MANAGING MENTAL HEALTH DURING THE CORONA VIRUS PANDEMIC

At the time this is being written, the governor has issued a stay-at-home order for the entire State of Ohio for the next two weeks. Several other states have already done so and more are following suit. It is a very uncertain and scary time for many if not all of us. Not in recent history can we recall such a global event affecting so many and in such a dramatic fashion. The advent of this novel coronavirus is a very serious situation indeed. This is an event that affects us in every way; physically, financially, socially, emotionally, spiritually, and for some of those at high risk, existentially. The toll it can take on one's mental health is significant.

I would certainly recommend taking all necessary precautions to keep you and your family safe and follow our leader’s recommendations to socially isolate and avoid unnecessary exposure to situations that put you and others at risk. I certainly recommend that you seek additional guidance through the CDC website at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html where you will find a whole host of guidance and information to keep you informed and safe.

It is easy to become overwhelmed with anxiety and descend into despair when exposed to the barrage of new stories and social media exclamations related to this pandemic. Yet there are things that you can do to try to manage the anxiety and panic that has affected so many.

Talk about your thoughts and feelings. - It isn’t always easy to share when something is bothering us.  It sometimes feels risky to allow our vulnerabilities to be seen by someone else.  The truth is that there is a collective vulnerability right now among us all. We are all in the same soup.  Yet it can be immensely therapeutic to share and relate to others as well as be understood by those closest to us when we share.   In order for this to work, you need to have someone you trust with whom you can talk about and share your personal thoughts and concerns.  Start with a close friend or family member who you know will not violate your trust. If you are not comfortable with this, a pastor, minister, or support group are nice alternatives.

Telehealth Services Many counselors and therapists are now offering Telehealth services in lieu of in-person appointments and these are widely being covered by most insurance companies. Some insurance companies are even waiving their cost-sharing fees for their clients on a temporary basis while the pandemic continues Counselors and therapists are very good objective listeners who are trained to not let personal bias interfere with the therapeutic process and can be very helpful in helping you arrive at solutions that you might not have tired when facing a personal problem or dilemma.

Set Limits Set limits on how much news your take in and also where you get your information. If you find yourself voraciously consuming every news story and article on this issue, now might be the time to critically think about finding something else to distract your attention. It might also be worth considering where you are receiving your information and relying on trusted sources rather than opinion columns and the random tweet without much substance. Listen and hear with a critical mind. Setting a firm limit on how much time you spend pursuing the news may also have a dramatic effect on your feelings as well as your mental health. Think of it in these terms; the more you focus on this problem and worry, (and potentially neglect other things in your life), the more it will affect your feelings and emotions, which are the single biggest influence to behavior. We feel what we think and if we spend all our time thinking about catastrophe, our natural fight or flight mechanisms will kick in and we lose focus and the potential to self-regulate. Remember, worry is about the future. The future hasn’t happened yet. So you can think of worry as fiction. It is not what is happening right now.

Meditate & Take a deep breath. Now take another…..and another. Make sure that the breath out is longer than in. Take another breath. Focus on the present moment. What is happening right now? Is there anything that is happening in this exact moment that you can link to the runaway fear and anxiety that you are experiencing? Are you safe and are you well? Are your thoughts about the future or are they here and now?. If you find yourself drifting on worrying thoughts about the future, simply acknowledge this and genly bring yourself back to the here-and-now, if only by focusing on your breath. To quote Seneca, “We suffer more in imagination than reality.”

Maintain your routine as much as possible (even if you don’t need to)
Many of us now find ourselves working from home or even temporarily out of work. As much as possible attempt to maintain a semblance of your normal routine, even if you do not have to. We sometimes find comfort in the familiar and our routine is certainly one of the most familiar things we know. Try to wake up at the same time, engage in the same behaviors and daily tasks that you do, then follow the same patterns that you usually do. The scenery may be different but if you can maintain some balance in routine, this can be reassuring.

