Mental healthcare tips in the time of Covid-19.
The Coronavirus Disease 2019 pandemic has shown us many things – that toilet rolls are the first to fly off the shelves when people panic-hoard, that Mother Nature does benefit when humanity slows down, that fake news flourishes in times of crises, and that now, more than ever, social solidarity is truly important for our individual and collective well-being, whether physical, psychological or emotional.
In three months, we’ve learnt new ways of speaking and being: We’ve been advised to practise “safe distancing” in order to “flatten the curve”. Countries like China and Italy have gone into “lockdown”. In Singapore, the government calls its latest distancing measures a “circuit breaker”. And so it goes, we hunker down and wait for the storm to pass.
For those of us who – thankfully – are well and staying home (or as the Americans say, “sheltering in place”), this probably means more telecommuting, more homecooked meals, more time with the kids, and more compulsive checking of social media for the latest Covid-19 updates and/or online grocers for new delivery slots. For the luckier ones, more stay-home time also means more Netflix.
Perhaps, like me and many other people out there, you too have experienced moments of anxiety and other negative feelings recently.
I worry about the safety of my baby, my husband, and my elderly parents. I miss my sisters and my friends. I feel annoyed when I see hoarders depriving others of necessities. I feel sad when I learn that more people have succumbed to the virus. I feel angry that even as workers in healthcare and essential services put in extra hours to keep the rest of us safe and well, there remain selfish individuals who wilfully choose to break quarantine.
Now as we stay home to stay safe, we also have to stay sane. I’m no psychologist, but I’m a voracious reader and social media surfer, so here are some of the best mental healthcare tips I’ve come across. They have helped me feel more centred, and I hope they help you too.
Focus on what you CAN control.
Artwork by Curatedition, all rights reserved.
Related links:
You Need To Know What Emotional Hygiene Is
Sleeping Beauty: Which Comes First, Sleep or Beauty?
