Are you feeling stressed or anxious lately? You're not alone. About a month ago, my germaphobia, combined with anxiety that everything I touch has coronavirus on it ended me up in the doctor's clinic - my hands were 'burnt' from using hand sanitizers way too often.
The spread of coronavirus and social distancing is challenging and worrying - increased anxiety, feeling insecure, fearing that normal aches and pains might be the virus - the list is endless. Our world has become strange and turbulent, don't you think? A tiny virus has changed everything we know about our daily lives, governments, and healths into a world of FaceTime, Zoom calls, and panic buying of sanitizers, masks, and disinfectants.
When did Indians start living so clean?
A report by the WHO's mental health department to the UN warned of another looming crisis: "The isolation, the fear, the uncertainty, the economic turmoil – they all-cause or could cause psychological distress," said the department's director, Devora Kestel. She said the world could expect to see an upsurge in the severity of mental illness, including amongst children, young people, and healthcare workers.
More often than not, this situation takes a toll on our mental health despite our optimism. The news and social media are teeming with the cacophony of deaths, rising cases and exponential curves. Imagine how this must feel to those millions suffering from mental illnesses. The people out there suffering from anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress syndrome, substance abuse and other mental illnesses are most helpless right now when it comes to loneliness and self-destructive behavior that stems from a disturbed routine and lack of constant support. It is a chaotic world we are living in both inside and on the outside. According to Rosie Weatherley, spokesperson for mental health charity Mind, "A lot of anxiety is rooted in worrying about the unknown and waiting for something to happen - coronavirus is that on a macro scale." From losing someone to the virus to struggling to manage an eating disorder - it is hard on us all. While the world wrestles this monstrous virus, the psychological scars it leaves on people is frightful.
Will we begin to pay heed to the connection between stress management and our health? Improving our mental health is the "new normal" for better well being in the future. It is essential to master the full breadth of possibilities for meaningful social connection, self-care, and mindfulness. It is important to understand that mental health apps don't magically grant wellness, but they can be used to help cope with stress. Practice in the next few days to live for the moment, more mindful and supportive of those around you. The news and social media can help in precautions and prevention, but obsessively reading and watching about the pandemic can be detrimental to mental health. Notice and acknowledge the uncertainty as it comes and don't panic. In fact, don't react at all. Instead of worry talking, let go of thought and feeling. It will pass.
We have an opportunity before us to establish an even stronger and more resilient global community, one that practices both physical and mental hygiene, and it is time we embrace it.
The spread of coronavirus and social distancing is challenging and worrying - increased anxiety, feeling insecure, fearing that normal aches and pains might be the virus - the list is endless. Our world has become strange and turbulent, don't you think? A tiny virus has changed everything we know about our daily lives, governments, and healths into a world of FaceTime, Zoom calls, and panic buying of sanitizers, masks, and disinfectants.
When did Indians start living so clean?
A report by the WHO's mental health department to the UN warned of another looming crisis: "The isolation, the fear, the uncertainty, the economic turmoil – they all-cause or could cause psychological distress," said the department's director, Devora Kestel. She said the world could expect to see an upsurge in the severity of mental illness, including amongst children, young people, and healthcare workers.
More often than not, this situation takes a toll on our mental health despite our optimism. The news and social media are teeming with the cacophony of deaths, rising cases and exponential curves. Imagine how this must feel to those millions suffering from mental illnesses. The people out there suffering from anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress syndrome, substance abuse and other mental illnesses are most helpless right now when it comes to loneliness and self-destructive behavior that stems from a disturbed routine and lack of constant support. It is a chaotic world we are living in both inside and on the outside. According to Rosie Weatherley, spokesperson for mental health charity Mind, "A lot of anxiety is rooted in worrying about the unknown and waiting for something to happen - coronavirus is that on a macro scale." From losing someone to the virus to struggling to manage an eating disorder - it is hard on us all. While the world wrestles this monstrous virus, the psychological scars it leaves on people is frightful.
Will we begin to pay heed to the connection between stress management and our health? Improving our mental health is the "new normal" for better well being in the future. It is essential to master the full breadth of possibilities for meaningful social connection, self-care, and mindfulness. It is important to understand that mental health apps don't magically grant wellness, but they can be used to help cope with stress. Practice in the next few days to live for the moment, more mindful and supportive of those around you. The news and social media can help in precautions and prevention, but obsessively reading and watching about the pandemic can be detrimental to mental health. Notice and acknowledge the uncertainty as it comes and don't panic. In fact, don't react at all. Instead of worry talking, let go of thought and feeling. It will pass.
We have an opportunity before us to establish an even stronger and more resilient global community, one that practices both physical and mental hygiene, and it is time we embrace it.
- Vedika for India Against COVID
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