Mental Health in the Age of COVID-19
By: Tru Valu Supermarkets
Tags: Trinidad And Tobago, Süpermarket, Mental Health, Covid 19

I think it goes without saying that this pandemic has been difficult for many of us. Many people have been anxious or worried about their health, their family and friends, and changes made to their lives. Parents in particular must be feeling the brunt of this as they have had to take on the role of working while being their children’s teacher, mentor, friend. As we learn to live with the pandemic, it’s important that we learn to manage our mental health and ensure we are supported.

A recent study has shown that this COVID-19 pandemic has negatively affected many people’s mental health and has created new barriers for people already suffering from mental illness and substance abuse [1]. People have reported difficulty sleeping or eating, an increase in alcohol consumption or substance abuse, and worsening chronic conditions due to worry and stress over the coronavirus [1].

People have lost family members, their jobs, a sense of normalcy — and we must be allowed to mourn for and wish things were different. You are allowed to feel that way. You are allowed to wish things were better. You are allowed to feel.

Maybe you don’t know how you’re feeling or there’s a general sense of feeling “meh” — feeling aimless and joyless. Or maybe you find it hard to concentrate or motivate yourself to do everyday tasks. Scientists have termed this as languishing [2]. Languishing can dull your motivation and reduce your drive — essentially you’re not functioning at your full capacity.

Reading this may feel like a bummer or you may be thinking, “Why do I need to know the ins and outs of how I’m feeling?” But psychologists have found that one of the best ways to manage your feelings is to identify them [3].

Pictured below is a wheel of emotions that go beyond feeling happy, sad, or angry. Using this can help you identify exactly what you’re feeling and you can begin to build up the tools needed to work through whichever emotion you’re experiencing. As you learn to identify, label, and express emotions, your self-awareness strengthens and as a result, you’re able to respond to your feelings less reactively. This is why talking with a trusted friend or family member and/ or journaling your feelings can help you feel better.

What else can you do during this time?

Check-in with yourself

Take a deep breath and as you exhale ask yourself, “How am I feeling?”. Use the emotion wheel to help you figure this out. Once you know how you’re feeling, the second question to ask is, “What do I need at this moment?” These two simple questions can help you become more attuned to your body and emotions and build your self-awareness. Try some of the coping mechanisms mentioned below to see what works best for you.

Celebrate the small things

With so many restrictions put in place for the sake of our wellbeing, it can be easy to focus on what we are unable to do which can be largely unhelpful. Instead, acknowledge and celebrate the small moments. Psychologists call this savouring the moment, which is about appreciating an occasion in the present no matter how small. Research has found that this practice can increase positive emotions and is essential for well-being [5].

You may also want to practice gratitude as it can remind you of how special and blessed your life is even when faced with challenging or overwhelming situations. Practising gratitude regularly can help you become more optimistic and recognise the goodness of life. A small way in which you can practice gratitude is to write down three things every day that you are grateful for.

Search for connection

As human beings we are social creatures — we seek out and lean on human interaction. This pandemic has challenged us to be creative in how we maintain our social connections. Spend quality time with the people you live with by cooking together, playing board games, or working on a project. In the age of technology, social media has greatly helped us in staying connected with friends and family. Take advantage of this by checking in with your loved ones through WhatsApp messages and calls or Facebook chat. Start an electronic Scrabble game with an app or join an online community that you share common interests with.

Stay active

Due to the current restrictions, being active can feel difficult as we are not able to be outside. However, staying active can increase your energy and improve your mood as well as reduce stress and anxiety [6]. If this feels like too big a task, aim for just 5 minutes a day of physical activity that you enjoy and see how you feel after that. This could be skipping, dancing, walking, jogging, stretching — whatever you want to do. Use YouTube as a resource for free workouts for different abilities.

Develop your coping mechanisms

Coping mechanisms help you tolerate and deal with uncomfortable emotions in life. They may soothe you, temporarily distract you, or help you bear your distress. Sometimes it can be helpful to face your emotions head-on but that may not always be the case. Other times it may help you change your mood. For example, if you’ve had a bad day at work, watching tv and eating a snack might help you soothe yourself and feel better (temporarily). Positive coping mechanisms can include:

Hugging someone you love

Exercising (even if it’s a light walk)

Meditating

Reading a book

Practising gratitude

Listening to music

Engage in a hobby

Eating a nice meal

While it’s important to use coping mechanisms to help relieve some distress, it shouldn’t be about distracting yourself constantly. As important as meditating is, it’s not going to make an issue go away in your life until you address the issue. Some ways of tackling a problem include creating a plan or changing your behaviour.

Problem-focused coping skills include:

Creating to-do lists

Establishing healthy boundaries

Ask for support

Work on managing your time

Harmful coping mechanisms can help you endure emotional pain in the short term but it doesn’t mean it’s healthy and can ultimately end up creating bigger problems in your life.

Some harmful coping mechanisms include:

Drinking alcohol or using drugs

Smoking

Binge eating

Negative self-talk

Avoiding loved ones

It’s important to figure out which coping strategies work best for you.