Physical church attendance holds multiple health benefits

Dear Editor,

The novel coronavirus poses a threat to the mental health of people in the general population. This could result in issues such as anxiety attacks and depression. It could also lead to other health issues, such as hypertension, heart attack, and stroke. The church is in a central position to alleviate these issues.

Although there is a limit on the number of people who can attend a church physically, those who are able to attend church should do so. They should ensure that they take the necessary precautions while in attendance.

The act of attending a physical church holds multiple health benefits:

• People are able to go out. Going outdoors allows individuals to be exposed to sunlight. Sunlight is a natural anti-depressant.

• Going out allows people who would otherwise be at home alone to see others.

• People are able to partake in communal worship. They are able to see the expressions of many other worshippers and this enhances their own worship experience as well as their mood.

• People are able to hear music that is amplified while also hearing the voices of other worshippers. This also helps to uplift the spirit.

• Attending church physically allows regular church-goers to fall into their usual routine and operate normally. People are sometimes overwhelmed when there are rapid changes and this itself can lead to negative emotions. It is important for there to be some level of normality during times of crisis.

There are numerous other health benefits that could be highlighted.

Let us do all we can to take great care of our health.