Coronavirus: Managing stress during COVID-19 outbreak

It is normal to feel stressed, anxious or have lots of worries right now. We are bound to be thinking about the COVID-19 which cause coronavirus disease and what may happen. When it reaches a point where our stress and worry is impacting upon our dail life, stopping us sleeping, or feels intolerable even with the current situation, it can feel particular stressful as we do not know exactly how, or when, things may change. We cannot say for sure when the things will be stabilise and if we, or those we care about, may be personally affected. 

We may even do things we would normally do, to try feel more control and safe, like panic buying items in case they become unavailable. Which then makes them unavailable for other and passes the anxiety to others. This can all keep us locked in a cycle of stress, worry and tension. The good news is there are helpful things we can do to manage worry, feeling uncertain and break a cycle 

What is the Stress 

In a medical and biological context stress is a physical, mental or emotional factor that causes bodily or mental tension.

Stress can be external from environment, psychological, or social situations or internal like illness or from a medical procedure.

Physical symptoms of stress and worry 

• Tension 
• Depression
• Anxiety 
• Rapid breathing 
• High blood sugar
• High blood pressure
• Difficulty in sleeping
• Headache
• Aches and pains 
• Impact on immune system 

Thoughts and worries 

• What if my I or my family get sick? 
• I have to be certain I don't get this 
• What if there isn't enough food for us? I must prepare 
• What if I lose everything 
• What if I can't cope 
• What if I or those I love die as a result 

Behaviours 

• Checking news frequently
• Seeking reassurance from others 
• Changing are routines as a results of restrictions and challenges we face procrastinating that we need to do or enjoy trying to control the situation through things that can make us feel worse.

How can you help yourself to fight against stress during this COVID-19 out break 

There are some actions that take an individual to manage the immediate, sometime unpleasant, signs of stress and identify, reduce, and remove stressful factors that may cause you to feel overwhelmed and unable to cope. If you feel comfortable taking to friends or close colleague at work about your feelings can help you manage your stress.

However, sometime individual actions on their own are not enough to reduce long term stress for everyone. We can often be affected by factors that are beyond our direct control. Communities, workplaces societies, and governments all have a role to play in tackling these wider causes of stress

 

1 ) Realise when it is causing a problem and identify the causes

• It is important not to ignore physical warning signs such as tense muscles feeling over tired, and experiencing headaches or migraines 
• Once you have recognised you are experiencing stress, try to identify the underlying causes, sort the possible reasons for your stress into those with a practical solution, those that will get better anyway given time.

2) Review your lifestyle 

• You may need to prioritise things you are trying to achieve and reorganize your life so that you are not trying to do everything at once.

3) Build supportive relationships

• Finding close friends or family who can offer help and practical advice can support you in managing stress 
• Joining a club or course can all be good ways of expanding your social networks and encourage you to do something different

4) Eat healthy

• A healthy diet will reduce the of diet-related diseases.
• There is also a growing amount of evidence showing how food can affect our our mood 
• Feelings of  wellbeing can be protected by ensuring our diet provides adequate amounts of nutrients including essential vitamins and minerals, as well as water 

5) Be aware of your smoking and drinking 

• If possible try to cut right down on smoking and drinking 
• They may seems to reduce tension but in fact they can make problems worse.
• Alcohol and caffeine can increase feelings of anxiety 

6) Exercise

• Physical exercise can be an excellent initial approach to managing the effects of stress.
• Walking and other physical activities can provide a natural mood boost through the production of endorphins 
• Even a little bit of physical activity can make a difference, for example, walking for 15-20 minutes three time a week is good start 

7) Take time out 

• One of the ways you can reduce stress is taking time to relax and practicing self-care.
• Where you do postive thing for yourself 
• Striking a balance between responsibility to others and responsibility to yourself is vital in reducing stress levels 

8) Be Mindful 

• Mindfulness meditation can be practiced anywhere at anytime
• Research has suggested it can be helpful for managing and reducing the effect of stress, anxiety, and other related problems.

9) Get some restful sleep

• Sleep problems are common when you're experience stress 
• If you are having difficulty in sleeping you can try to reduce the amount of caffeine you consume and avoid too much screen time before bed. 

10) Don't be too hard on yourself 

• Try to keep things in perspective and don't be too hard on yourself.
• Looks for things in your life that are postive.
• If you continue to feel overwhelmed by stress, seeking professional help can support you in managing effectively.
• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has been shown to be helpful in reducing stress by changing the ways we think about stressful situations.

Focus on what you can do to prevent COVID-19

Protecting yourself from the coronavirus is within your control. The Centres for Disease control and prevention (CDC) recommends these precautions 

•  Wash your hands with soap and water for atleast 20 seconds
• Avoid large gatherings 
• Use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol 
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth
• Distance yourself at least six feet from other people 
• Stay home if you are sick 
• If you are sick, wear a face mask 
• Clean and disinfect surfaces that you frequently touch 

Summary

During this stressful time of social distancing and stay in place edicts it is important to remember that life goes on. 

Remember that Live your life 

L- live a balance life and laugh 

I- Identify the symptoms of stress and anxiety

V- Volunteer or visit a mental health practitioners

E- Exercise