Dear Editor,
Panic, fear, uncertainty, anxiety, stress, depression, hopelessness, helplessness, cabin fever, frustration, disconnection, isolation, obsessive-compulsive behaviours, mood swings, inability to relax, feeling overwhelmed and loneliness are among mental health issues related to the novel coronavirus pandemic.
So how can we protect our mental health?
News diet
Long periods away from news websites and social media help to manage anxiety. For social media, turn off notifications; set message boxes to ignore, hide, mute or unfollowing accounts and posts. For news, stick to trusted sources such as Government and reputable health websites like the US- based Center for Diseases Control (CDC), World Health Organization (WHO) and Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). Share only reliable information.
Protective measures
Without being obsessive, wash your hands as often as necessary with soap and water for 20 seconds. Make sure the washing is thorough: the entire palms, backs of the hands, in between fingers, and the wrists. Use 60 per cent or greater alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Avoid touching your face. Cough into your elbow or disposable tissue.
Put clothing in a laundry bag or other container. Do not shake them before washing. Wash them in detergent and hot water. Change and wash clothing once you return home from outside. Leave containers, packages, envelopes in a designated corner of the kitchen or inside a cabinet for three days if you don’t have time to disinfect them. Sanitize the containers with take-out food before opening them, but the safest measure is to not order take-out.
Since the coronavirus could survive on rubber, leather, and PVC-based soles for five days or more, some experts suggest that individuals wear shoes that are machine-washable. In any case, take shoes off before entering the home. If possible, leave them outside for six days before wearing again, or sanitize them after each wear.
Use masks and gloves once you head outside the home. Practise social/safe distancing – three feet minimum, six feet recommended. Do not hug; do not shake hands; clasp hands Hindu-style, or bow if you prefer. Sanitize any space you share with others, as well as personal items such as wallets and cell phones. Wash all surfaces with alcohol-based products.
The coronavirus could be detected up to three hours once in the air; up to four hours on copper; up to 24 hours on cardboard, and up to two to three days on plastic and stainless steel. So use this as a guide to determine what and when you wash/sanitize.
Make sure the vulnerable are taken care of: the elderly, children, those with mental health issues, anyone who has a pre-existing medical condition – diabetes, heart conditions, asthma, kidney diseases, chronic diseases and weakened immune systems – as they are more vulnerable.
Display empathy, use appropriate language when speaking about COVID-19, and be frank about social distancing. Reassure them. Protective measures help ease anxiety and panic and eliminate helplessness and hopelessness.
Manage quarantine
Fear of contracting the virus can cause some people to become socially withdrawn, but maintaining relationships and social support are vital when combating anxiety. Thus, if you are self-isolating or in mandatory quarantine, keep up social interaction as much as possible using the various mediums such as Whatsapp, Skype, phone calls, text messages, Messenger, Facetime, Google Hangout and the like.
Work through your to-do list, engage in projects around the house, read a book or watch a movie. Play games. Engage in writing, art, singing or music. Involve family as much as possible. All of this eliminates boredom and loneliness.
Focus on health
Exercise provides a healthier mental and physical state, no matter what’s going on around you. It’s calming, and helps to boost the immune system. So, take a walk outside with the family. Stretch, practise yoga or some other indoor routine. Take a nice, relaxing bath, or just sleep. Adequate rest helps build immune systems.
Take more alkaline foods such as lemon, limes, grapefruits, oranges, tangerines, avocados, garlic, mangoes, pineapples, ginger. Stay hydrated. Manage your sugar and salt intake. Before cooking, clean the kitchen – every surface, area, and utensil. Wash fruits and vegetables with soap and water. Sanitize packages enclosing food before opening them.
Stress can sometimes cause people to turn to drugs or alcohol. Get rid of these substances if you have them in the house, and reach out to family members, neighbours and/or friends to help keep you grounded.
Knowing that all necessary measures are being taken to protect yourself and your loved ones helps to ease stress and anxiety, and boosts mental health on the whole.
Seek help; help yourself!
If you are struggling to cope with the anxiety or panic, seek help from your general practitioner or mental health specialist. If you are worried about going to the clinic, request for virtual (Skype, Zoom etc) sessions. Or reach out to Government helplines/hotlines and NGOs that may offer free or low-cost counselling.
If you think you have coronavirus symptoms (fever, breathing difficulties, tiredness, symptoms of flu and cold) call your doctor for advice. Do the same if you experience loss of sense of smell and diminished sense of taste.
If you are quarantined at home, designate yourself a “sick room” and use a separate set of dishes, cups, cutlery, bedding and towels. Wash them regularly. Let someone who is not sick sanitize common areas and frequently-touched surfaces (the remote control, door knobs, light fixtures) while you tend to your “sick room.”
As well, helping others can give you a sense of purpose and control. Do you have an elderly or sick neighbour you can offer your services to? “The idea is to get out of the helpless zone. If you can get out of that, then be an agent,” says Dr Ken Duckworth, medical director of National Alliance on Mental Illness (UK).
Coping with mental health fallout
Dr. Cacioppo, the director of the Brain Dynamics Laboratory at the University of Chicago’s Pritzker School of Medicine, studies the effects of loneliness on the brain.
“The first thing we need to do is to think about right now, and not let our minds wander to the future,” she said. “Right now, you can control your environment” – the food you decide to eat, the clothing you decide to wear. That gives you a sense of stability.” In other words, practise mindfulness.
Also, while panic and anxiety are understandable, do remember that neither actually helps the situation; they simply negatively affect you. If needs be, take a few minutes each day to pray, meditate, and/or practise this simple but effective breathing exercise: bring your attention to your breath and your body. Focus all of your attention on the here and now: noticing the sights, sounds, and smells around you and what you’re feeling in your body. Continue to breath slowly in and out — gently bringing your mind back to your body, and breath every time it drifts — until you feel calmer.
Caribbean Voice
