Is the COVID pandemic taking its toll on your mental health?

You’re not alone.

According to research done by Boston University, depression rates have jumped from 8.5 percent of the United States population up to a staggering 32.8 percent — affecting 1 in every 3 adults. (1)

As someone who may or may not have suffered from mental health issues in the past, you may be noticing an increase of:

Anger and frustration
Worry and fear
Trouble concentrating and making decisions
Changes in weight and appetite
Physical health problems, such as headaches and stomach problems
Increased use of substances, such as alcohol, tobacco, and illegal drugs

These are all symptoms of stress and feelings of overwhelm.

However, learning to cope with stress in a healthy way can help your overall mental health, resiliency, and productivity. (2)

1. Turn Off the TV and Try to Avoid Social Media

The news has become increasingly worrisome over the past few years. We never used to see raw footage of tragic events, however, we now live in an era of “news reality.”

Because shock value provides news outlets with viewers and online clicks, our stations are now overrun with photos and video footage from everyday citizens with smartphones. You are now able to see the same event occur from multiple angles, portraying fear from different perspectives.

This highly visual — and sometimes graphic — reporting tactic, combined with a consistent output of various negative stories, gives us the false impression that doom is around every corner.

Our constant exposure to sensationalized, emotionally triggering, and potentially politically motivated stream of broadcasts and social media posts have a clear impact on our overall mental health due to their gloomy outlook as well as our inability to fully escape it. (3)

2. Find Other Safe Ways to Connect with Friends and Family

According to research, a lack of social interactions has a direct impact on your psychological health.

With all of the current precautions in place, as well as many people’s preference to stay distanced, we are all experiencing an increase in social isolation in comparison to the pre-pandemic years.

And, although therapy can be beneficial for talking things out, it’s important for us to speak on a personal level with those who know and love us — such as family and friends.

Mutually showing support for one another and connecting for conversation is vital to help improve any depressive symptoms that have been brought on by a decrease in social activity. (4)

3. Take Breaks and Unwind with Hobbies

Per the American Psychological Association (APA), taking breaks throughout the day can improve your mood, as well as your performance. They serve as a sort of intervention to help you deal with the daily grind, essentially making you more resilient.

Moreover, taking breaks that involve spending time outdoors in natural environments has been proven to recharge your cognitive performance while also decreasing your overall stress levels. (5)

You may also choose to participate in a hobby during your break times. Whether you enjoy reading a book or going for a hike, research shows that those who take up hobbies are less likely to suffer from depression and anxiety.

In fact, scientists have even found that if you are exhibiting creative behaviors — such as writing, painting, and crocheting — the feeling of well-being you get from these activities rolls over into the next day. (6)

4. Exercise and Get Plenty of Sunlight

When you exercise, your body releases endorphins — the feel-good hormones that joggers refer to as a runner’s high — helping you to experience a boost in your mood.

However, when you exercise consistently, your body will also emit growth factors, which are proteins that help nerve cells to grow and produce new connections in your brain. This, in turn, creates improved brain function — leading to an overall healthier mental state. (7)

Furthermore, if you choose to exercise outdoors, you will also be receiving the added benefit of sunlight. The sunlight controls our circadian rhythms — also known as our biological clock — which is responsible for helping us sleep and controlling our mood. You also soak up vitamin D, a known mood booster. (8)

During the winter months, you may find it difficult to get the proper amount of natural sunlight that your body needs. If this is the case, you may want to consider having a conversation with your doctor regarding light therapy and increasing your vitamin D intake.

5. Eat A Balanced and Nutritious Diet

Have you ever heard that age-old saying, “You are what you eat?”

That’s because there is a direct link between your gut health and brain function.

We all have something called the vegas nerve — a cranial nerve that spans the length from our brain stem to our colon — that allows our brain and gut to speak to one another. Our brains can alter the type of bacteria living in our guts and our guts can influence our emotional behaviors. In fact, it is estimated that 95% of our serotonin production — a mood stabilizer — is directly correlated to gut bacteria.

Some foods to make sure you are incorporating into your diet include:

Lean proteins – These help to provide you with energy that subsequently allows you to react and think quickly.
Fatty acids – Crucial to your mental health, fatty acids give your brain and nervous system what they need to function properly.
Complex carbohydrates – Complex carbohydrates give your body the energy it needs to sustain your mind and body throughout the day.

Do your best to stay clear of processed foods, as they inhibit your ability to concentrate and can kill off your body’s energy, making you feel sluggish and fatigued. (9,10)

Coping with Grief

During this difficult time, some of us are also faced with grieving the loss of loved ones.

And, depending on where you live, your ability to connect with others and receive the emotional support you need may have been stifled due to local social distancing guidelines.

A few things to keep in mind as you’re processing grief are:

Accepting that it is okay to feel anger
- Anger is a natural part of grieving, especially if you believe your loved one’s life was cut short unexpectedly or that their death was the result of someone else’s careless actions. Do your best to channel your anger and irritability into something productive, such as exercise or journaling.

Recognize that healing is not a smooth process
- You may feel okay with your loss one day and then regress back into your feelings of grief. This is completely normal. The road to healing does not come in a straight line, but rather a rough and jagged slope.

Allow yourself to feel pain now
- As overwhelming as it may feel, you should let yourself feel pain as it’s happening. Suppressing these feelings will only allow grief to return later on down the road and postponing it will do more harm than good. You should expect relapses to happen — however, they should not hit you like a ton of bricks if you express your sadness and anger early on. (11)

Resources:

5 Productive Ways to Escape COVID Depression & Anxiety

1. Turn Off the TV and Try to Avoid Social Media

2. Find Other Safe Ways to Connect with Friends and Family

3. Take Breaks and Unwind with Hobbies

4. Exercise and Get Plenty of Sunlight

5. Eat A Balanced and Nutritious Diet

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