Dealing with mental weight of COVID
In pre-pandemic times, Chris Glass identified himself first as a Westjetter, second as a volunteer high school football coach. The self-confessed extreme extrovert fit right into the bubbly corporate culture of Westjet, so when he lost both his livelihood and his passion last spring, it was devastating.
“You go from 20 years of working with people who fill up your cup and suddenly it's gone overnight. The things I normally did to take care of myself vanished. It felt like somebody died.”
Like many of us, Glass, a Calgarian, has been working through a variety of emotions during this pandemic, including loneliness due to forced physical isolation.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, we're spending more time alone than ever before, and it's common to confuse being alone with being lonely.
“Being alone is a state. Loneliness is more of a feeling or perception. You can be in a room full of people and still feel lonely because you're not connecting with others,” explains Melanie Gilbert Chiu, a counselling therapist with Calgary Alternative Support Services.
“Loneliness is how we view our connections with other people. It's about feeling invisible and unvalued. That's especially a problem for people with barriers — those with lower income or having diverse differences that aren't valued in our society.”
The consequences of physical isolation and not being allowed to fraternize with others in order to bring down COVID-19 case numbers are significant.
According to Cindy Negrello, director of operations at Canadian Mental Health Association, when you're used to living in a society where you're allowed to do what you want (within reason) and that's taken away from you, not only does it quickly turn into a breeding ground for feelings of loneliness and depression, but also anger, at the loss of what we deem to be our social rights.
“It's concerning. Cognitively, people understand when they're told to stay home for protection, but emotionally they're exhausted ... Frustration is increasing.”
Warning signs include feelings of hopelessness, dark thoughts you're not able to pull yourself out of, changes in sleeping or eating patterns and not taking care of yourself as you did previously.
Fortunately for Glass, his struggles with Covid-induced isolation didn't last long.
“I gave myself a time limit to come up with a plan.”
Wisely, Glass realized he wasn't alone. He rallied his former co-workers for daily video sessions where they'd work to improve specific computer skills. Creating a routine that felt similar to work was only one part of his plan. Next was exercising, going for a bike ride immediately after his video call.
By establishing and maintaining a schedule, Glass honed in on one of the most effective strategies for mitigating loneliness and depression.
“Routine keeps us connected in a very disconnected world,” says Negrello. “Even if you don't want
to turn on the Zoom camera, we know getting ready for the day as if going to office improves levels of feel-good chemicals. Being structured keeps us in that hopeful stance.”
Finding a routine and productive activities was key to Glass's recovery. His advice: “If you wait for the perfect reason to take a step, you might be waiting awhile. Don't wait for perfect. Just start moving,” he said.
TIPS FOR MITIGATING LONELINESS
Have a conversation with your family doctor or seek help through valid sources such as Calgary Alternative Support Services (CASS), Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA), Calgary Counselling Centre, Catholic Family Service and
Health Canada for additional tips and resources.
Check out CASS Youtube videos on coping strategies: Youtube.com/c/cassorg1/videos
CMHA offers free online courses and a peer support line. Visit: cmha.ca
Talk2nice provides free phone support services for older adults and persons with disabilities.
Call toll free: 1-844-529-7292.
Set up regularly scheduled video calls in lieu of happy hour or traditional dinners.
Reap the benefits of physical exercise and being outdoors.
Mail letters or cards. There's an element of physical connection that comes from snail mail.