Managing mental health in uncertain times,

by Myrna Sachs

Mental health is a complex issue, one which many of us take for granted during the good times. But anything can affect our mental wellbeing, including changes in our financial or social circumstances, traumatic experiences, losing a loved one, biological factors and underlying medical conditions.

In this article, we take a closer look at some of the causes of mental health issues, and how to address them…

Loneliness

Loneliness is different from simply ‘being alone’. It refers to an unmet desire to have a sense of belonging and connection with others. It is possible to have a lot of people around us and still feel empty, isolated and disconnected.

Loneliness is a deep sense of uneasiness and discomfort about feeling alone and can occur after a loss of a loved one or if you’re going through an extremely stressful period as a result of financial problems, a chronic illness, or being unable to adjust to a new environment or circumstance.

Deep loneliness can lead to:

feelings of insecurity and even worthlessness eating disorders anxiety as well as other depressive disorders lack of energy struggling with sleep withdrawing from engaging with others

Loneliness can affect decision-making, concentration, our ability to solve problems – all of which lead to self-doubt. Left unchecked, loneliness may result in depressive and/or anxiety disorders.

You may be suffering from depression and anxiety if you: feel overwhelmed feel restless feel a sense of hopelessness have mood swings lose confidence in your abilities

Coping with stress

struggle to focus

Stress is by far the most common cause of mental health issues. Engaging in the following routines can help us overcome stress to some degree: opt out of social engagements with friends steps:

Daily mindfulness: Consciously choosing to be fully present in each moment of your day or activity that is causing you stress. This way you are alert to the thoughts that go on in your mind and your emotions, and can, with no judgement, work through why you feel the way that you do. Interrogating your thoughts and opening yourself up to feel your emotions as they arise, has been shown to lessen the stress response due to its calming effects. You can train yourself to manage your breathing and to encourage yourself with positive thoughts as you go through the day with awareness of the negative emotions that may arise from your triggers.

Frequent quiet time, meditation or self-care: Meditation has the same effect as mindfulness in calming your thoughts and allowing you to eliminate the flurry of emotions and anxiety.

Destressing activities: Getting enough sleep, getting up from your desk and taking a walk when you feel overwhelmed, eating your lunch with others and away from your desk in order to interrupt your thoughts of hopelessness, closing your eyes and sitting back with your hands on your lap and counting to ten slowly in between deep breaths, can help in distressing your body.

Putting the above into practice will create an awareness of your body’s stress response. You will need to respond appropriately to normalise this response, and curb the risk of mental illness and other medical issues. It you are still working, this might mean having a conversation with your line manager about reshuffling or sharing your workload, calling your workplace Employee Assistance Programme helpline to speak to someone and opening up about your unhappiness.

Mental health exists on a spectrum where you feel confident and happy with your mental state, to feeling out of control and completely unable to live a meaningful life. One day we may feel like we are coping and winning the battle, while other days we may feel completely overwhelmed. Remember, healing and coping is a journey which we must travel daily with intention.

Acknowledge how you feel

Ignoring your emotions or not allowing yourself time to recognise that “I am not okay” has led to manageable conditions getting worse. Practice mindfulness on a daily basis. It allows you to be aware of how you feel.

Resist the urge to use alcohol or illicit drugs to cope

If you’re already struggling with dependence on addictive substances, seek professional help or speak to a friend or loved one. Where you need professional help, do not hesitate to reach out and receive that guidance.

Ask for help

Ask for help or at least be open to receiving help when it is offered to you. People around us often offer to help but due to our discomfort and perhaps avoidance, we do not welcome assistance despite knowing we need it.

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