The Effects of the Pandemic and How You Can Combat Them
Tags: Adapting To Change, Life Lessons, Mental Health, Time Management, Gender Dynamics

Written by Allison Chen

Edited by Leena Duwadi, Vijay Suryavanshi and Amy Gregory

Photo by gorana b on Unsplash

Although COVID-19 made its debut just earlier this year, it feels as if we’ve been dealing with the effects of the virus for an eternity. Between routines and outings to parenting and mental health, what hasn’t taken a hit? Suddenly, the long hours of commute to work were replaced with a 6 feet walk from the bed to the desk, make-up and body scrubs were traded with rolls of toilet paper, drives to the mall became trips to the mailbox, and smiles began to look as if you were staring too hard into the sun.

Change is difficult, regardless of who you are or what your situation is, and the adaptations we’ve had to make because of COVID-19 are no different. Feeling frustrated by the virus because of cancelled celebrations, missed milestones, postponed vacations, and furloughed jobs is normal. Feeling stressed or anxious because of extended quarantining, lack of socialising and loss of loved ones is also normal. While there is always going to be uncertainty around what’s to come in our lives, there are certain things we can do to help us adapt to changes caused by the pandemic as best as possible.

Routines

Routines, without a doubt, have changed for everyone. Unless you’re an essential worker, you’ve most likely been at home for the past 5 months. With the closing of schools and workplaces, our homes have become a multifunctional space: office, bedroom, restaurant and gym.

At the beginning of the quarantine, it was nice to just be at home without strict routines. We could partake in all those things that a two-day weekend was never long enough for, such as baking sourdough bread, reading through Anna Karenina, and taking afternoon naps. Eventually, the initial excitement turned into weariness and we realised that staying at home wasn’t what it was cracked up to be. The sourdough began to taste just a little too bland to eat, Anna Karenina was just a little too long to finish, and afternoon naps were just a little too draining to enjoy. There was no longer a set time to wake up, eat, work, talk, have fun; the days blended together and satirical illustrators took to the internet with witty ‘what day is it?’ remarks.

Maintaining some form of a schedule is crucial to making the most of the quarantine. According to El Camino Health, establishing a schedule can ‘help us maintain our health, our productivity, and our social and emotional well-being.’¹ When creating a routine, it is important to keep these factors in mind:

Morning Routine

How your morning goes sets the tone for the rest of the day, so avoid snoozing your alarm. Brush your teeth, stretch, eat breakfast, and take 15 minutes of leisure time to read or go on a walk. Keeping your morning routine productive and consistent will help to clear your mind and leave you feeling refreshed. Snoozing your alarm has actually been proven to interfere with your sleep cycle, so avoid doing so to prevent yourself from feeling lethargic.

Work Hours

Set a period of time during the day when you want to get work done — whether it be for studying, admin or your job. Once you’ve established your “office hours,” it will help to keep your productivity in check and you’ll become accustomed to when you need to get things done. Not only will this be beneficial to your work life, but to your personal life as well: rather than slowly working on tasks throughout the day aim to finish everything off within your 8 hours of set worktime.

Breaks and Periods of Socialising

Including breaks and periods away from your screen will help you to be more efficient and maintain a clear head and a healthy mental state. While taking breaks can sometimes seem like a waste of time, it is important to remember the benefits associated with them. Ensure that you’re including time in your schedule to call, message, or check in with others, and don’t forget about treating yourself as well.

A popular method used for time management is the Pomodoro Technique, you can read more about it here.

Mental Health

COVID-19 and living in isolation has had a negative effect on many people’s mental health. We are constantly seeking and receiving information from the news, our phones and social media, and it’s not difficult to see why this pandemic has heightened our anxiety. So, how can we prevent the negativity circulating around on our screens from negatively impacting our lives?

Limit Screen Time

Try to only watch about 20 minutes of news each day. While it is clearly important to stay informed, it is not beneficial to sit in front of a screen for hours on end.

