Posted by The outbreak of COVID-19 can be a stressful situation for many people. Anxiety and fear about a disease outbreak can be overwhelming and can develop strong emotions among people. Coping with stress will not only help you but also the people you care about as well. While everyone has their own ways reacting towards a stressful situation, how you respond to the situation depends on you.
Stress during the COVID-19 outbreak can include:
- increase consumption of alcohol and tobacco
- worsening of chronic health problems
- difficulty sleeping or concentrating
- changes in sleep and eating patterns
- fear and concern about your own wellbeing and the health of your loved ones
What can you do to cope anxiety and stress
- take a timeout from watching, reading, or listening to news stories, including social media. Spending time listening about the pandemic frequently can be upsetting
- take care of your physical health. Take deep breaths, exercise or meditate. Eat healthy, well-balanced meals, get sufficient rest and avoid consumption of alcohol and tobacco
- take time to unwind. Focus on doing other activities or hobbies you enjoy
- connect with others by talking to people you trust about your concerns and how you are feeling
- sharing facts about COVID-19 and understanding the real risk to yourself and your loved ones can make the situation less stressful
For parents
Your children react in part to what is reflected from the adults around them. If you or your caregivers manage the COVID-19 calmly and confidently, you can provide the best support for your children. Parents can be a lot more reassuring to others around them, especially for kids if they are better prepared. That being said, not all children respond to stress in the same manner. Some different changes to monitor include:
- excessive crying or irritation among the young ones
- returning to behaviours that they have outgrown when they were still a kid
- excessive worry or sadness
- unhealthy eating or sleeping habits
- irritability and “acting out” behaviours among in teenagers
- below-average academic performance
- avoidance of daily activities enjoyed before the lockdown
- unexplained headaches or body pain
- consumption of alcohol or tobacco
Always reassure your children that they are safe by letting them know that it’s okay to feel upset at times. Talk to them about how you feel when dealing with your own stress so that they can learn how to cope from you. Reduce your family’s exposure to news coverage of the current events, including social media. Children can misinterpret what they see or heard and can be frightened about something that they do not fully understand. Try to maintain daily routines. Set a schedule for learning and fun activities. Most importantly, be a role model to your children. Take breaks, get sufficient rest, exercise and eat well. Connect with your friends and family members.
For people who have been through the quarantine
The feeling of being in isolation can be stressful, even if you do not get sick or tested positive. Everyone feels differently after coming out of quarantine. Some of the feelings include:
- mixed emotions which include relief after quarantine
- fear and concerns about your own health and the wellbeing of your loved ones
- stress from the experience of monitoring yourself or being monitored by others for signs and symptoms of COVID-19
- sadness, anger and frustration because the people you know have unfounded fears of contracting the virus from you, even though you have been determined to be not infected.
- guilt about not being able to perform your normal activities or duties during the quarantine
- other emotional or mental health changes
What is your take on managing stress and anxiety during the lockdown period? Leave us your thoughts on the comment sections below. Head over to Jobstore.com and unveil your next job opportunity.