The COVID-19 pandemic has been complex in our lives. Many of us are facing challenges that make adults feel stressed and overwhelmed. It can also make children upset. Public health actions can reduce the spread of COVID-19. They might make you feel isolated and lonely, but you have to remember that they are for a good reason.
To be healthy, you need to learn how to deal with stress healthily. When you’re more resilient, you will also be more able to take care of the people around you and yourself.
Common Effects Of Stress
The most common effects of stress due to isolation include:
- Being tired and feeling the need to be alone
- Changed eating habits and not liking certain types of food anymore
- Having less interest in things you once enjoyed, such as hobbies
- Being irritable or argumentative with others for no reason
- Sleeping problems (e.g., insomnia) Â or feeling more tired than usual, even after a good night’s sleep
- Lack of energy or motivation
- Weakening immune system–getting sick often, having frequent headaches, or other minor illnesses
- Being more sensitive to pain and physical discomfort
The Stress Response
The stress response is designed to give you an extra burst of energy and strength, as well as heightened mental and visual acuity and a greater capacity for handling unpleasant memories. It is the body’s survival mechanism as it kicks in automatically when danger threatens.
- Your brain releases cortisol, which works with other hormones released during danger to direct blood flow away from your stomach and extremities and into your muscles.
- Your brain also releases adrenaline, which is what makes your heart pound and your breathing speed up. This helps you to take in more oxygen so that you have the energy to move quickly.
Though you can’t altogether avoid stress in today’s society, there are things that we can do to alleviate its effects on our day-to-day lives. Knowing what stress does to the body is vital in taking steps towards managing it better. Stress causes many adverse effects on the body that affect cognition and physical wellbeing. You can also seek help from a mental health professional in case of severe issues.
How To Improve Your Mental Wellbeing?
Mental wellbeing is having a positive mental state and not experiencing any mental illness in a clinical sense. To improve mental health during Covid, you can consider the following tips:
1. Take Breaks From Activities
Listening to the news can be stressful. From stories about terrorism and violence to natural disasters and famine, there is always something bad happening in the world. It’s important to know what’s going on in your community and around the world. But don’t let news stories dominate all of your time or thoughts.
Try taking a break from watching, reading, or listening to any news for an hour or two each day. This might mean turning off your TV or not scrolling through social media so often. This will give you some time off from stressors beyond your control, which might give you more energy to manage feelings about things that are within your control.
2. Take Care Of Your Body
It means exercising regularly, eating healthy, and getting plenty of sleep. When you feel good about your body, it can be easier to take care of yourself emotionally and mentally.
3. Make Time To Unwind
All people need to take some time off from work or school each week to relax and refresh their minds. It doesn’t have to be much time – maybe 20 minutes a day. But you must make this a priority so that you can recharge when life feels overwhelming.
4. Connect With Others
This is the most important thing! People who don’t take care of themselves tend not to do well or get better quickly on their own, while those who do usually recover more quickly and easily with the help of others around them.
You don’t need to know exactly what’s wrong with your mental health. You need to know that something is off, and you want it to feel better. And it would be best if you didn’t have to wait until things were unbearable before reaching out for help. There are many ways you can get connected with the right resources, including talking with someone whom you trust or trying digital mental health services.
How To Get Help For Mental Health Issues In Severe Cases?
People going through a mental illness and stress need all the support they can get. People with mental illnesses have to deal with their health problems and with negative attitudes from society and often from their own families and friends. You can help by showing acceptance, understanding, and support. Especially in times of Covid, mental health support matter a lot.
Some options for mental health treatment plan include:
1. Talking Therapies
Talking therapies, such as counseling and psychotherapy, can teach people to change unhelpful thoughts and behavior. They also help people understand themselves better and increase self-confidence. These therapies involve talking with a trained professional in a safe environment where you can express yourself fully without fear of judgment or censure [disapproval].
2. Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT)
Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is sometimes recommended for severe depression or mania (when someone is very emotional, excitable, and needs less rest than usual). ECT uses electrical currents to produce controlled seizures in the brain. This comes with risks but has been found highly effective for many patients with severe depressive illness, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia.
3. Herbal Remedies
Herbal remedies have been used for centuries to help people with mental illness. But there’s no convincing evidence that herbal remedies, such as St John’s wort, can effectively treat bipolar disorder or depression. However, some treatments based on herbs appear to have a relaxing and calming effect. These may help you cope with anxiety and stress better.
4. Acupuncture
Acupuncture is a traditional treatment that uses needles placed at specific acupoints (trigger points) on your body. In clinical practice, it is often used along with other treatment methods for mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety disorders/disorders due to multiple sclerosis, etc.
Acupuncture is safe, but there have been some cases where patients have suffered hepatitis after unsterilized acupuncture needles were used. It would be best to speak to your healthcare provider before acupuncture as there may be risks involved, such as fainting or allergic reactions. And remember- always use a reputable practitioner!
5. Spiritual And Energy Healing
Spiritual and energy healing: Spiritual healing generally refers to treatment by spiritual means, such as prayer for those with religious beliefs. Energy healing is based on the belief that people consist of two types of ‘energy’: positive and can heal, and negative and can cause illness. Spiritual healing has not been scientifically tested to be effective in treating mental health problems. If you are considering spiritual or energy healing, it is wise to speak with your health care providers first to discuss this further.
Remember that there are risks associated with some treatments for mental disorders! Always consult health professionals for advice before trying these therapies or any alternative techniques.
Maintaining Your Wellbeing During Covid Times
The COVID-19 pandemic has been a difficult time for everyone. It is important to remember that these feelings of concern and distress in your life are normal, but you can do things that will help look after your mental health too!
1. Stay Positive
Positive thinking enables you to understand that all your life experiences, including others’ behavior towards you, are a mixture of good and bad.
You may have had negative experiences, but positive thinking can help improve your health and wellbeing through reduced stress levels and improved immune system function.
To remain positive, it’s important always to try to see things from another person’s perspective so that you understand why they act as they do. This helps you remember that nobody is perfect, not even yourself!
Try writing down all the positive thoughts you have every day on an index card so that you keep them on hand for when times get tough. Remind yourself of all the reasons you can feel good about your life.
2. Access Support Services
If you find yourself experiencing stress and mental health issues, contact coronavirus mental wellbeing support service for help and advice. Many offer to counsel and encourage people to talk through their problems with someone who can help provide a balanced view or an alternative way of thinking and acting.
3. Stay Informed
To stay healthy, you need to get information from trusted sources. You can find this information on the COVID-19 support page of the Australian Government’s Head to Health website.
Summing Up
Please stay connected with your friends and family by taking care of yourself. Reflecting can better equip you to be a good caregiver for them when social distancing occurs, which will help everyone feel less lonely or isolated! Phone calls, video chats on skype have been known as great ways to help people cope with stress; no one experiences anxiety or loneliness. Take care of your mental health condition during these crucial times, and you’ll be good to go.