With so many of us homebound these days, worrying about our health or the health of loved ones, our mental health and bounce-back skills are being put to a test.  The added stress of unemployment or underemployment further exposes our individual fault lines. Those of us who were “on edge” prior to the pandemic are having an especially difficult time coping with this new reality.

History Teaches Us

In times of crisis, physical, mental, and emotional vulnerabilities are unmasked. The research literature reveals that during economic downturns, mental health erodes, especially among those with pre-existing mental disorders.

According the World Health Organization (WHO), most people who experience wide-spread emergencies (including pandemics) will suffer some degree of distress; disorders such as anxiety and depression can double among those most affected. The good news is, when the emergency abates, so do the symptoms for the majority of people.

If you’re currently feeling off-kilter, you’re not alone.  Fortunately, self-regulating behaviors can help mitigate some of these symptoms

Warning Signs

Rumination is easy to fall into as most of us have more time on our hands these days.  Re-playing annoying encounters and one’s own missteps can create more anxiety and stress. 

Just the other day, I repeatedly cogitated about a mistake I made, which added to my misery. I remembered the technique of allowing myself a good 5 minutes to really get into the dark corners of my psyche. After 5 minutes, I said: enough. This is a technique that needs recycling. Later in the day, I found myself dwelling on my mistake again. Again, I allowed myself a set period of time to get into it.

Lack of focus or concentration and/or an inability to make decisions are common signs of stress and anxiety. Establishing good eating habits and sleep hygiene are crucial during stressful times and can help with clear-headed thinking. 

Ignoring routines during turbulent times exacerbates the problem. Building and adhering to a schedule, even when our lives have been upended, are so important as the days turn into weeks and the weeks into months. Meditation and other relaxation techniques are also touted as remedies for difficulty concentrating. 

Irritability is related to depression. Under normal circumstances, being cooped up day after day, week after week can make us grumpy. When cabin fever is compounded with health-related and economic worries, our patience gets frayed.

Recognizing irritability as a symptom can lead to behavior change. Instead of lashing out, putting yourself in ‘time-out’ can provide perspective and emotional distance. Talking to a trusted friend could help; if possible, employing the expertise of a mental health professional is even better.

Sleep disruption is the first thing we’re likely to experience during stressful times. When we’re depressed or anxious, we may have trouble falling or staying asleep; sometimes we sleep too much. Like many of us, my screen time has increased over the last few weeks. Even worse, I check my news feeds right before bedtime, feeding my stressed brain with even more bad news. No wonder I wake up feeling exhausted!

The experts agree that regulating the input before bedtime is important for a good night’s rest as is reducing caffeine and alcohol consumption.

Loss of appetite or overeating is also prevalent during times of stress and anxiety. Internet memes have been going viral (pardon the expression) showing pre- and not-so-pretty, post-quarantine pictures. Stress sometimes leads to overeating.  Enough stress, however, may result in loss of appetite.

Although this may not be a good time to put oneself on a restrictive diet, neither is it a time to punish yourself by indulging in foods that make you feel worse physically as well as emotionally. As we know, striking the balance between self-soothing behaviors (in the form of ice cream and chips) and extreme dietary restrictions can be tricky. 

Could Be Worse

One of my favorite children’s books that I read to my preschool daughter was, Could Be Worse (Stevenson, 1977). The story is about two young children whose grandfather habitually replies to all their complaints with the refrain, “Could be worse.” The children think their grandfather is rather boring. One day, to their amazement, the grandfather tells a fanciful story about being kidnapped by a large bird, encountering an abominable snowman, and journeying to the bottom of the sea. His story is filled with intrigue, adventure and danger. And, of course, the children’s response to this tall tale is: “could be worse.”

Listening to a recent episode of the brilliant podcast, “The Happiness Lab”, I heard some excellent suggestions for getting through this nerve-wracking time. One of the suggestions by William Irvine, professor at Wright State University, reinforced the could-be-worse attitude.

As bad as our situation is and may get, things could be worse. Most of us have running water, indoor plumber and electricity.  We also have internet connectivity, movies on demand, and food to eat. Others are surely worse off, but the majority of Americans are far better off than were our predecessors, who suffered through previous pandemics.

Game On

Dr. Irvine also advised us to start building the story you will tell others in the future about how you survived the pandemic of 2020.This story should be realistic, rather than fictional.

For example, my story will be about how I visited and dined with people via internet conferencing, and how my writing and my daily walks kept me sane.  I will relay the cleaning protocols I instituted --wiping down bags of groceries, door knobs, and light switches daily-- and how I washed my hands until they begged for mercy. 

And of course, I will recount waving at neighbors from a distance of 6 feet and rationing toilet paper because of hoarding and panic shopping.  I may talk about my bouts of worry and anxiety and what mental techniques I employed to calm my nerves.

What will your story be?