Focus more on what you can control (less on what you cannot)
When facing a situation such as the coronavirus that is affecting the entire world, one can easily feel helpless and become victim to despair. A very good antidote to this is to focus on what you can control rather than what you cannot control. If you find yourself at home, focus on what you have been putting off doing around the house. Systematically go room by room and do a thorough spring cleaning. If your work schedule has been greatly diminished or suspended completely, plan for what you were going to do after this pandemic has passed. Shrot or long-term planning in the face of anxiety can be a great antidote to reduce anxiety. Actually,t planning inhibits worry. The opposite is also true and worry can detract from goal directed thinking and behavior. The brain has a capacity of only engaging in one or the other. Try planning and problem-solving instead of worrying.

Accept what you can’t control (including your feelings)
Once you have thoroughly exhausted all the planning and problem-solving that you can do and have exhausted any other ideas about what you can control, the only other thing that you can do is accept what you cannot control. Accept the situation and/or accept your feelings. Telling yourself that you don't want to be afraid is an exercise in futility. Anxiety is like a paradox. The more you don’t want it, the more you will have it. Accepting the anxiety, normalizing it if you will, has the potential for at least reducing some of the fear and panic you experience. Let's face it we are all in the same soup. Being afraid for yourself and your loved ones in the face of this pandemic is entirely normal. You are in good company because most others feel the same way. Accept what is normal.

Healthy distractions
The brain is a funny thing. We do not hold divided attention very well. If you want to continue to focus on the pandemic and continue to voraciously read the plethora of news articles, factoids, and opinion columns on the subject, you will have more than enough fuel to sustain your anxiety for a very long time. However, there are other sources that you might find more desirable for your state of mind and mental health. You may have been putting off those projects in the yard or around the house. Do you need to create a budget, balance the checkbook, organize the closet or junk room? Maybe you and your family can put together an all-in family activity or dinner where everyone gets to contribute and engage. If you are isolated, most video apps are well suited to you connecting with friends and family over long distances. Now is a chance to connect when many of us were “too busy” to do it before now. How creative you can be and coming up with your own ideas to find something meaningful to you is only limited by your imagination.

Practice Gratitude
This is one of my favorites. Feeling and experiencing the negative barrage of thoughts and feelings can be quite heavy sometimes. When I catch myself delving into my darkest thoughts, I do a little exercise. This can be more effective if you write down or verbalize it aloud. Either way begin to contemplate everything that you can possibly think of for which you are grateful in that moment. The more gratitude that you experience the less despair or negative thinking will invade your thoughts. Gratitude is a powerful tool to modify negative thinking and to lift you from anxiety and despair. You can be grateful for family, friends, health, a sunny day, the ability to take a walk outside, the companionship of a favorite pet, for children, for parents, for a well stocked pantry, for a moment of peace and quite, for a good book, a joke; the list is endless.

Get outside and enjoy nature - The stay-at-home order doesn’t restrict you from going outside as long as you are asymptomatic and adhering to social distancing guidelines. Go on a nature hike. Visit a park. When doing so, observe the moment and the elements of nature you experience. Take a moment to recognize the impact it has on your thinking and mood. No, don’t pick up your phone to answer that text or email. It can wait. Unplug and allow Mother Nature, one of the most accessible abundant resources around to work her magic on your disposition and mood. Nature can be energizing, it can be calming, it can be meditative, and it certainly can be therapeutic. Take advantage of all she has to offer.

Stay connected. We are social creatures. Our options to connect with others have been greatly limited due to “stay-at-home” orders and social distancing. Loneliness can make coping with anxiety and even physical illness more difficult. It can be very impactful to one’s mental health. This pandemic will not last forever. In the meantime, we have to find other more creative ways to connect. If we aren’t connected, if we don’t have at least one meaningful relationship that we nurture and work at, we aren’t grounding ourselves, and we can become down and isolated. Isolation can often lead to, or be the result of depression. Now is the time to reach out and connect with friends and family any way you safely can. There are many options in our age of technology. What’s holding you back? Friends and family know us best and can be great sources of support when we need them most. When we are mentally healthy our physical health and fortitude to fight illness and infection is strengthened. It is also OK to seek out new people on social forums on the internet. Just use a critical mind before joining a group that might be more toxic than helpful.

Other things you can do to promote better mental health during a crisis.

Everything in moderation

• Healthy eating
• Exercise
• Sleep
• Limit use of or avoid alcohol or other substances

There are certainly many things that you can do besides those listed above to maintain good mental health. If there is something that works for you, please feel free to share and post a comment.