Mentality and Keeping Informed
The inability to go to work/school, socialize with others, or even go out for a simple haircut can be major sources of stress in our current world. For me, living in New York means waking up daily to news articles about updated infection and mortality rates. Seeing charts mapping out projections for the rest of 2020 and potential “second surges” of COVID-19 in Fall 2020 or Winter 2021 can cause pangs of anxiety. Through all of this, I remind myself that the curve is indeed flattening because people are staying home.
A logical argument would be that panic as well as misinformation or even a lack of good information can be some of the most dangerous precursors to stress during this time. So to counter this, the first step to maintaining a healthy mentality while stuck inside would be to keep up-to-date with recommendations from local, state, and federal officials as well as medical professionals and medical government entities. It is important to remember that Google is your friend, but you should keep “.org” or “.gov” websites as your main sources of information and “.com” as supplemental to those.
Help During Hard Times
Though many Americans have savings that afford them the luxury to stay comfortably at home or jobs that allow remote operations, many others do not. Small businesses and their employees have been hit the hardest by the shutdown of non-essential work. (If you own a small business, remember to investigate the stimulus packages being organized by the Small Business Administration (SBA) here.)
Consequently, millions of Americans cannot pay rent or afford many other essentials, such as groceries. To say that this is a stressful situation would be a grave understatement. For those in this situation, it would be a good idea to contact your landlord and ask for a temporarily reduced or delayed rent. Many landlords across the country seem to be more than willing to forego rent for the time being. There are also many local non-governmental organizations (NGOs) organizing food and supply donations, so it would be a good idea to look into these for your local area. Perhaps the best news is that stimulus packages for many Americans are currently being distributed and more potential packages are currently being discussed at the federal level.
All In This Together
Regardless of the situation of each individual, it is important to remember that we are all in this together. Perhaps one of the most fundamental parts about being human is the idea of community. Having others to isolate with or communicating via video chat can be incredibly helpful and healthy. However, it is also incredibly important to be mindful of those that you may be in isolation with, as the close quarters can create its own, unique stressors. Here is a short but great article from a Johns Hopkins physician on things to help with stress while in lockdown with others. Staying in the same space does not automatically mean you get along, so please remember to reflect on not only your own mental state but also be mindful of those around you. Find something to do with others a few hours a day whether that be playing video games, watching Netflix, or even exercising. Keep some time for yourself as well, maintain a routine as best you can, and remember that though it may not seem like anytime soon, this will end and things will be better.
– Albert Oh
Fresh Start 