Exercise

Running, yoga, pilates, and walking are all great examples of equipment-less exercises you can partake in during the pandemic. You can utilise the time you have now to enjoy some fresh air and set some fitness goals for yourself. It can be as simple as practising yoga for 15 minutes every day.

Utilise Different Resources

There are many apps, websites, and books that cover many different aspects of mental health. Check out these two blog posts to see just a couple of options.

Reach Out

There are going to be times when we just can’t cope with the situation on our own. When this happens, connect with your friends and family. Be open and vulnerable with someone you trust about your situation. Simply sharing a problem can help you realise that you’re cared for and can help you to manage a little bit better. Also, make sure that you’re checking in with others and ensuring that those who you know have a history of mental health disorders are doing well. Remember you always have someone to talk to, here are a few options of helplines you can contact at any time:

Crisis Text Line: Text SUPPORT to 741–741

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1–800–273–8255 (24/7)

The Trevor Project: 866–488–7386 (24/7)

National Alliance on Mental Illness: 1–800–950–6264

Gender Dynamic

COVID-19 is not the first crisis to cause a shift in gender dynamics. In an article by Forbes, Jennifer Barnett recalls the Great Recession where 5.4 million men lost their jobs and many women had to step up as the main providers of the household.² With jobs being furloughed and quarantine restrictions, a similar occurrence is taking place again as many women are in fields considered essential.

Although this fact is changing every day, in general, men are known to be the breadwinner, while women are known to be the homemaker. Men are expected to work a 9-to-5 job and provide for the family in the same sense that women are expected to take care of the children and the house. With recent events though, this is changing at an even faster rate:

“If a man can’t work because his company laid him off, but his wife can, there’s no shame in it because we’re in the midst of a pandemic and this is happening to millions of people,” says Joelle Jarvis, founder of the Mindset Partnership and executive coach.

Currently, 42% of moms are the sole provider of the family and that number is on the rise. But while gender norms have been altered and dads are starting to take on more household chores, moms are still expected to take care of the needs of the family, regardless of whether they have a job or not. Many moms may begin to feel burnt out and pushed past the amount of work they can handle.

The best action that women can take to help relieve their stress is to communicate with their family and make sure all members of the household are realistic and honest about what they can handle. By establishing clear methods of communication, all family members can be heard and open with others about how much they can handle.

Parenting

Being a parent is one of life’s greatest challenges. Curveball after curveball is thrown at you, and you’re expected to seamlessly catch them every time. With the ongoing pandemic, it may seem as if you’re expected to do the same and fill in all the gaps. Between virtual school, teacher strikes, furloughs, financial issues, rising COVID-19 cases, it’s impossible to stay on top of everything. However, there are various ways for you to cope better.

Check In

While it is becoming more normal to discuss mental health amongst adults, don’t forget to check in with children as well. Especially when they’re young, children are extremely impressionable. It is important to show them how to deal with their emotions in a healthy way. As an adult, normalise expressing your feelings, talk to children as an equal, and be observant of any changes in their behaviour.

Be Flexible

As a parent, understand that routines may fall apart and nothing is going to be perfect because it shouldn’t be at this time. Both you and your child are adjusting to ongoing changes in the world. Your child is most likely going to have a hard time adjusting to virtual school, and that’s okay. Sit with them while you can, and reinforce good behaviour. To help their confusion, try your best to explain to them what’s going on with the pandemic and keep them informed.

Relax

It’s difficult to see your child miss out on important experiences, like the first day of school or birthday parties, but don’t spend too much time stressing over it. It may also feel like they’re falling behind in class due to the different structure of online school but just remember: everyone else is going through a very similar experience and your child is not alone in missing out. You can encourage your child to read more, try different educational apps, and visit virtual museums to help complement virtual classes. Overall, just try to relax and remember that you’re not alone in any of these worries and concerns.