No one knows how long this pandemic will last and by now we ought to realise that we are in this for the long haul. In fact, we are told by some experts that the worst is yet to come so for the foreseeable future we will have to continue a life of social distancing, leaving the home only for necessities, and the continued practice of proper hygiene and sanitation.
Already, as of late, meetings, classes, weddings, graduations and “social events” are all being done through the popular virtual platform Zoom and other videoconferencing services. Now more than ever we are more connected through social media with our families and friends, and spending more time at home learning new skills and doing things we have never done before. But we might have two major concerns: Our financial stability and how to manage stress and anxiety.
Finances: We may not mind this new way of life but a natural human concern at a time like this is one’s financial stability as we are seeing that once you’re not in the food or medicine business, you are considered “non-essential”. You may also be thinking that your government should do more to help but never create an over-reliance on others. Now’s the time to learn how to become self-sufficient and self-sustainable and you don’t need a lot of money to do so. If you have some savings, now might the time to consider growing your own food. Quite apart from the joy of eating your own harvest, what you don’t eat you can give away or even sell to keep yourself buffered at a rough time like this. Remember, too, to budget yourself so that you don’t overspend or waste your money on unnecessary things.
Stress and anxiety: To deal effectively with stress, you need to think about your physical health, the way you interact with others, and your goals and priorities in life —that is, what you consider to be truly important. Try to take it one day at a time. Don’t add to today’s anxieties, worrying about what worries tomorrow might bring. First, recognize that some stress is inevitable and figure out what stresses you out. Fretting over things you cannot prevent increases your stress. Moreover, understand that quite often things do not turn out the way we may fear. Avoid setting unrealistically high standards for yourself or others. When you do this, you will reduce stress all around and even encourage greater success. Finally, keep a sense of humour. When you laugh —even when something goes wrong— you relieve tension and brighten your mood.
Now that we have an idea of how to manage those two important factors, you might want to try the following during this period of adapting to a “new way of life”:
● Cultivate friendships: Friendships benefit your mental and emotional health and are even more important when face-to-face connections are difficult. If you are confined at home, you may be able to use videoconferencing or voice calls to maintain existing friendships and build new ones.
● Stay physically and mentally fit: Even if it’s just taking 15 minutes each day to stretch and get in some physical exercise in the form of dancing, running or simple exercises, you will do wonders for your body. Mental exercise is also important so yoga or meditation will help the mind feel relaxed and at ease.
● Show more love to those around: Whether you’re doing it virtually or physically to those with whom you share a home, now is the time to show more love and appreciation than you’ve ever done before. If something were to happen to a loved one, be comforted knowing that you showed them all the love and appreciation in the world.
● Pursue spiritual growth: No matter your spiritual beliefs or religion, at a time like this many people have reported finding comfort in spiritual guidance. If you have a spiritual void to fill, go ahead and fill it so long as it brings you comfort and peace of mind.
Alicia Roopnaraine is a Psychologist at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation’s Psychiatric Department. You can send questions or comments to her at aliciaroopnaraine@gmail.com
