Take care of your mental health during the crisis
Although we don’t know exactly when, at some point in the future self-isolation will end, and many of us will return to offices, restaurants, and houses of worship. But what will that look like? One thing for sure, we will never return to normal; we will return to “a new normal.” And each of us will have repair work to do as we re-enter the world of physical proximity to coworkers and reconnecting with friends, neighbours, and loved ones. And not just contagion worries. Many of us will face recovery from the psychological trauma of having lived under chronic uncertainty, isolation, financial insecurity, job loss, and for some, the death of friends and loved ones — taken together, enough trauma for a massive mental health crisis.
The trauma, like the virus, will not simply disappear. For some, it will continue to linger in our memories, daydreams, and nightmares. What can we expect and what measures can we take?
Disaster researchers warn that the pandemic could inflict longlasting psychological trauma on an unprecedented global scale. With some 2.6 billion people worldwide in some kind of lockdown, Elke Van Hoof, Professor of health psychology and primary care psychology at Vrije Universiteit Brussel, calls lockdown the biggest psychological experiment and predicts we will pay the price through a secondary epidemic of burnout and stressrelated absenteeism in the latter half of
2020. Van Hoof cites one study in China, where parents were quarantined with children, that reported no less than 28 per cent of quarantined parents warranted a diagnosis of “trauma-related mental health disorder.”
“In short, and perhaps unsurprisingly, people who are quarantined are very likely to develop a wide range of symptoms of psychological stress and disorder, including low mood, insomnia, stress, anxiety, anger, irritability, emotional exhaustion, depression and post-traumatic stress symptoms. Low mood and irritability specifically stand out as being very common,” the study notes.
Human contact is essential for healthy completion of psychological mourning. But with added self-distancing during the Covid-19 pandemic, grief — a lonely and isolating experience unto itself — can be compounded and prolonged long after quarantines are lifted. Without appropriate human contact, many people are at risk of prolonged grief disorder and complicated grief — a syndrome affecting 10 to 20 per cent of people, characterised by preoccupying and disabling symptoms such as depression, somatic distress, and social withdrawal that can persist for decades.
Healthy eating, rest, and regular exercise give you the stamina to withstand any threat to your survival. Take good care of yourself first, and you will have more to give to others.
Self-care: Your first line of defense: During a disaster like the pandemic, always putting yourself at the end of the line is a grave disservice that actually works against you. Self-care makes your use of time more sustainable. Healthy eating, rest, and regular exercise give you the stamina to withstand any threat to your survival. Take good care of yourself first, and you will have more to give to others.
Remember H-A-L-T: When worry and stress take hold, stop and ask yourself if you are Hungry, Angry, Lonely, or Tired. This alert signal can bring you back into balance. If one or a combination of the four states is present, slow down, take a few breaths, and chill. If you’re hungry, take the time to eat. If you’re angry, address it in a healthy manner. If you’re lonely, reach out to someone you trust. And if you’re tired, rest.
Indulge yourself. You deserve it: When was the last time you soaked in a hot bath or indulged in a restorative activity that rejuvenates your mind and body and restores your energy and peace of mind? Make a 10 or 15-minute appointment with yourself, and schedule personal time for a hobby, a hot bath, yoga, a facial, reading, contemplating nature, or meditation.