Managing Mental Health During a Public Health Crisis
It’s here. COVID-19. A pandemic that is impacting the entirety of the world, including our little corner of it. Our government and community leaders are addressing the physical health concerns and care needed to support the physical healthcare system and its treatment of people who become ill. Our schools and community organizations have stepped up to provide on-going educational supports and food to the children in our communities. And what of mental health? Well, we are still here for you. Let’s dig a little deeper into the things that you can do to support your own mental wellness as we navigate our way through this public health crisis.
Stress management is key. Our physical health is greatly impacted by stress and our use of skills, tools, and strategies for management of this. Practicing consistent stress management strategies, some of which we’ll go into more depth here in a minute, include meeting our holistic needs around the entirety of the wellness wheel. Going for walks outside, spending time with animals in our care, reading, listening to or playing music, and writing or drawing are all ways for managing stress. Let’s talk about some more ways in a little more depth, shall we?
Taking time to disconnect is more important than ever. It’s a public health crisis, and in a crisis people tend to be even more glued to devices and news broadcasts. Information is helpful, but over-information is not. Take time to turn anything with a screen off and do something that does not involve a screen. Take in enough news to stay informed without becoming overwhelmed. Pay attention to your body; it will tell you when you have had enough if you listen to the messages it sends. If you are feeling emotionally overwhelmed, have the urge to pace, notice breathing becoming shorter and smaller and faster- this means it’s time to disconnect for a while and engage in the use of a coping skill, tool, or strategy to get your mind, body, emotions, and spirit back to calm.
How about not connecting 24-7 in the first place? Just a thought here, but we are living in a society in which we are used to being completely connected and informed with information literally at our fingertips. While this certainly has some positives (I remember the days of card catalogues and waiting for the next day’s newspaper to get the box scores for different local and national sporting events), there are some negatives. Constantly being connected does not give our brains and bodies the opportunity to recharge. Having a chance to process, re-energize, and relax is essential for healthy functioning.
Keep your thoughts in the present. Our thoughts exist on a continuum that ranges from past to the present to the future. When our thinking gets stuck in the past (playing the shoulda-coulda-woulda game), we experience thoughts that tend to create states of depression and anxiety. When our thoughts get stuck in the future (what ifs), we create a state of anxiety. Ideally, for our best mental wellness, we are present completely and totally in the present moment. Now, it’s okay to think about the past because this is how we learn (this is what I did that worked, this didn’t work, this worked but could have worked better this way, etc). Once we’ve processed something, it’s important to bring our mind and thoughts back to the now. It’s also okay to think about the future as this is how we plan for things. Last Thursday, Friday, and Saturday I spent some time picking up the essentials for my dog, my horse, and myself. It’s when our thoughts get stuck in the past or future and pulled far away from the present that things start to go poorly. The present, the now, is the time when we have some control. The past has already happened and the future isn’t here yet. We have the ability to do something about the moment we are in. Keeping your thoughts in the present moment is the most mentally well place you can be from a cognitive (thinking) perspective.
Take your thinking awareness one step further and focus on the things you can control. There are things we can control. There are things we cannot. I can buy hay, dog food, and human food. I cannot control if I will be told to shelter in place or quarantine. When you notice yourself thinking about a can’t, turn it into a can. Sometimes we do this by finding the opposite thought. I cannot change a lightbulb; I can go get a ladder and then change the lightbulb. Other times we have to work a little harder to identify the can from a can’t. I can’t control who is going to get sick. I can support the mental wellness of my community by offering continued support through in-person and telehealth sessions, positive messages on Facebook and Instagram, and continuing to blog about mental wellness. Ultimately, we gain control of our thoughts when we let go of control of things that we cannot control. So, keep your focus and attention on the things that you can control.
Self-care becomes more important when you are experiencing stress. Our tendency when things get busy or stressful, is to let go of self-care in favor of getting things done. Wrong answer. The more stressed you are, the more time you need to be spending on self-care activities. Allow yourself to sleep more, eat nutritionally balanced meals to feed your body the nutrients it needs, drink plenty of water, take time out for a walk, read something for fun, play with your dog or cat or horse or other pet, and remember to take time just to be and breathe. Decreasing self-care activities will only serve to increase your stress. And, as already stated, stress impacts your physical health so during a public health crisis is not a good time to let go of self-care practices.
Basic hygiene practices such as washing your hands. Back to basics here. Wash your hands, don’t share drinks or chapsticks, keep some space. These are things that we really should be doing anyway, but they are even more important now. A caution here though- it is absolutely possible to go over-board in this area. Washing your hands too often and using too much antibacterial anything actually causes harm to your body’s ability to take care of itself.
Reaching out for support helps you and is in no way a sign of weakness. I say this often. And every time, it is true. When we ask for help, we are acknowledging a need for support. Humans are social animals. We are not meant to live or cope in isolation. Build your community. Talking to friends and family about what you are experiencing gives them permission to talk to you. If you are feeling that what you are needing support with is more than what a friend or family member can provide, then find a professional to talk to. Being heard is so important. Talking to someone who is objective and can offer some insight through hearing you is valuable. Also, somewhat of a side note but still important- if you have talked to a counselor and found them not to be a good fit, find another counselor. Counselors are human beings and sometimes the personalities just don’t jib. It’s okay if the fit isn’t there, but that doesn’t mean that counseling itself won’t work just that you may need to try working with someone else. It’s nothing personal; it’s just part of the process.
Follow the directions your local and state officials are giving you and be VERY mindful of where you are getting your news and information. Right now, the local and state officials where you are, are the people with the most up-to-date knowledge of the full situation in your area. If they are suggesting an action, follow it. They are suggesting these things for a reason. Also, be aware of where your information is coming from. Remember those reputable sources lessons you learned in high school or are learning in high school now? The ones that told you to look at the source of the information you are reading or watching? Yeah- those ones. Some sources are reliable, and others are not. Being aware of the source of your information is paramount because it is so easy for rumors to fly about. Rumors only add to the stress and confusion of this current crisis. They are not helpful. So, before you pass along information, make sure you have sourced it and that it is coming from a reliable one.
Be aware of your community. Have elderly neighbors? Immunocompromised friends and family? Families in your area that on a regular day are not sure where their next meal is going to come from? Now is not the time to put your head in the sand and think about only I. Keep yourself in the equation, yes, but remember to add in all of the human beings around you. Have some extra time? Call your neighbor and check in on them; ask if they need any errands run. Call and catch up with friends and family; keep them from feeling isolated. Have some extra money? Consider sending a donation to your local food pantries. Many of them are staying open and are working hard to continue to provide food and other services to the families they work with.
And above all, remember that we are all in this together so let’s stick together (at an appropriate social distance of course 😊 ).