When you were toasting the arrival of 2020 on New Year’s Eve, the idea that a pandemic would soon put us all two metres apart wouldn’t have crossed your mind. Skies without planes, streets without people, life without handshakes, hugs and kisses; these are the phenomena that have made 2020 a year to remember.
Anxiety and depression are close companions of enforced isolation, even if you’re in lockdown with others. As we all adjust to new realities and the threat of catching Covid-19, we also need to find ways to stay positive and mentally strong.
Don’t watch or read the news too often
Back in 1918, when Spanish ‘flu threatened the world, only word-of-mouth, letters and newspapers were spreading the news. The world’s first radio station was still two years away. Today we have news channels coming out our ears, making it easy to stay in touch with new developments every second of every hour.
Studies of other recent times of trouble, 9/11 and the Ebola outbreak, show that constant media exposure is associated with vicarious trauma and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). [1] Daily media exposure appears to ramp up distress and make it hard for people to think straight.
TIP: To stay mentally strong, limit your exposure to the media and only look at responsible news channels.
Understand that it’s normal to feel bad, in the circumstances
Resilient people know that it’s perfectly normal to be unhappy from time to time. Life has its ups and downs, so feeling worried, scared or helpless is just as normal as feeling optimistic, hopeful or elated.
According to recent psychological research, one of the main causes of many psychological problems is the habit of emotional avoidance. People push negative emotions away, rather than recognising them as perfectly reasonable, considering what’s going on. [2]
TIP: Recognise that the world is experiencing a once-in-100-years event, so feeling down is a perfectly natural reaction.
Follow the best leaders
Times of crisis bring out the best and the worst in the world’s leaders. If your country’s leader isn’t performing well or you don’t like the decisions they’re making, follow somebody else’s leader instead.
There are plenty of good leaders in the world. Aljazeera gives top marks to Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel, Singapore PM Lee Hsien Loong, New Zealand’s PM Jacinda Ardern, South Korean President Moon Joe-in and El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele.
TIP: Remember how your leader performed before you vote at the next election!
Take minimal doses of social media
Resilient, confident, optimistic people understand what’s going on behind the scenes with social media. They know that Facebook is a platform for anti-vaxxers, conspiracy theorists and doomsday-cultists who see Covid-19 as an opportunity to spread paranoia and doubt. The more you look at dodgy posts, the more you’ll see them. Algorithms are designed to tailor your newsfeed to your preferences.
TIP: Find something else to do with your phone. Solitaire and other puzzles will do more for your mood than fake news posts on social media.
Get some exercise every day
If your lockdown rules allow you to exercise in your neighbourhood, get out there and get going. Exercise can have a huge positive impact on your mood. In fact, it’s thought that having a workout – a brisk walk, run or bike ride – can be just as effective as anti-depressants in treating mild-to-moderate depression.[3]
TIP: Even if you can’t get outside, put time aside to work up a sweat. You Tube and streaming channels are full of at-home workouts that require minimal equipment. Or choose mellow exercise that’s soothing; yoga and pilates are good for your mind as well as your body.
Do something positive to lift other people’s spirits
Mentally strong people are often more concerned with other people than themselves. Kindness in the time of Covid-19 helps everyone to cope and stay positive. In New Zealand, for example, a volunteer student army is helping with pharmacy and grocery deliveries for people who are older or medically vulnerable. Even insurance companies are doing their bit, by broadcasting messages of kindness and thanks.
TIP: Look after your mental wellbeing with acts of kindness, like phoning friends and family members who are on their own, offering to help people out around your neighbourhood or donating money to a local food bank.
Don’t beat yourself up because you’re finding it hard to work
Working effectively from a home office is an acquired skill. While you get used to dealing with distractions like pets and children, you need to accept that your usual productivity level is going to take a hit.
Your ability to focus on work will also be affected by the world’s situation. The big questions in the back of your mind, like how’s this Covid thing going to affect the economy, will have an impact on your productivity.
TIP: Take the pressure off by setting yourself just one or two essential tasks for the day, rather than a massive list of things to do. There will be plenty of time for catch-up when lockdowns are lifted.
Learn to meditate
Basic meditation is very simple and it’s really good for your mental health. During Covid-19, start a daily meditation practice. Good times to meditate are first thing in the morning, whenever you’re feeling stressed, during what would usually be your lunch hour and at the end of your work day. The easiest way to meditate is to:
- Set an alarm on your phone for about 10 minutes. Choose a gentle alarm sound, rather than something that will startle you.
- Sit or lie in a comfortable position.
- Focus on your breathing. In slowly, out slowly.
- As thoughts occur, acknowledge them, and then bring your focus back to breathing.
Stay focused on the facts
Speculating about what might and might not happen is a practice that doesn’t help with peace of mind. When you’re checking out the news, make sure it’s reliable and focus only on the facts. Avoid reading emotional commentary that’s trying to stir things up.
If a friend or family member is getting all emotional, i.e. “this is the end of the world, we’re all going to die”, calm them down with statistics that show the low percentage of people who actually die of Covid-19.
TIP: Look at the numbers and graphs when you’re assessing the current pandemic situation. They represent hard data about how things are going in your neck of the woods.
Know what you need for mental health
You’ll have a pretty good idea of whether you’re an introvert or an extrovert. During times of crisis, introverts can find it exhausting to spend all day on the phone, reassuring friends and family. Likewise, extroverts can find it challenging to be confined to home, removed from their usual social hangouts. Caring for your mental wellbeing means addressing the needs of your personality type.
TIP: If you’re introverted, look after yourself by reading books, listening to music, doing odd jobs around the home and getting on with creative tasks that make you happy. If you’re the life and soul of the party, use apps like Houseparty and Zoom to set up social occasions with your friends.
[1] https://www.researchgate.net/publication/8612824_Television_Images_and_Probable_Posttraumatic_Stress_Disorder_After_September_11_The_Role_of_Background_Characteristics_Event_Exposures_and_Perievent_Panic
[2] https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/insight-therapy/201009/emotional-acceptance-why-feeling-bad-is-good
[3] https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/HealthyLiving/exercise-and-mood