Written by Ms Trapti Rai
Some of us may feel considerably stressed out because of the Coronavirus. We have to shift between different roles, managing professional expectations and workload and our significant relationships at home. All of these issues can have adverse effects on our mental health.
Let us read about some tips and strategies that can help us maintain our mental health.
It is important to maintain a routine during this period. It is advised that you maintain your working hours as per your original schedule.
Involve yourself in activities totally different from your work such as cooking, gardening, listening to music etc.
Take short breaks during the day, including short naps if required.
Limit the consumption of news during the day.
It is possible that some of us have people around us who are experiencing mental distress. While dealing with someone experience mental health issues, the following points can be helpful:
Use words that give a sense of time, such as ‘today’, ‘this year’, ‘day’ for example: “What happened today that makes you feel anxious”.
Normalise anxiety to give them a feeling that they are not alone in feeling overwhelmed. It is perfectly okay to feel stressed and it gets better.
Some of us may also have people around us who feel vulnerable during this epidemic. For example, doctors and nurses, who form the primary caregivers in this time, may also feel at risk. Here are some guidelines to help you identify who is vulnerable and how can you support them:
People experiencing violence and abuse are more vulnerable than others.
People working in jobs/industries that are susceptible to adverse impact due to social distancing and physical shut down.
People in recovery from addiction or mental health issues are more susceptible than others.
To help these groups of people we can share factual information and spread awareness about importance and resources to manage the situation. Engaging in active and mindful listening and focusing on language patterns can be particularly helpful. Including positive reinforcement words like ‘brave’ ‘smart’ ‘proud’ etc. while speaking to them can help them feel empowered.
Young learners also face difficulties during these times. They may be unable to play outside and feel anxious as a result. Special care should be taken of the children during these testing times. You can remember these important points to support them better:
Children are very imaginative. When they hear adults talking or watching news items that are distressing, they create a picture in their mind. This can impact them negatively in the long run also.
Engaging with them actively in happy, positive and productive activities can be very reassuring for them. Spending quality time with them makes them feel secure and confident.
Maintaining a disciplined daily routine has been proved to be of great help in keeping children feel secure and reassured.
Lastly, and importantly, maintaining mental wellbeing at our virtual workplace. It is also important that we take care of our fellow employees, if we can. Following pointers can be of some help:
Ensuring that employees have access to safe housing, transportation and other facilities required by them to work from home is a way of making them feel valued and cared for.
Making a routine of conducting virtual mindfulness sessions can provide a safe space for them to share and help themselves as well as others to manage their emotions during this time.
Acknowledging and being grateful for what we have is an important way of addressing fear and anxiety during this pandemic. We must make efforts to stay connected with others and lend them a helping hand as and when possible. However, the most critical point is that we must ensure that we take care of our mental wellbeing before extending our hand to help others.
Read more about this at: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/04/covid-19-mental-health/
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