Safeguarding Your Mental Health During COVID-19

Over the past few weeks, many have just started to emerge from nearly two months of quarantine due to COVID-19. As millions continue to struggle with working from home, job loss, homeschooling, social isolation and economic uncertainty, a lifestyle filled with precautions once thought unimaginable has now become commonplace.

As a result, the subject of mental health has come up frequently in the media. Many of the elements essential to strong mental health – an active social life, a change of scenery, variations to the daily routine – are in direct contradiction to recent CDC guidelines. Directives such as “social distancing” and “flattening the curve” have required significant societal behavioral changes, and many are finding depression, despair and feelings of hopelessness to be side effects.

So how does one reconcile mental health with physical health during a global pandemic? As the world grows accustomed to lifestyle changes necessary for preventing the spread of the coronavirus, it’s equally important to stay healthy in mind as it is in body. Let’s look at a few ways to prioritize and safeguard your mental health during COVID-19.

Examine Routines

Most individuals develop a daily routine. Some rely on these routines for a sense of comfort and security, while others find them confining and need to vary them up every now and then. Since the world began social distancing back in March, nearly everyone’s routines have changed. However, it’s important to determine whether you thrive on a set routine, or whether you’re hindered by it.

For those who rely on a routine, the key is to accept the new normal, then use it to develop a new routine. Employees suddenly forced to work from home who require structure to be productive won’t find it by waking up at varying times, showering when their schedule permits, eating lunch whenever there’s a break in work activity, and not logging off until every assignment is complete. On the contrary, making a set schedule that can be followed each day will help achieve balance and structure.

For individuals who find routines a hindrance, it’s essential to find ways of breaking up the monotony of the daily grind while many restaurants, clubs, gyms and schools are still closed. This may include running, biking, spending time with family, games, hobbies, movies, Tiger King – anything to keep the mind occupied. For some, breaking out of the routine is just as important now as it was before COVID-19; it just requires a different and more isolated approach.

Avoid Excessive News Intake

During times of distress, it’s important to stay updated. However, while news stations and social media sites report on the coronavirus 24/7, consuming too much negative information can have an adverse effect on one’s mental state. There’s a delicate balance between staying informed and staying positive, and it’s different for everyone. It’s therefore up to each individual to determine how much news and information he or she can tolerate before feeling the negative effects.

The past few weeks have been the perfect recipe for depression. TV news stations reporting excessive bad news combined with a quarantine that necessitated staying home and watching more TV than normal has left many feeling mentally fatigued. Those who find themselves suffering these effects should limit their news intake each day. Taking time to step away from current events and engage in physical or creative activities can be just as important as staying up to date.

Turn to Friends and Family

Social isolation has set this pandemic apart from any other catastrophic event in recent history, and has made it especially difficult to deal with. Though it has affected all of us, it has proven a particularly harsh side effect for those who have contracted the coronavirus, forcing them to isolate from friends and family for at least two weeks. For the rest of us, this is a perfect time to reach out to those very same people.

It’s easy to get so wrapped up in our daily routines that we forget to touch base with those we love. But as stated earlier, our routines have now changed. In addition to spending the past two months away from our friends, coworkers and complete strangers whom we’re used to seeing daily, we have been surrounded by our immediate family all day, every day, and we long for a time when absence made the heart grow fonder. Those struggling with loneliness and isolation in their new daily routine should make a point of reaching out to friends and relatives as often as possible. Take comfort in the fact that we’re all in this together, and those friends and relatives will likely welcome the interaction.

Give Your Mind a Rest

For many, COVID-19 has resulted in job loss and furloughs. For those lucky enough to remain employed, it’s required an adjustment to remote work. For those with kids, it’s required balancing homeschooling with career responsibilities, and until recently, it eliminated social activity outside the home. The common denominator in all of these is stress, which requires occasional mental breaks.

As everyone does their part to flatten the curve, it’s important to allow a brief respite from daily worry. Of course for those with serious financial concerns, it’s easier said than done. However, severe worry and stress aren’t sustainable and can eventually lead to health issues. Music, painting, dance, writing, sewing, pottery or photography are just a few creative activities that can ease stress and lower cortisol levels. (Cortisol is a steroid hormone that works with certain parts of the brain to control mood, motivation and fear.) While these may not solve any long-term problems, anything that can help reduce the mental strain resulting from a recent quarantine is a welcome relief.

According to the World Health Organization, more than 264 million people suffer from depression. However, how does one treat its symptoms when they’re caused by a virus that’s affecting the entire world? Remaining cheerful and optimistic becomes increasingly difficult in the midst of the worst pandemic since 1918, and the worst recession since the Great Depression. As we anxiously await a vaccine that will preserve our physical health, we must be sure to take care of our mental health as well, as failing to do so while the pandemic stretches on could have a catastrophic effect on both.