Coping with the Realities of the Coronavirus Pandemic.

Authors: Judith Ohanma and Chigozie Ahumibe.

Lady in self isolation. | Freepik

Lockdown, social distancing, isolation, quarantine etc. They all sound like words from a fictional novel, but far from that, they have now become our reality. As Stephen King, the bestselling author of The Stand, a 1978 novel about a deadly influenza pandemic that wiped out most of human civilization told CNN, “people are saying to me, ‘we are living in a Stephen King world,’ and boy, all I can say is I wish we weren’t.”  With the whole world literally on what feels like a commercial break due to lockdowns imposed across the globe as a means of mitigating the spread of the ravaging coronavirus pandemic. From Broad Street in Lagos to Wall Street in New York, down to the Square Mile in London and Dalal Street in Mumbai, all these busy financial hubs have been deserted for weeks now, with some stock markets resorting to online trading. Also shut are, schools and places of worship. From kindergarten to college campuses, Medina to Mecca, Jerusalem to Rome, we have seen colleges cancel graduation ceremonies and spiritual leaders holding prayers in virtually empty squares, mosques and chapels.

With music concerts and Sports suspended or cancelled altogether, it’s been really exacerbating staying home for most people, as a lot of people find ways to ease off stress by indulging in different outdoor activities. Now we can’t go to school, work, go on movie dates at the cinema, go watch our favourite bands play at sold out concerts with friends, and what’s worse, we can’t even turn up at our glamorous weddings or worship in our churches and mosques.  

Since the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus outbreak a global pandemic, it has been more of a nightmare for a lot of people going through this lockdown, as we all haven’t experienced something like this before, hence the feelings of fear, anxiety and stress during this time is completely normal. While these feelings are completely understandable, given the unprecedented nature of the situation, it is important for everybody to learn how to cope and manage any added stress being experienced. We must make conscious efforts to curb the impact it’s having on us both physically and emotionally. Stress is known to cause an excess of cortisol in the body. Think of cortisol as nature’s built-in alarm system, it’s your body’s main stress hormone, it works with certain parts of your brain, to control your mood, motivation, and fear.

Excess cortisol increases our vulnerability to depression. It also shrinks the synapses, making us less able to think clearly and work productively. Similarly, the anxiety chemical, adrenaline, has been shown to have an adverse effect on our immune system, and the very last thing anyone needs at this moment, is a weak immune system.

Humans are social creatures, and in order to combat this virus and flatten the curve, the practice of social distancing and self-isolation has become imperative, forcing us to stay home. Like all social animals, humans have evolved over the years to rely on complex social interactions with those within our environment. This has been a vital part of our evolution and forms the basis of most societies, and as such, mental health experts are warning that losing these important connections can come at a high psychological cost. Human connections are important to survive and thrive, and our bodies know this.

Knowing these underwhelming facts, as a psychologist, I have been often asked by friends and family about coping mechanisms that can help alleviate the impact of this isolation. My usual advice is to stay active. As we all know, an idle mind is the devil’s workshop. Physical activity has been shown to be as effective in combating mild to moderate symptoms of depression as medication, so it’s important to take the opportunity to be active when we can.  Practice one form of sport or the other, from taking intervals to walk around the house instead of sitting in front of the TV all day, to running around your neighbourhood, doing some yoga and meditations, or taking dance or cardio classes online.

With all the time the lockdown affords us, it is important to take time out to learn new things and gain new skills. You can do those things you have always wanted to do but couldn’t for want of time. As a result of the lockdown, practically everything has gone virtual, and some universities are offering free courses on some critical skills. Pick a new topic to learn each day, that way you stay mentally active and keep your brain working. You can also decide to learn a new language on Duolingo or equip yourself for the jobs of the future by learning to code. There are lots of free helpful tools and tutorials on the internet, and you can start your learning from a simple ‘how to’ search on google.

While it is not compulsory to get up at the exact same time you used to when the world was still normal (as the lockdown has given us a good opportunity to tune into our body’s natural rhythms), the aim remains to get productive once you are ready to start the day. Also, it is important to understand that sleeping too much or too little can disrupt our mental wellbeing, so it is very necessary to find a middle ground.

I would recommend the practice of self-care. It is however, very important to apply moderation in carrying out self-care. It is easy to develop unhealthy behavioral habits (sleeping late, unhealthy eating, spending the entire day in your pajamas and having very late showers) because there is nothing to do the next day. But looking after yourself is essential for your mental health. Simple tasks such as brushing your teeth, washing/exfoliating your face may feel unnecessary but they can make a huge difference in the way you feel for the rest of the day, and the trick is maintaining that routine.

A major tip I find really helpful is, limiting the amount of information and news we consume. I understand this may be difficult because we are all trying to keep abreast of latest developments and advice from around the world, as the situation with this pandemic is constantly changing. Unfortunately, even if the news is from a reliable source, hearing it over and over again can be exacerbating. So, it is important to create a balance in watching news that is not only important, but positive and uplifting, and news that can increase your anxiety and cause depression. With so much misinformation flying around, it is imperative to seek out reliable news outlets where you know the news is verified and trusted and not go around sharing unverified information. Also, it may be hard, but taking breaks off social media can help us reduce the amount of discouraging information we get to see. Let us not be so consumed with what is happening outside, that we miss out on what is happening inside.

Checking up on family members and friends regularly, texting neighbours to find out how everyone is doing, can help improve our wellbeing and make others know they are not alone in this struggle. The feeling of belonging is absolutely crucial to mental health. Thankfully communication has been made easy and now we can communicate while seeing each other through apps like FaceTime, Skype, Zoom, WhatsApp, etc. So, creating a digital version of your social clique and hangouts may not be such a bad idea. Being able to see your friend’s face as you chat will increase your sense of community and engender genuine connection.

As we are all forced to stay at home, hunger has become a life threatening issue. A lot of people are having to go through this without food or money to buy food and other essential supplies. There has also been a surge in the number of domestic violence and other human right abuses. This is very worrisome, as we are all already feeling overwhelmed and even depressed with what is going on in the world, and adding hunger and domestic terror to it would send a lot of people over the edge. Therefor we must look out for each other, allowing everyone express themselves and tolerating other people, knowing that your rights end where the rights of others begin. As much as we can, let us reach out to the vulnerable amongst us, offering them lifelines and helping them weather this storm and staying alive. This too shall pass.

Judith Ohanma, is an Industrial/Organizational Psychologist with experience in psychotherapy, human behavior, motivation and efficiency. She is passionate about mental health, assisting people in distress and other humanitarian causes.