The whole world is fighting the pandemic COVID-19 or coronavirus. In many countries, cases are increasing day by day and even the death rate is increasing rapidly. Because of its rapid spread all around the world, many countries, with the guidelines of WHO, have announced lockdowns and taken precautionary measures to stop the spread of the virus. In this quarantine period some people are doing productive activities at their home, taking care of themselves and others, while some are in panic due to many factors that are disturbing their mental as well as physical health.
Like other pandemics, this global critical situation of COVID-19 has also created much fear, stress and anxiety, particularly affecting people with existing mental health problems, children, adults and the elderly. People are panicking every day after hearing news of the increasing ratio of deaths all around the world, increase in the number of cases, or high spread of the virus even within few hours. Their reaction to such a situation is very different to some others feeling fear, restlessness, sadness, anger or helplessness. Some people are so concerned about their loved ones they remain worried about them all the time.
This situation has reached its peak when people have locked themselves in their houses and do not have any productive activities in their routines. They scroll down news feeds on social media all day long, and have started to believe every news, whether fake or real. By doing this some people are have sleepless nights and having difficulty in concentrating. Some people have started to show some physical symptoms such as an increased heartbeat rate, shivering, sweating, fast breathing and disturbance in their stomach. Common symptoms of other health problems such as fever and cough are mistakenly understood by many people as COVID-19.
There are several families who are separated by borders; they are also worried for their loved ones. Lack of food supplies, sanitisers, masks and other protective items is also creating a fearful state among people. Some people are also getting stressed by thinking that there is no vaccine of this virus yet and there are no proper methodologies to treat patients of this virus so it will lead them only towards death.
As reported by the Human Rights Commission, domestic violence and abuse have increased since the outbreak of COVID-19. That is creating mental health issues, specifically in women. These and some other factors are leading people towards the road of mental illness. Many people are afraid of losing their livelihoods.
As some people are facing mental health problems during this pandemic, it is expected that there would be some other psychological disorders after this pandemic is over, such as post traumatic stress disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, different phobias (such as fear of travelling, social gatherings or public places), social anxiety disorder, and depression. The aftermath of the pandemic and people’s mental illnesses will also be very crucial to handle.
As in our daily routine we pay a great deal of attention to our physical health, it is the need of the hour that there are also some steps that are taken for our mental health.
Social distancing has given us an opportunity to spend time with our families and our loved ones by developing strong bonds of communication
The first thing that everyone needs to do is to limit the use of social media. Constantly hearing news about the pandemic can disturb mental health and may cause frustration. Set a time, two or three times a day, for a few minutes, to watch or hear the news about the pandemic through trustworthy resources. Often, some fake news suddenly creates so much hype that people start to panic. So, for maintaining mental health, we need to avoid forwarding and sharing of such news.
Secondly, the most important precautionary measures that we need to adopt is to stay home and to wash our hands to be safe from physical as well as mental illness. While staying at home, a person should adopt some productive activities or interests. It is a time to utilise your days and leisure period in some positive way, for instance, cooking, playing, doing exercise, reading, writing, doing art activities, music and meditation. Deep breathing with proper guidelines may also reduce the stress level and to think more effectively. These types of activities will make you busier, productive and a positive person.
Social distancing has given us an opportunity to spend time with our families and our loved ones by developing strong bonds of communication. Friends or family members who are far away from us can be connected to us through technology. By sharing thoughts and feelings with friends and loved ones, a person will not feel loneliness at home. This is also a way of catharsis that may help you from getting frustrated and to avoid any type of mental illness.
It is the best time to discover yourself and your abilities. Think about what you were before the pandemic and what you should be after the pandemic. Do a SWOT analysis of yourself by thinking about your Strengths and Weaknesses and write them down on a piece of paper; think about the Opportunities that you may have in your life and write down the Threats that may become a hurdle in getting success in those opportunities. The analysis will help you be the best version of yourself.
All of us have information about COVID-19, its symptoms and precautions. Now we just need to take precautionary measures to get rid of this pandemic because there are some things that are beyond our control. So, let’s focus on the preventive measures.
Remember! Do not be overwhelmed by negative thoughts. If you are feeling any type of symptoms, don’t always compare them with the symptoms of COVID-19 without proper testing. If anyone is afraid, anxious or feeling any other mental health disturbance hearing the news of the pandemic, please try to consult a psychologist or a psychiatrist to have your problem figured out.
The writing is a clinical psychologist and can be reached at mehakusman991@gmail.com