Raceview psychologist shares her concerns on Covid-19

Iona Kotzé, an educational psychologist for over 18 years, is among many who have been impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Raceview resident expressed her concerns on the impact of the pandemic and it leading to lockdown. She told the RECORD this has hit people hard financially since they have had to experience salary cuts and loss of income due to the economic state.

“I know of people who have lost their jobs during this period. This has caused people to question their own ability to provide for their families. “It will, in turn, cause an emotional impact which may involve creating stress, insomnia, anxiety and anger,” said Kotzé.

She also said the strain faced by many may even lead to emotional exhaustion and depression.

“This is because we are confronted by something that really threatens our livelihoods and our well-being. “This has created a lot of fear to people mostly because of their perceived lack of control and social media rumours,” she said.

Her concern

Kotzé advised that people should try and distinguish between real and fake news.

She said lately people are bombarded with a surplus of information, which tends to cause confusion.

“Social media projects the sense that everyone is fine and coping during this lockdown, while some of us are not. “Often when people are faced with anxiety they normally exercise, engage in outdoor activities or seek support from friends and family, but because of the magnitude of Covid-19, that has been taken away,” she said.

She also told the RECORD that due to the effect of Covid-19, both her work and lifestyle have been affected.

She said: “I can’t work like in the past, but this has given me an opportunity to develop new skills. I believe there are good things that are going to come from this.”

Kotzé said she is more worried about children since they find it very difficult to voice their emotions. “They may be experiencing lots of thoughts and emotions, but they are often unable to verbalise it, which impacts on negative behaviour.

“As a result, a child might become moody or almost rebellious and refuses to do work. I also think that children now realise that life is difficult,” she said.

The educational psychologist shared tips to help keep people going during this lockdown period:

• Keep busy by doing things that you like.
• Avoid negative triggers.
• Get enough rest.
• Try and create a routine.
• Contact people.

*Notice: Coronavirus reporting at Caxton Local Media aims to combat fake news

Dear reader,

As your local news provider, we have the duty of keeping you factually informed on Covid-19 developments. As you may have noticed, mis- and disinformation (also known as “fake news”) is circulating online. Caxton Local Media is determined to filter through the masses of information doing the rounds and to separate truth from untruth in order to keep you adequately informed. Local newsrooms follow a strict pre-publication fact-checking protocol. A national task team has been established to assist in bringing you credible news reports on Covid-19.
Readers with any comments or queries may contact national group editor Irma Green (irma@caxton.co.za) or legal adviser Helene Eloff (helene@caxton.co.za).