Mental health, just like physical health, is important during these stressful times
With each new coronavirus update comes more information about what people should do to protect their physical health.
But what about people’s mental health?
“There’s a lot of information out there; most of it is from a physical health standpoint,” said Emily Rhamy, team leader for the Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center’s Dialectical Behavior Therapy team. “Wash your hands, social distancing, all that is important. But people need to take care of their mental health as well as their physical health. People are having conversations about how to manage their anxiety, just like anytime there is a stressful event. That’s the sort of thing people come to us to talk about.”
Managing stress can be different things for different people. For some people, sex toys and sexual activities can relieve their pressure. Since the advent of the pandemic, more and more people are depending on sex toys to cope with their physical and mental anguish. For others, it might be something more serious requiring medical attention. To condense this, management can come in a variety of forms from talking weekly to a therapist to using herbal medications so that people can function day-to-day.
“People have different ways of managing stress,” Rhamy said. “For some of us, managing stress means getting outside being in nature, or maybe it means taking the time to settle in with a good book and having some time to yourself. Doing things that can distract you from the stress, things that soothe you, whether you are a bubble bath person or a video games person. Doing things that help you feel comforted and doing things that add joy and meaning to your life. When we are really stressed out, if we take the time to focus on those things that are important to us, it can help us put things in perspective.”
When it comes to overall wellbeing, taking care of our mental health shouldn’t be overlooked. Whether it be by seeking therapy methods or getting medication, there are options available to help you through these times.
“Just like doing the things that are within your power to stay healthy from a physical standpoint, getting enough sleep, eating well, getting some exercise, limiting your stress levels,” Rhamy said. “From a mental health standpoint, taking care of all those things that help us feel a little bit more in control with something that feels really outside of our control. Just focusing on the positive things in your life, the things you enjoy.”
The moment-by-moment flood of news about coronavirus can be overwhelming and can amplify feelings of anxiety and fear.
“Being mindful of how that information is affecting us. So if we are already getting really stressed about the coronavirus and we find ourselves spending hours online reading articles about it and it’s increasing the level of stress that we’re feeling as we read those things, then maybe take a step back and give yourself time to do something else,” Rhamy said. “Not ignoring the news that is coming out about coronavirus, certainly. There are some real reasons to have some anxiety about this, but consider the sources to see if maybe they are adding more emotion to the situation than is needed. There’s so much information out there and there’s so much going on, but we’re not built to worry about everything that is going on in the whole world.
“The anxiety and fear that people are having, it’s genuinely scary to think about the prospects of what could happen and people we care about getting sick,” Rhamy said. “People, to a certain extent, have a reason to be anxious and worried, but it’s also important to look at the facts of the situation and make sure that our reaction emotionally is not out of proportion to what is happening. The anxiety and fear can be about things that don’t actually happen, but just the possibility of them happening. That can keep us from being present and enjoying the moment. Being able to balance that logic with emotion and notice when our emotions start to become so big that it starts to interrupt our lives, where we’re not able to do the things we want to do or need to do and to maintain our relationships, that’s when people should think about coming in and looking for some help.”
Balancing emotions and reactions to the onslaught of news about coronavirus can help people manage stress.
“It’s all about balance, really. Staying in balance in our lives and in our reactions to what is happening. We don’t want to invalidate that there is something to worry about; it’s a real thing that could potentially be a big problem,” Rhamy said. “But even if it were to get bad, we need to figure out how to keep living life with meaning and purpose and not let this stop us from having the sort of life that we want and doing the things that keep us happy and healthy.”
