With houses stocked up on food supplies, sanitisation at its best, and plenty of precautions taken to ensure physical health, not a lot of people seem to be paying attention to the drastic impact the coronavirus pandemic is having on the mental health of the people. Alisa Lincoln, a professor of Sociology and Health Sciences at Northeastern University talks about some simple measures that one can keep in mind to take care of our mental well-being during this time of distress.
Lincoln says that people can do their regular methods of taking care of mental health like exercise, socially connecting, etc. but need to find innovative ways to do this while sitting at home. Staying alone or locked up at home can have extremely negative impacts on people’s minds, especially those suffering from mental health disorders like depression, anxiety, etc. In such a situation, people need to make use of virtual platforms to stay connected and come up with new ways to meet up like online coffee dates, virtual prayer rooms, etc.
To keep a positive mindset, Lincoln suggests that people reach out in small ways and help people in need during these times. For example, one can offer to go to the grocery store for someone who is at more risk of being affected by the virus like the elderly or people with breathing difficulties. Having an authentic source of information to know about the virus is also necessary to avoid unnecessary panics. Meditation can go a long way in keeping the mind calm and composed as well.
Parents of college students need to understand that the change was sudden and abrupt, and the students may not have had time to bid a proper farewell to their friends or teachers. This could mean that they are going through a difficult time which the parents need to acknowledge and help support. Lincoln sees two factors as persisting long after the pandemic is over and poor mental health is one of them.
N Malavika Mohan