The deadly pandemic COVID-19 is without a doubt wreaking havoc on the lives of millions of people around the world. But the impact goes beyond the physical. The compounded effects of dealing with the health issues, loss of friends and family members, as well as the economic fallout, produces another situation – stress. As the pressure piles on, effective methods for treating coronavirus stress will become important as we all try to cope with life under a pandemic.
The COVID19 Pandemic and Stress
Fear, anxiety, anger, and confusion are just a few of the negative emotions causing turmoil in the minds of many people as they contemplate and face the consequences of this disease. While these emotional responses are quite natural for a situation of this nature, things can quickly spiral out of control, especially since the COVID19 experience lasts several months for most people. Without proper intervention or preventive measures, high levels of stress occur and this triggers other negative psychological conditions such as depression.
Stress Management Strategies that Work
The World Health Organization encourages healthy physical and mental activities as ways of counteracting the effects of stress while facing COVID19 challenges. These healthy practices include consuming nutritious meals and engaging in physical activities, even while in quarantine, isolation or lockdown circumstances.
Staying in touch with others also helps. While social distancing requirements are crucial to stemming the tide of infections, they also result in varying degrees of alienation, a situation that can contribute to stress. You can counter this by maintaining connections with friends and relatives through the use of technology. Use video chats and telephone calls as well as text messages to stay in touch with others as this can minimize the loneliness felt during isolation.
Workplace stress is a common factor for professionals around the world, but during this COVID pandemic, essential workers are facing a heightened level of workplace stress, primarily because their jobs place them on the frontline in the war against COVID19. Tensions are understandably high in these circumstances and this is where effective management can make a difference. Managers and supervisors can help reduce the stress employees face by being transparent and open, providing clear guidelines and directives and by ensuring that adequate protocols are in place to keep the work environment COVID19 free.
Stress management tools like tDCS (Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation) devices can also help. These devices are designed to treat a variety of conditions including anxiety and depression in a non-invasive fashion. They work by delivering a safe amount of electric shock to the brain’s neurons, thereby empowering them to work more effectively. A typical tDCS device includes a control unit with knobs that control the volume of electric shock emitted, electrodes (that are placed on the scalp) with cables that attach to the control unit and sometimes a headband that helps to keep the electrodes in place while adding a splash of fashion to the whole experience.
In addition to the things you should do to manage your stress in these times, there are some things to eliminate or avoid. Chief among these are drugs and alcohol. Another contributor to COVID19 related stress is the steady diet of catastrophic news we are being fed. While it is important to be informed, you should limit the amount of disturbing news you take in.
It is easy to overlook the emotional and psychological trauma that the pandemic causes, especially as we face the very urgent physical issues it unearths. But if the stress brought on by the COVID19 pandemic isn’t handled effectively, the world could be shaping up for another battle of epic proportions. It is therefore important to keep stress under control even as the world endures one of the greatest trials it has ever faced.