6 minute read
Beating the pandemic blues
According to a recent Washington Post report, about a third of Americans feel they are suffering from anxiety and/or depression as a direct result of the stay-at-home and social distancing measures put into place around the country. People in hospitals and nursing homes can’t have visitors; people elizabeth morse read are working remotely from home (sometimes with children who can’t go to school); social support systems like churches, theatres, senior centers, gyms and get-togethers with family and friends are on hold. The scaffolding of your pre-Covid life has been dismantled, your daily rituals, schedules, and routines are all out of whack.
Autonomy, competency, and connectedness are crucial elements of good mental health, and social distancing and stay-at-home orders severely impact all of them. Days drag along because you’ve got nothing to do and nowhere to go, and you can feel incredibly lonely, even when surrounded by family members who are also dealing with their own reactions to the “new normal.”
Advertisement
Quarantine depression
While not the same thing as clinical depression, “quarantine depression” shares many of the same characteristics. For instance, a lingering fatigue, even when you haven’t done anything strenuous; feeling edgy or irritable for no obvious reason; and lack of interest in previously enjoyable activities or in maintaining social relationships.
At least 20% of people over 55 years old are already struggling with a mental health issue, and forced isolation can amplify existing mental distress. But it can also trigger situational mental distress in people who do not have a pre-existing condition. And when other stressors, such as financial, health, or relationship problems, are added to social isolation, mental health issues for seniors can rapidly spiral out of control.
Home alone: loneliness and social isolation
Twenty-eight percent of American seniors – almost 14 million people – live alone. While living alone doesn’t cause loneliness, it can often contribute to a sense of social isolation. Loneliness is the feeling of being all alone, no matter the amount of social interaction. Forty percent of people over 65 feel lonely sometimes, especially widowed women who live alone. And women are twice as likely to become depressed than men, and so bear closer watching during times like these.
Your mental health ultimately impacts your physical health. Social interaction, even if only online or on the phone, is crucial during times of social distancing. Don’t be afraid to let someone know when you’re depressed, anxious, lonely, or concerned about any facet of your life circumstances, whether it be your finances, home maintenance, transportation issues, or anything else.
The impact on health
Social isolation greatly increases the risks of premature death by all causes, rivaling the risk created by smoking, obesity, and lack of physical activity. In addition, isolation can lead to an increase in oxidative stress, decreased immunity, and poorer inflammatory control, all of which makes it much harder for the body to fight infections or other life-threatening conditions or chronic diseases.
Feeling isolated can lead to poor sleep, poor cardiovascular health, depressive symptoms, and impaired executive function – difficulty remembering, focusing, following directions, and controlling emotions.
Nourishing your body and mind
What you eat while home alone is crucial. Avoid foods that contribute to depression: processed meats, refined grains, sugary foods, high-fat dairy products like butter, and starchy foods like potatoes. Avoid bingeing on comfort foods full of fats, sugars, salt, and chemical additives, especially if you’re overweight or have chronic illnesses like diabetes or heart disease. Limit caffeine and alcohol intake, recreational drugs, and snacks high in salt and saturated fats. Choose healthy foods such as fish, olive oil, high-fiber fruits and vegetables, unrefined whole-grains, low-fat dairy, nuts and seeds. Stick as close to the “Mediterranean diet” as possible to stay healthy.
Coping with quarantine depression
Everyone copes with stress differently, depending upon their personality, natural resilience, current mental health, and the length of time you’re forced to be socially distanced. For instance, extroverts enjoy constant social interaction, and thereby can feel more stressed out because of social distancing and imposed isolation.
Conversely, introverts, who enjoy solitude, may feel stressed when forced to be in constant contact with others, such as when an entire household is crammed together day after day. It’s important to set up daily routines that take into account everyone’s idiosyncrasies and coping skills, even children.
Maintain a regular daily routine and set goals (both short- and long-term) so that you don’t feel so out-of-control. Set up a daily schedule – don’t wander around in your sweatpants or bathrobe. Get dressed for your day’s “work,” preparing healthy meals, getting some exercise, staying in touch with others, keeping your mind and spirit engaged in meaningful activities. Start an exercise routine online if outside activities aren’t possible.
Listen to music – or dance to it! – meditate, take breaks from watching too much TV (especially the news). Avoid monotony – make a minor change to your new routine every few days – light candles, sit outside for lunch for a few days, walk around your backyard and fill the bird feeders. Find new activities or projects to plan, execute, and complete.
Focus on what you can do, instead of what you can no longer do. Getting things done gives you a sense of accomplishment and purpose, something to look forward to and work towards.
Reach out and help someone (including yourself)
Instead of fretting about your own situation, focus on supporting others who are in the same boat – reassure a friend who’s stressed out or worried. Research shows that doing something for other people without expecting anything in return raises your self-esteem, makes you feel happier, and lessens your own psychological distress.
Stay in touch with your doctor, pastor, or a therapist, even a tele-therapist (check out talkspace.com). Since March of this year, the federal government has instituted more telemedicine options for medical professionals, much of which is now covered by Medicare, in an effort to minimize travel during the pandemic.
Use whatever level of technology you have access to in order to maintain your social contacts – Facetime, Zoom, Skype. Book clubs, discussion groups, and political organizations have also become more popular on these platforms. If you’re technologically-challenged, use less hightech means of staying in-touch – phone calls, text messages, emails, Facebook chats – even snail-mail – to elevate your mood while on your own.
Give yourself a pep talk
Keep reminding yourself that this isn’t the first time you’ve been confronted with tough times – and you got through them before, right? Look for the bright side, and find a way to chuckle every day – try watching Pink Panther movies, Monty Python episodes, or YouTube clips of your favorite comedian. Practice smiling behind your mask while looking in a mirror – make sure that hidden smile reaches your eyes. Remember that laughter is the best medicine – like exercise, it causes your body to release endorphins, the happy hormones which lower the stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline.
Being resilient and developing good coping skills during stressful times requires a shift in your thinking. Be more mindful of your words and thoughts – choose positive perspectives, like “I’m keeping myself safe by staying indoors,” or “I feel more in control now that I’ve cleaned all of that junk out of the garage.” Times are tough for everyone these days, but we can all help each other get through it. When life hands you lemons, go make your famous homemade ravioli or chicken soup and drop some off at your elderly neighbor’s house. Remember: you don’t have to be happy to be cheerful.
Elizabeth Morse Read is an awardwinning writer, editor and artist who grew up on the South Coast. After 20 years of working in New York City and traveling the world, she came back home with her children and lives in Fairhaven.
