Happy One Year Quarentinaversary!
Quarantine: What it Means One Year Later
March of last year was the beginning of the lockdown for the entire world. It marked huge changes in the lives of everyone. We were all under the impression it would only last a few weeks, but those weeks turned into months and now here we are at a year. Humans are social beings by nature, isolation does not align with that. Things have improved case-wise as of late, the vaccine is becoming more and more accessible, and people have adjusted...but what does it all mean for our mental health?
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How do you feel now compared to last year? Are you more anxious? Sadder? Grieving? Or do you enjoy being isolated?
Most people would say that being in lockdown has worsened their mental health...and that is a totally normaland understandable response. Just like any kind of life stressors an adverse reaction is expected. In this case it just happens to be that most people have a common life stressor that is greatly impacting them.
Here are a few responses that you may align with and what you can do:
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There’s always uncertainty in life, but I don’t think anyone could have predicted a global pandemic. It can be very frightening to face this harsh reality and put you a lot more on edge. You may be afraid of catching COVID, that the vaccines won’t work, that you won’t be able to get a vaccine for a while, worried about friends and family’s health, and so on. There is a lot of fear and worry that arises in a situation like this, and that is totally okay.
So what can you do about pandemic-related anxiety?
1. Try and imagine your fear as a separate being. A being that is constantly taking in a lot of information about the state of the world and all the possibilities that could happen. Think about what this being looks like, its size, color, smell, sounds it makes, texture, how it moves, and how it feels. Understand that just like you, it’s scared. It’s okay to be scared. What it needs is love and compassion. It is a part of you but it isn’t all you are. See how you feel by doing this visualization and if it lessens the anxiety you have.
2. Go on walks or runs. When we feel anxious our bodies want to get away from the perceived threat. Sometimes there is no physical threat to get away from and it’s more in your head. Walking/running will help your body feel like it’s getting away from the threat, and the exercise will help with mood.
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Staying home all the time, not being able to see friends or family, and only communicating with people through screens is such a stark contrast from how life was prior to a year ago. You may have felt okay, or even enjoy the first few months of isolation. It might have given you time to focus on yourself and learn more about you. These are all positive things alone time allows us to experience...but too much alone time feels bad. Not everyone enjoys alone time to the same extent. If you’re more of an extrovert this can be especially hard on you, and introverted people still need some social interaction to feel balanced.
So what can you do?
1. Understand that loneliness has increased for everyone, and even if you feel alone you aren’t! Almost everyone is struggling with this same problem, and that can sometimes give peace of mind. You aren’t a social reject just because you don’t hang out with people and are taking this pandemic seriously.
2. Practice social distanced gatherings. You can see people. You just have to be safe about it. Going to outside areas and gathering with a few people and spending time together while wearing masks 6 feet apart can do a lot to alleviate some of this loneliness.
3. Join a support group. Support groups are huge for coping with feelings of loneliness. They provide not only social interaction but a supportive environment to share and express the feelings you’re going through. Every 2nd and 4th Friday of the month from 4:30-5:00PM No Stress No Stigma is offering a support group for those dealing with feelings of isolation. For more information please contact sarahnostressnostigma@gmail.com or jaimenostressnostigma@gmail.com!
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Anxiety and depression can be present together for a lot of people. Feeling down about the world, going through such a hard time, and having to adjust to such a huge life change isn’t easy. It’s easier to just stay in bed all day and be sad...but that won’t do you any good.
How can you help cope with these feelings?
1. Depression isn’t cured overnight. It’s a mood disorder that is constantly tricking you about your reality. It makes it seem a lot more dull, devoid of meaning, and boring. But changing your mindset, focusing on anything that is positive, and slowly changing your attitude will do so much to help.
2. Exercise is huge for depression. It releases a lot of feel good endorphins in your body that helps to alleviate your bad mood. You may not want to go and do a work out, but even a few jumping jacks in your living room can help. Start small, don’t overwhelm yourself or put too much pressure on feeling better instantly. Take it slow and steady, just be consistent and don’t give up!
Another aspect that the pandemic has worsened is stress. It is stressful to manage so much change. It is stressful to adjust to being alone a lot more. And it’s stressful to constantly have to worry about getting a virus. You may have stress directly related to the pandemic or indirectly related in the sense that it has caused your life to shift in drastic ways.
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1. Make space for yourself. Give yourself a place to relax and time to check in with how you’re doing. This could look like talking to a friend/loved one about your feelings or going to therapy once every other week. Accept your harsh feelings first and manage them second.
2. Self care. Make sure that you are taking care of all your needs. Eating well is important to being able to function properly throughout the day. There is a lot more sitting these days so it’s important to make some time to walk around. Take a shower or a nice bath to relax.
3. Communicate your stress to those involved. If you are having a hard time at work--tell your boss and ask for mental health resources your work can provide. If you are having a hard time at school reach out to your teachers/professors and tell them what you are dealing with. If you can’t keep up with everything then own that and communicate it so you don’t fall behind. Everyone understands how hard this time is so there is no need to expect perfection.
4. Give yourself less to do. If you can, lighten your workload. There’s no need to expect yourself to be your best self all the time. It isn’t fair to you and puts way too much pressure on your mental wellbeing. You can’t expect yourself to be able to manage everything you could before the pandemic began, it just isn’t realistic or fair to you. It might feel weird, you might even feel guilty or lazy...but you aren’t! You’re being smart about what your needs are and that’s a good thing.A lot of people are dealing with grief due to the pandemic. Anniversary dates of loss can be especially hard and can elicit powerful emotions whether we realize it or not. You may notice a change in mood around these dates, and that is totally normal. Memories can affect us in huge ways even years later. It’s important to be aware of this and acknowledge it. Your brain holds a lot of information and intense emotional events will be held in your brain possibly for the rest of your life. Usually 6 months to a year following a death individuals are able to feel some relief and healing, but the hurt never fully goes away. Anniversaries can therefore trigger these past feelings that you’ve healed a lot from. If you notice it’s been over a year and you still don’t feel any better then it’s good to reach out to a professional mental health provider.
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A year ago everyone’s life changed. And everyone’s life is still changing now. This time will have a lifelong impact on everyone, so you aren’t alone in this at all. Do mental health check-ins with yourself and ask yourself a few of these questions:
Where were you a year ago?
How did you manage the stress of lockdown?
How have you felt over the past year?
Have there been any major life stressors?
How do you feel now?
Do you feel burnt out by lockdown? Isolated?
Building awareness and being mindful of how you think and feel will help you to learn what works best for you to manage and cope with these harsh feelings. It isn’t an easy time to live right now. Resilience is key so ask yourself this: What do you want to do differently this year?
There is so much hope for the coming years. Vaccines have been manufactured and are being widely distributed. Masks are effective in stopping the spread. Social distancing has helped to save so many lives. And expanding the use of remote work opportunities has allowed for more family time and time at home! There is more to be done but there’s so much progress that has been made in only a year. Who knows how much more will come about in the future. -
https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/health-wellness/2021/02/26/covid-19-pandemic-how-stay-motivated-during-quarantine-lockdowns/4557946001/
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-art-living-free/202103/one-year-the-pandemic-how-have-we-changed
https://fortune.com/2021/03/09/covid-pandemic-how-life-has-changed-coronavirus-one-year-later-march-2020/
https://www.apa.org/topics/stress/tips