Keeping your spirits up during the Covid-19 pandemic
RANDBURG – How can we reduce our stress levels over the lockdown? Akeso experts provide recommendations on reducing anxiety and supporting your mental health.
Mark de la Rey, a clinical psychologist at Akeso mental health facilities, said for those who are taking the coronavirus pandemic and lockdown seriously, it’s completely natural to feel overwhelmed at times.
He added, “Communities need to pull together in the way we care for each other and look out for one another, maintaining communication within the social distancing guidelines,
“Staying cooped up in your home and doing nothing else will likely increase negative emotions and thoughts, so I recommend that you get yourself up in the morning, and prepare for the day as you would for any other. If you spend all day watching the news and over-focusing on Covid-19, you are likely to feel much more anxious. It is important to stay in touch with what is going on, but one also needs to find a balance.”
How can we reduce our stress levels over this time? De le Rey and head of therapeutic services at Akeso mental health facilities Sandy Lewis provide the following recommendations on reducing anxiety and supporting your mental health during the lockdown:
- Routine creates structure, which is particularly reassuring for children. Planning activities and having daily goals can assist in keeping one motivated, so consider developing and sticking to a schedule for things such as meal times, exercise time and bedtime.
- Look after yourself and practise self-care. This includes adopting a diet that is best for you and following good sleep practices. Studies show that poor sleep or a lack of sleep can have negative effects on both physical and mental health.
- Getting 20 minutes of exercise a day can also help lift your mood and reduce feelings of tension, as it releases endorphins, the ‘feel-good hormone’. It can furthermore assist in supporting the immune system. So haul out that old exercise bike, or download one of the myriad exercise apps that are available today and get moving.
- Should you be on your own and/or have problems with ‘cabin fever’, try to stay connected with loved ones and friends through a phone or video call or by messaging them regularly. This enables us to obtain support, share concerns and stay connected, so keep in touch with your social networks. If you live on your own see if you can find a ‘buddy’ so that you can check in on each other regularly.
- Helping others can provide a great distraction from our own anxieties, so consider ways you can assist others remotely over this period.
- Try to use the time to engage meaningfully with your family.
- Stay focused on the present moment and your own current issues that need addressing rather than stressing about a future we are not able to predict.
- Support your optimism by thinking of all the wonderful ways people are supporting one another during this crisis.
- By all means, provide your children with factual information, but do try to avoid projecting your own anxieties and scaring them with some of the developments associated with the pandemic.
- Keep in mind that stress can manifest itself in the child with them becoming either more isolated or more defiant.
- If you feel self-isolation is having a negative impact on your mental health, you should seek professional advice. There are a number of organisations that provide telephonic mental health support.
- Remember, a sense of humour keeps things light, especially with children and older family members who might be feeling particularly anxious. We all need to keep our spirits up so that we can help ourselves and each other.
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