Considering our present scenario, where our health care professionals are giving a massive continuous and an exhaustive fight to save us from COVID where some of them are even martyred in the process, as the ratio of patients and heath care professionals falls too short to cater such a big population.
Ensure compliance to Government directives
From all these, it is much tell-tale that these patients are fighting one of the biggest battles of their lives, juggling life and death, hope and despair. It brings acute anxiety, fear of contamination of other family members, anger, frustration, guilt of not being able to do one’s duties or responsibilities at home, despair and depression all culminating into PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder).
But, amidst all this haplessness, our basic instinct of survival help us to look towards life and living.
To reinforce healthy living we need to have healthy physical and psychological coping strategies that can help us to withstand this storm.
- Positive frame of mind– The more you can nurture healthy thoughts the more you become resilient.
- Keep a routine– Try to stick to a routine even during this time. Waking up and going to sleep at a fixed time, having healthy meal timely, taking bath, studying/ working all should be done in a routine. This ‘created predictability’ will bring a feeling of being in control .
- Make a priority ‘to do list’– Plan every morning how would you like to complete your tasks in hand. Chalk out a plan. This will help you remain engaged and make you feel productive.
- Physical exercise– Physical activity and daily exercises help to reduce anxiety and improve mood.
- Mental exercise– Meditation, breathing exercises and mindfulness activities help reducing anxiety and depression.
- Avoid tobacco, alcohol and drugs– If you are a smoker you are at a higher risk of lung diseases. COVID 19 affects lungs, thus your risk increases even more. Using alcohol to cope in stress is not a healthy strategy. If you have a history of taking drugs, passing this information to your doctor is your duty.
- You can still help– Though you are in self isolation, that doesn’t necessarily make you disconnected and aloof. You can still help your family by doing online grocery shopping and even ordering regular medicines that you use to bring for the elderly at home.
- Stay socially connected– Social distancing is actually means physical distancing..but you can remain socially active through phone, video calls, chats and messages with your family and friends.
- Social acceptance– People who have come out of COVID sometimes keep on feeling that they are being avoided, such behaviour from people is expected, don’t take it personally, with time you will regain your acceptance.
- Avoid negative things– Avoid too much of media, specially news related to COVID 19. Any negative news has the capacity to disturb your inner peace, so avoid any negative talk, discussion or news that affects your mental wellness.
Despite all your efforts there may be days when you feel miserable. What you need to know that it is OK to feel like that. If you find that your mental health is not improving for many days at a stretch and is hindering with your daily functioning, then, you need to access mental health care. Talk to your doctor if you feel so and your doctor would do the needful.
