follow all the protocols laid out by the government, and keep doing your job. If you have kids, spend time with them. After all, they are at that age where they wish they could go outside and play with friends. It is your responsibility to create an atmosphere of ‘sanity’ in the house.
If you are writing a paper on the practices one can adopt to cope with depression and anxiety amid COVID, you can use the points mentioned here. Just do not forget to validate your statements. And if you cannot cite the sources, take the help of online citation machines like CSE citation generator.
Author – Suhana is a passionate blogger and digital marketing enthusiast. Suhana Williams is one of the most talented assignment experts who also provide java assignment help through Myassignmenthelp. She enjoys the ever-evolving world of digital marketing and loves to share her opinion on every possible update with her audience. When not creating magic with her words, you can find her sky-diving or trekking in the most bizarre locations.