It’s Not Over Yet: The Mental Health Side of COVID-19

Average Share of Adults Reporting Symptoms of Anxiety Disorder and/or Depressive Disorder, January-June 2019 vs. January 2021. Image Source: Kaiser Family Foundation (2021)

How Are You, Really?

Seriously, how are you? When we talk about the virus, COVID-19, it is almost always about the physical symptoms and hardly ever about how it affects us mentally. Although it is a virus that attacks our physical bodies, there is a mental health side of COVID-19 as well. It can feel overwhelming, never ending, and isolating to be in a world where the pandemic is all the craze and doesn’t seem to be disappearing. 68% of COVID-19 cases recently, in the United States can be pointed towards the variant, Omicron BA.5, which seems to keep mutating and coming in new waves (Goodman, 2022). I know personally that it can be scary and depressing to live through. Luckily, there are so many healthy ways to get through this. Whether you are worried about keeping your job, your family’s safety, grieving what life was like before the pandemic, or just generally feeling overwhelmed with all the problems associated with the pandemic all around you, there are healthy ways we can cope.

 

Knitting is a very relaxing and stimulating activity when you are feeling anxious/depressed or simply bored. Image Source: CTV News Vancouver (2019) 

America is More Depressed and Anxious Than Ever

Depression and anxiety have been a huge struggle for many as we fight this pandemic: COVID-19. In January 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic, 41% of adults reported symptoms of anxiety or depression when only 13% reported in January 2020 before the COVID-19 isolation began (Panchall et al., 2021). This study shows us that our depression and anxiety levels more than doubled in just one year since the isolation began, rising 28% (Panchall et al., 2021). As we have seen, COVID-19 is not going anywhere, so how do we cope with the ever-changing world around us; in this new COVID-19 reality?

How Did I Cope?

I’ve had COVID-19 twice since the very start of the pandemic; once in 2020 and once in 2022. I struggled mentally both times; not having contact with other people, feeling tired and sick, and simply feeling like the isolation would never end. During that time, my mom kept reminding me that this too would pass and encouraged me to get active, call my friends/family to stay in connection while at a safe distance, and to find something I enjoyed doing during my endless free time. All these methods worked for me and are encouraged by the Mayo Clinic (2021) as well. There is a list of ways to cope during your isolation or just during the stress of living through a pandemic this lengthy 

Healthy vs. unhealthy foods to eat.

How Can You Cope?

Keep in regular communication with family and friends in safe ways

• Social media, text, phone calls, FaceTime

Get enough sleep

• 7-8 hours per day

Take up a new hobby to fill your time

• Listening to or making music, knitting, art, journaling, binging a new show

Eat healthy as much as possible

• There are several foods to combat sickness and boost your immune system: foods rich in vitamin a, c, e, zinc, and protein such as carrots, sweet potato, spinach, broccoli, citrus fruits, berries, bell pepper, vegetable oils, nuts, seeds, avocado, beans, meat, and seafood (Good Food Is Good Medicine, 2020).

Do an outdoor physical activity

• Running, walking, taking a bike ride, hike, plant in your garden, yoga

Be mindful of your thoughts

• Staying positive and reminding yourself that this is all temporary (Mayo Clinic, 2021).

Yoga can help you decompress, live in the moment, and give you peace in the chaos of the world. It can also aid in positive thinking (Johns Hopkins Medicine, 2022).

References

Good Food is Good Medicine. (2020, January 3). 5 immune boosters to help keep you healthy amid COVID-19 outbreak. https://health.ucdavis.edu/blog/good-food/5-immune-boosters-to-help-keep-you-healthy-amid-covid-19-outbreak/2020/01

Mayo Clinic Staff. (2021, November 23). COVID-19 and your mental health. Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/coronavirus/in-depth/mental-health-covid-19/art-20482731

Panchal, N., Kamal, R., Cox, C., & Garfield, R. (2021, February 10). The implications of COVID-19 for mental health and substance use. Kaiser Family Foundation. https://www.kff.org/coronavirus-covid-19/issue-brief/the-implications-of-covid-19-for-mental-health-and-substance-use/

Johns Hopkins Medicine. (n.d.). 9 benefits of yoga. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/9-benefits-of-yoga

Goodman, B., (2022, October 20). Quick and stealthy ‘Scrabble variants’ are poised to drive a winter Covid-19 surge. CNNhealth. https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/20/health/variants-covid-winter-surge