Stress and Coping
The spate of Corona Virus, officially named as COVID-19, may be stressful to some people. Fear and anxiety about the disease has overwhelmed and stir emotions in adults and children. Coping with stress will make you, the people around you, and your community to be stronger.
Everyone reacts differently to stressful situations. How you respond to the outbreak can depend on a number of factors: your background, personal way of handling things, family and the community you live in. These factors can likely affect how one processes this event.
Individuals who strongly feel the stress of a crisis include
- Vulnerable people with existing pre-health conditions
- Children and teens
- Front liners and healthy providers
- Government officials who are hands-on to oversee the implementation of executive and local orders
- People who have mental health conditions especially with substance abuse
Stress may in a form of
- Fear and worry of one’s health and health of loved ones
- Worsening of chronic health condition
- Disturbance in sleep patterns
- Difficulty sleeping or concentrating
- Changes in eating patterns
- Increased use of alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs for stable mindset
If you, or someone you care about, is feeling overwhelmed with emotions like sadness, depression, or anxiety, or feel like you want to harm yourself or others. Please get in touch with your Local Health Care Provider.
Every corner of the world suffers from this dreaded virus that scares human beings. The threat has overwhelmed millions of people across the globe. Filipinos experienced stress brought about by this pandemic. Negrenses are not exempted from this life threatening virus, since we are in community quarantine. Here some tips you can use to divert your thoughts.
Self Help
Everything is one click in your hands but these stressful days try to do this:
- Lessen your reviews or scanning news that can upset and heighten your fears.
- Take care of your body. Do short exercises at home, breathing exercise, mindfulness meditation and yoga.
- Eat healthily, get plenty of good sleep, drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration, and clear your thoughts.
- Avoid taking alcohol and drugs to induce you to sleep and be calmed.
- Make your ME time to unwind. Doing self activities you can enjoy.
- Make time to reconnect and connect with friends and relatives. Talk to people you trust and trust your feelings.
Reduce Stressing Self and Others
Be thoroughly informed with COVID-19 so you can help reduce the stress others are experiencing when you share facts and information about the virus. In this way, you can help lessen the stress others feel brought about the risk involve.
Parents
Your children depend on you, your reassuring presence and helping them understand the pandemic keeps them secure. Allow them to express their thoughts and feelings and process their feelings in a way they can be fully aware of the virus. This things can help them be at ease while self quarantining.
- Encourage them to relax and do fun games
- Talk to your child and ask their feelings
- Encourage to connect friends and classmates and talk on activities that are fun
- Be a role model and avoid viewing about the events to shield them from worries
- Have fun together and draw the interest they want to have for the day
Reminders from Psychotherapist
Stress is a bodily response to situations that one can perceive as a threat to safety and being. Stress can make us proactive and sometime reactive that can stir emotions but somehow endangers our mental health. Today we are bombarded with information and the likelihood some are reactive and some are passive to an overwhelming situation. All the information we have seen can be stressful, nonetheless we have different ways of reacting to it. Let’s be mindful of how we respond so we lessen others attitude of panic. Let us be objective and be responsive what health authorities are saying about this pandemic.
The way we process this event has something to do with our own knowledge of the virus, self-concept, family dynamics, and community we are in at this moment. Basic rule in life is learning to: listen, evaluate, and follow. Once we can do this, then it will lessen our fears and worries of the situation.
If this event still bothers you. Please do not hesitate to dial or email us or connect to other professionals near you.
We Care, Your Mental Health and Well Being Matters to US.
If you wish to make an online appointment and online sessions, you may reach out to us through the following contact details:
+63 917 485 1022 – Psychologist
+62 917 702 7751 – Psychiatrist (www.discoveryhub.com)
iMind Psychological Services 