Peace of mind

Experts are projecting that Malaysia will flatten the Covid-19 curve within weeks. Until then, Malaysians have been urged to stay healthy — mentally, too.

THERE have been a number of memes going around that basically riff off the fact that many of us just want this year to be over and done with.

Three quarters into the year, and we are still seeing no end to the global Covid-19 pandemic.

The prolonged public health crisis has led to the implementation of “invasive measures” to contain the coronavirus, which inadvertently have had unprecedented impacts on our daily lives.

Malaysia is still under the movement control order (MCO), albeit in its most relaxed form, with the exception of red zones placed under enhanced and conditional MCOs.

And we are entering our third wave of Covid-19 cases, with some of the daily numbers being among the highest we’ve ever seen.

Undeniably, the uncertainty of how long we have to live in this disrupted state of heightened hygiene precautions, physical distancing and economic turmoil is getting to us.

It is making many of us exhausted on many levels – physical to emotional – particularly in abiding by the Covid-19 standard operating procedures (SOPs).

In fact, the World Health Organisation (WHO) warned that this “pandemic fatigue” is fuelling the spike in Covid-19 infections in many countries around the world.

As WHO regional director for Europe Dr Hans Henri Kluge said, the huge sacrifices everyone had to make to contain Covid-19 came at an “extraordinary cost”.

It has naturally exhausted all of us, regardless of where we live, or what we do, he added: “In such circumstances, it is easy and natural to feel apathetic and demotivated, to experience fatigue.”

You can see this here, in how people are disregarding the preventive precautions we all have to take to stop the transmission of the SARSCoV-2 virus.

It’s also understandable from a psychological point of view as the longer our lives go untouched by the disease, the less vulnerable we think we are to it.

A recent global survey by pollster YouGov suggested that people are less vigilant today than they were only a few months ago.

It said in Malaysia, although mask-wearing has increased, compliance with other safety measures such as social distancing and avoiding crowded public places has decreased.

Still, only about 5% of Malaysians have been hit by Covid-19 – a testament to our community spirit, the decisiveness of the government and the efforts of the Health Ministry.

But if we do not get over the hump of the pandemic fatigue that is currently infecting us, this percentage could easily rise exponentially, just like our current number of daily cases.

Pandemic fatigue can also lead to or exacerbate mental health problems.

The Star reported on Friday that while Malaysians are faring quite well, mentally speaking, compared to our Asean compatriots (according to a global survey by Ipsos), around two out of five (44%) Malaysians have had their mental health affected by the pandemic.

Around 7% reported feeling down all of the time, while 37% feel down some of the time. And that does not include anxiety and stress over this seemingly interminable situation.

So, in the spirit of World Mental Health Day – marked annually on Oct 10 – do take a step back and take a close look at your mental and emotional state.

If you’re feeling burnt out, stressed, anxious and/or frustrated, and/or find yourself easily irritated or angered, especially if more so than usual, then it’s time to take some action.

Talk your feelings out with someone you trust; find activities to destress yourself, such as a good workout, meditation or a hobby; or see a counsellor for a professional and neutral point of view.

There’s no shame in admitting that our mental health needs some help. It is just as important, if not more so, than our physical health.