With the ongoing threat of COVID-19 and the way it is spreading has made many people scared for their lives. As declared by the WHO, this medical emergency can only be dealt with, if people start staying at home and keeping themselves safe from the outside world. 

All states issued complete lockdowns in their countries, in order to limit people from leaving their houses excessively. This lockdown which was very necessary and essential to curb this evil virus also caused a lot of harm to the ones staying at home. 

This pandemic has not just put lives at stake in accordance with the population's physical health, but their mental health is also at its lowest. 

Many psychologists and psychotherapists are concerned about the people of the world, expecting a rise in suicide rates and overall depressive episodes. This situation is very alarming and it's important to take measures to limit this as much as possible. 

 

Why are people suffering from mental health problems, during this pandemic?

Mental health is something as important as physical health. Where many people stay in denial and do not get treatment, others are often too afraid to speak up about their problems thinking about how they might get judged. These building feelings of despair that are bottled inside of an individual, tends to consume them from the inside and also has a major effect on their physical health as well.

There are a bunch of very different reasons that have caused increased levels of anxiety, stress, and depression in people due to this pandemic. 

If you may ask as to why there is growing concern among psychologists and psychotherapists, especially during this time, it is due to the restrictions that have been imposed on many. Isolation and social distancing have hindered them from meeting their friends and family. They have lost their only channel of letting their frustrations and emotions out in the open, making them depressed beyond belief. There are also many people who have lost their jobs due to the failing economy causing them to lose interest in their lives. 

With every passing second, the degree of hopelessness and fear is increasing among many considering the situation. No one quite knows when this pandemic will end, building a lot of distress and emotions of despair. 

However, all of these feelings are inevitable but escaping from them is not. There are many ways that one can get themselves out of this trance, through the many ways of distracting their mind off of the negative situation of the world.

 

Ways to battle mental health issues including depression 

There are many mental health issues that surround us; depression ranking the top. Depression is a state in which constant feelings of sadness envelopes a person, making them lose interest in all things related to them. People who suffer from depression, are mostly unable to get things done due to the lack of motivation to continue their life. 

Anxiety, fear, and stress are also some of the more common mental health problems witnessed by many due to this pandemic. The way to overcome all of these feelings of uncertainty is to let go of them slowly and one by one.

It is important to understand that these feelings open spur from loneliness and are most often temporary. What many think that they are not valued or loved are mere tricks played by their mind.

Humans, also known as 'social animals' have been made to interact with others and let go of their feelings. No wonder the worst sort of punishment decided for inmates in solitary confinement, hence these feelings of loneliness should be warded off. The way this can be done is through some of the activities that can help your mind stay focused on other positive aspects of life, therefore adding a lot of meaning to it. 

 

Simple things that you can do to improve your mental health in this pandemic;

• Make sure to wake up early and sleep on time, so that you get a whole day to manage your day's activity.

• Talk to your family and friends through online channels and ask them about their time and what they do to keep themselves busy.

• Find yourself a fun activity to keep yourself occupied. It can either be cooking, finishing a jigsaw puzzle or building yourself a lego model.

• It is extremely important that you follow the same routine as you did before the lockdown, that is by eating at the same time you used to previously.

• Make sure to take out time to organize your closet, your room, and your house. The more things are at their places, the more relaxed and calm you'll feel.

• Try picking up a book, you always wanted to read but could never find the time to. Take this time, to self-reflect and nurture yourself with a lot of self-love. This will not just help you discover your likes and dislikes, it will also help in the growth of your personality.

• Make sure to put out all negative thoughts by writing them on a piece of paper and discarding them. This cathartic experience has helped many relieve off of things that held them down.

• Make sure to take out time every day to exercise for at least 30 minutes, this will help the blood flow towards all the muscles of the body and make you feel fresh. Apart from that, exercising releases serotonin, which also acts as a great mood booster.

• At this time, make sure to eat healthily and stay away from junk food. Many people find it easier to consume unhealthy food when staying at home, which only affects their health in a bad way.

• Turn up your productive side up a notch by signing up for online courses to learn new skills. Anything you wished to be part of but couldn't, here is an opportunity due to the ample amount of time.

• If you are an excessive drinker or smoker, it is best if you cut off on these unhealthy habits, and focus on making your body healthy.

• If you like playing video games, go ahead and spend a few hours to engage in competitive games, but make sure to stop after some time. Being addicted to anything is harmful for the body.

• Try helping others in your community by offering them with whatever help you can, in this trying time it is important that all of us join hands and offer any kind of support we are capable of.

In this trying time, it is extremely important that we all keep a check of our mental health and work on it. The future does look a little dark and scary and there is a lot of hopelessness in the eyes of many, but with all bad, there is a lot of good that this world has to offer, and it's important to fight off these feelings in order to come out of this pandemic stronger than ever. 

 

References

1. Yao H, Chen JH, Xu YF. Patients with mental health disorders in the COVID-19 epidemic. The Lancet Psychiatry. 2020 Apr 1;7(4):e21.

2. Duan L, Zhu G. Psychological interventions for people affected by the COVID-19 epidemic. The Lancet Psychiatry. 2020 Apr 1;7(4):300-2.

3. Qiu J, Shen B, Zhao M, Wang Z, Xie B, Xu Y. A nationwide survey of psychological distress among Chinese people in the COVID-19 epidemic: implications and policy recommendations. General psychiatry. 2020;33(2).

4. Holmes EA, O'Connor RC, Perry VH, Tracey I, Wessely S, Arseneault L, Ballard C, Christensen H, Silver RC, Everall I, Ford T. Multidisciplinary research priorities for the COVID-19 pandemic: a call for action for mental health science. The Lancet Psychiatry. 2020 Apr 15.

5. https://www.who.int/campaigns/connecting-the-world-to-combat-coronavirus/healthyathome?gclid=CjwKCAjw_qb3BRAVEiwAvwq6VrpzwpCxeZndAqJt27Ac0zacGAdgXyK5ZJiHXv-4fo287GUymfIvsxoC5hoQAvD_BwE

6. https://www.who.int/news-room/campaigns/connecting-the-world-to-combat-coronavirus/healthyathome/healthyathome---physical-activity

7. https://www.who.int/campaigns/connecting-the-world-to-combat-coronavirus/healthyathome/healthyathome---mental-health

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