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We are facing a once in a lifetime situation. Nobody in our generation has experienced this, or has expected anything like this to happen. The world will change, and hopefully it will be for the better.
Unfortunately, this also means an increase in the uncertainty around us – whether it is in the form of finances or health – or own, or our family’s.
Let me start by saying that it is okay to feel anxious. These are unprecedented times and, therefore, some anxiety is very natural and understandable. However, excessive anxiety is bad. It reduces our efficacy and increases stress for everyone around us, including our family, friends, colleagues and neighbours.
Uncertainty is both the beauty and the bane of life. We feel stressed, anxious and depressed because we worry about what will happen in the future, but if we all knew what was going to happen to us in the future then there would be no joy or excitement either.
We have all complained about the lack of quality time with our children, spouse and parents. Our regular lives have just got too many things happening daily, and we are perpetually busy. This is a golden opportunity to reconnect with family and other things that have got left behind because of the pressures of regular life. We can give time to our children – teach them life skills, like cooking, finance, housekeeping. We can give time to our parents – talk to them about their expectations, or life in general. And most importantly, share some time with our spouse, who may be experiencing a similar anxiety, and in this way help each other.
There may be some hobbies that have got left behind, or you may want to start learning something new like playing the guitar or learning a new language. Fortunately, we are in a day and age where there are online classes, tutorials, personal tutors available to help and guide us with those. There may be certain TV programmes or films that you may have wanted to catch up on, and again it seems like a good time to start.
Something, that I would suggest you use less of would be social media. It is useful to be informed, but too much information and incorrect information has the potential to do more harm than any good. There is also the danger of passing your anxieties on to people around you, whether it is your own family and friends, or your colleagues at work. Be mindful of your own emotions and leave groups that have an over-expression of anxiety or those that are not conducive to your health. It is really okay to do that, and of course you can re-join them later. Sometimes, when we don’t have much to do, it is easy to start smoking or drinking excessively – again, be mindful and do not use them to pass time or cope with uncertainty.
Trust the people around you, trust the leadership to give you correct guidance. Get information from reliable websites, news channels and newspapers, and indulge less in analysis and prediction of future.
This is also the time to help others and be generous. Check on your neighbours, elderly relatives and help them with essentials. Get back in touch with friends that you haven’t touched base with for months or even years. This will help their morale and, in turn, boost your own confidence and morale.
Unfortunately, there will be some people who will struggle more than others. People are already experiencing more anxiety, panic attacks and mood swings. Usually, these will be self-limiting and will settle down once the situation improves. Try and support them as best as you can, but be mindful of your own limitations and capacity too. There is help available for them – there are self-help books, websites or, if necessary, doctors, psychiatrists and psychologists doing video- and tele-consultations. Some hospitals and emergency services are also running and can provide help on an out-patient basis.
In summary, some of the things that can help during this time could be:
1) Try and maintain some sort of routine in your day. Try to sleep and wake up at the same time daily.
2) Keep yourself occupied during the daytime by pursuing some activities, including stretching, hobbies, board games, cooking, music, etc.
3) Speak to friends and family on the phone or over video calls. There may be relatives you may not have spoken to for a long time.
4) Avoid too much social media. Try and get your information from trusted websites and news channels. There is a lot of misinformation spreading on social media.
5) Follow the advice being given by the government.
6) Maintain social distancing as best as possible, even while at work.
Finally, these restrictions and limitations are only for a short time, and things are expected to improve. Humans have become the dominant species on Earth because of their ability to adapt better than all other species, and that gives me confidence that we will come out on the other side of this situation better and stronger as a community.
Difficult times have the ability to bring out the best in people (and sometimes the worst too). We have a responsibility to help others, but a do not forget to look after yourself!
Stay safe, help people around you, and look after yourself.
Dr Vipul Rastogi
Senior Consultant – Neuropsychiatry
Medanta – The Medicity Hospital
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