The year 2020 brought events and situations that none of us could have anticipated. Dealing with change and uncertainty is often difficult, and we have had a year like no other full of changes and unknowns.
Studies have documented the profound effect of the pandemic on mental health and offered us insight into what contributes to mental distress. The Surprising Mental Toll of COVID references several of these studies. The study authors noted that there was an outsized impact on young adults. Even though older individuals were known to be more at risk, one study author commented that young people “may have had more disruption in life events: graduations, weddings, the senior year of college and of high school. All those transitions were disrupted, as well as school and social connections, which we know are very important for young people.” A major contributor to distress was also media consumption related to the pandemic, and particularly being presented with conflicting information.
The recommendations? Limit media consumption and especially sensationalist reporting. And keep a journal, as writing can help us process difficult emotions and experiences. Stable here-and-now routines help to counteract the anxiety that changes, and uncertainty, can produce. Exercise routines, healthy eating, a sleep schedule, and even mindfulness and meditation help to ground us in our present environment. Small routines may not seem significant, but they are powerful, because their familiarity helps us keep a sense of sameness and stability in the face of change and uncertainty. Anything we can do to keep physically healthy also works to our advantage mentally. Keeping in touch with friends and relatives, even virtually, is also very important, as it adds to our sense of stability. If we lose a job or a loved one, communicating with others can help us cope with the loss.
Reach out for help if you need it. In addition to primary care physicians or therapists that you may have access to, many states and communities have funded “COVID hotlines”. Montana’s counseling hotline, for example, at 1-877-503-0833, provides free and confidential counseling services from trained crisis counselors from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Take care and stay safe!