Corona blues
Tasmania may have dodged the worst of the coronavirus outbreak so far, but that does not mean the global pandemic isn’t taking its toll on our health and wellbeing
Have you been feeling more tired than usual? Maybe you’re forgetful? Unmotivated? Are you struggling to concentrate? Can’t multi-task as well as you once could? Or perhaps your short temper is leading you to snap at unsuspecting family members, friends or colleagues? Experts say it’s likely that you’ve been struck by the corona blues. It’s likely most of us will feel out of sorts for at least the next six to 12 months as we search for our new normal in this weird, constantly changing COVID-19 world.
Tasmania has been a fortress in recent months, with closed borders — and our moat — helping to keep the deadly coronavirus off our island.
Look at what’s happening in the worst-hit parts of the world — and even to our closest Australian neighbours in lockdown in Victoria where the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases, and the resulting death toll, continues to climb — and it would be easy to say Tasmanians are among the luckiest people on earth right now.
But despite this, clinical psychologist Kimberley Norris says the uncertainty of a global pandemic has actually put a huge strain on our brain’s cognitive load, which is taking its toll on the health and wellbeing of the vast majority of Tasmanians.
Associate Professor at the University of Tasmania’s School of Psychological Sciences, Dr Norris says at the height of the pandemic in Tasmania, people were faced with a “highly challenging and stressful situation” as they suddenly found themselves adjusting to a whole new way of living — including working from home, home schooling and changing the way they shopped and socialised.
Then there were the worries that came with that — from serious concerns about our survival, to financial woes, job security, concern about the safety of elderly relatives and wondering how the pandemic might impact on our children’s education and general socialisation.
Add to that ongoing concerns about how serious this pandemic will be, how long it will last and whether the worst is yet to come, and it’s no wonder we’re feeling a bit rattled.
Basically our brains cannot cope with the overload, we are
running low on mental energy and, as a result, we start to forget things or snap at our family and friends.
“People are tired, they’re saying things like ‘I’m just not as productive as I normally would be’, they feel like their memory isn’t as good as it used to be and they forget things easily,’’ Dr Norris says. “They have trouble concentrating, and some people who are used to multi-tasking are finding they’re not able to multi-task any more.”
She says some are having trouble sleeping and switching off their mind. Others are getting a full night of sleep but do not feel rested.
“People are talking about a lower frustration tolerance,” she says. “Due to the cognitive load you don’t actually have the mental energy to say things in a nicer way. When we’re already up to our limit, frustration and irritation and intolerance comes through.”
While “corona blues” is not a technical term, the concept has become so widespread that it has landed a spot in the Urban Dictionary: “When everything gets cancelled because of coronavirus (COVID-19) and you feel sad as a result”, the online definition reads.
At the time of writing, Tasmania had recorded 227 cases of coronavirus since the start of the pandemic, with 13 deaths.
Dr Norris says just because Tasmania’s initial lockdown period had ended and our lives were slowly returning to normal, did not mean our overworked brains instantly recover.
“What people underestimate is just because isolation is over, doesn’t mean the issues of cognitive load are over,’’ Dr Norris says.
She says at the same time our lives are becoming busier, with work duties, after school activities and social commitments, our minds are also busy working out how to adhere to social distancing and adjust to a new normal.
The noise of commuting in traffic and having more people in your personal space when out in public, for example, requires some adjusting. Even grabbing a few groceries no longer seems as simple — and safe — as it once did.
Living a relatively normal life as Tasmanians also seems peculiar and strange when many other people, including those in Victoria, remain under strict lockdown as the threat of COVID-19 continues to haunt their every move.
But with our borders set to open to some states at the end of this month — and some people still failing to adhere to isolation requirements or maintain social distancing — surely it is only a matter of time before COVID-19 again rears its pernicious head in Tasmania?
Until then it seems we are destined to live in limbo, with a constant need to adapt and remain vigilant.
Dr Norris says some people will adapt to our new way of life more quickly and easily than others, but the majority of Tasmanians could expect to feel unsettled for months to come.
Research conducted with others in isolation, including Antarctic expeditioners, astronauts and fly-in-fly-out workers, suggested the after-effects of being locked away from the world could last six to 12 months.
“This would be considered the normal response … it is the expectation that pretty much everyone will be going through this at the moment,” Dr Norris says. “It seems like a long time but when you think about it, it makes sense. It’s not like going back to life the way it was, we’re actually creating a new normal, and that in itself takes mental energy.”
And Tasmanians are likely to be harder hit by this emotional toll than people in other states, due to our cold weather and short, dark days.
About 5-10 per cent of Tasmanians are formally diagnosed with Seasonal Affective Disorder but it is estimated up to 40 per cent of the population will find winter difficult and will have some symptoms of the mood disorder, characterised by fatigue, depression, a feeling of hopelessness, social withdrawal and changes in sleeping and eating patterns.
Dr Norris says many Tasmanians combat this by heading to a sunny location for a holiday, but tropical getaways are off the agenda this year. Others throw themselves into now-cancelled winter activities like Dark Mofo and the Festival of Voices.
But the good news is there are things we can do to help us cope in this strange new world.
Exercise is one of the best antidotes, as the feel-good chemicals created in our brains aid cognitive recovery. It can also help shift what some have termed “coronakilos”, with Heart Foundation research suggesting half of all Australians gained weight during lockdown.
Taking annual leave from work can also be beneficial for easing the cognitive burden.
But Dr Norris warns against taking on the responsibility of home renovations or other busy projects, as the aim should be to rest.
Parents of young children should consider taking a break when their children are at school, she says, while people with limited annual leave should consider taking some long weekends. Meditation works for some people, while others would benefit more from reading a book or gardening.
“The key is using that time to truly rest, relax and re-energise,’’ says Dr Norris, who enjoys gardening and walking in nature. “Putting energy back into you, doing things that relax and re-energise you. Because that’s the only way we can bring down that cognitive load. It all leads to resilience and recovery.”
Creating clear boundaries between work and home life could help people who had become overwhelmed by working long hours at home during the pandemic, while maintaining a routine (although not too rigid) could help create a “sense of predictability when the world feels unpredictable”’.
Dr Norris says many people were currently reassessing their priorities, which could be a good thing. However, she advises against making any major life decisions, like quitting your job, as “our brain is not cut out to cope with them”.
Tasmanian GP and yoga teacher Dr Arjun von Caemmerer says a lack of social interaction and uncertainty about the future are among the biggest concerns raised by his clients in recent months.
“The whole of society — not just in Hobart but in the rest of Australia and worldwide — we’re basically under a level of stress that hasn’t been encountered before,” he says.
But he says that’s not entirely a bad thing — the pandemic, and the additional time we’ve been spending at home as a result, has given people a chance to reassess and prioritise the things that are important to them.
People have also learnt to appreciate and value their social interactions more after realising how easily they could be taken away.
Dr von Caemmerer, who works at Hopkins Street Medical Clinic in Moonah, believes the best thing people can do for themselves in this strange time is step away from their phones and computers and get into the great outdoors.
Finding — and connecting — with a passion or hobby that engages the mind and the body in a positive way is also beneficial.
He says with many people still working from home and many activities and events on hold due to social distancing, a lot of people are heavily reliant on technology, resulting in the overuse of certain body parts, with our eyes, arms and backs all suffering.
Meanwhile our brains are overstimulated by the excess screen time, which can affect our sleep.
To counterbalance that, he says, people should embrace the beauty of our state and “be outside, free of a roof and free of walls, in a more natural environment”.
“Even if you don’t have the capacity to walk, even just going somewhere to sit is beneficial,” he says.
Dr von Caemmerer took up yoga many years ago and says it has been an important tool for creating balance in his life.
“When I started medicine I was so focused on that, that it became very one-sided and I found I wasn’t really happy with that,” he says.
He tried a range of activities including tai chi and Zen meditation and while all were valuable, it was yoga that really captured his attention.
Dr von Caemmerer has been running the Hobart School of Iyengar yoga in Liverpool St for more than 20 years with his partner Naomi Cameron. He’s also a published writer and poet and plays a variety of musical instruments.
The yoga school closed for three months during the pandemic but since reopening has attracted new clients as well as returning members.
Iyengar is a fairly active form of yoga, often requiring a range of props including belts, blocks and blankets, and Dr von Caemmerer says it’s great for “demanding a full engagement of all our faculties: the different parts of the body, the breath, the senses, the mind”.
He admits yoga is not for everyone — the key is discovering which hobbies or activities are most restorative for each individual, while also fostering social interaction.
“What works for me might not work for someone else,’’ he says. “For some people, gardening will have the same emotional benefit as a yoga practice will. The most important thing is the capacity to feel engaged and socially connected in whatever way … whether people have an interest in music, writing, gardening, walking or cooking — whatever it happens to be, that’s really the hook they’ve got to find.’’
Lifeline has recorded a 30 per cent increase in calls nationally since the pandemic began, with about 3000 calls a day to the 131 114 hotline, including about 120 a day from Tasmanians.
This is in addition to the many calls received by the government-funded A Tasmanian Lifeline (1800 984 434), set up at the start of May to deal specifically with unprecedented demand for support post-COVID.
Lifeline Tasmania chief executive Debbie Evans says people who had never reached out for help before were doing so for the first time.
In March people were concerned about the unknown and were worried about those they love. “Now the fear has shifted,” she says. “People are worried about ‘what is the new normal, what does that look like’.’’
In the past couple of months Lifeline has continued to see increases in call volumes particularly for those who are experiencing social isolation, loneliness and financial distress. Many miss family and friends, particularly those interstate or overseas, while others feel vulnerable due to their age or poor health. There has been a notable increase in relationship concerns, particularly when combined with loss of employment.
“People are feeling unsettled, they are feeling frustrated, they are feeling a heavy weight on their shoulders, they’re feeling overwhelmed, they’re just feeling exhausted,” Ms Evans says.
“We want people to realise it’s OK to feel like that, it’s OK to pick up the phone and talk to us … we’re all in this together.’’
Dr Norris is running a free, online short course called The Path Back from Isolation. Register at short-courses.utas.edu.au/courses/Social-Isolation