How to Overcome Feeling Overwhelmed in the Pandemic

Permai Snapshot

Issue 44 August 2021

How to Overcome Feeling Overwhelmed in the Pandemic Mental Health Conditions in Malaysia Coronavirus has unprecedentedly affected our daily life. It was shocking when Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah, the Director-General of Health Malaysia revealed the number of suicide cases for the first three months of 2021, which stood at an average of 3 cases a day. The statistics further revealed that there were 609 cases recorded in 2019, 631 cases recorded in 2020, and 468 cases recorded in the first five months of 2021.

According to the data by World Health Organisation (WHO) on South East Asian countries, Malaysia’s suicide rate ranks after Thailand (8.8) and Vietnam (7) in 2021, where 5.7 out of 100,000 Malaysians died of suicide. Suicidal ideation may be caused by several factors. Among the commonly known factors are firstly a sense of feeling overwhelmed - when an individual is not able to cope with the situation with his or her own means. Secondly, drastic change of lifestyle and prolonged pandemic have caused individuals to experience complex emotions. It is crucial to pay a close watch to one’s well-being in this global crisis.

Causes of Feeling Overwhelmed Social, economic, psychological disorders, and biological influences affect an individual’s well-being.

Humans live in a community that are highly interdependent upon each other for connectedness, development, resources, and social economic needs. When individuals live in perceived social isolation, loss of financial resources, broken relationship, abusive environment, and negligence, these tend to increase the risk of mental health. On the other hand, depression, anxiety, bipolar and post-traumatic stress disorder are psychological disorders which affect the individual’s quality of life and mental health. It engulfs the individual’s thoughts and behaviours, affects the individual’s daily function, and subsequently causes harmful behaviour to the individuals.

Psychological disorders which have biological influences establish risk of running in the family or chemical imbalance in the brain.

Sociodemographic factors including age and gender also affect an individual's mental health.

Younger individuals are more vulnerable to depression compared to older individuals.

Nonetheless, older individuals may experience emotional issues when encountering struggles in life such as chronic illness, pain, physical immobility, loss of friends or loved ones, as well as financial resources, and lower self-esteem. In relation to gender, female is more predisposed to depression and suicide attempt compared to male.

Negative emotions such as feeling overwhelmed, hopelessness, helplessness, worthlessness, perceived isolation, confusion, deep grief, disappointment, burnout, and self-blame can take a heavy toll on an individual’s mental health. It may spur suicidal ideation or attempt.

HOW TO STAY MENTALLY HEALTHY?

• FAITH Much of research shows religion serves as a protective and salutary effect to mental and physical health. It enhances life satisfaction and quality of life. Research indicated that religion could impact mental and physical health of individuals through psychoneuroimmunology. In other words, faith or trust in God could affect mind and body function.

Research further explains that religion will give rise to positive emotions such as hope, optimism, forgiveness, gratitude, love and altruism to enhance mental health. The Bible encourages Christians to bear spiritual fruits - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, and other values. Christians are taught to internalise those values in life.

Hence, this can be shown that being a Christian, one is able to be free from psychological distress when an individual integrates biblical principles in his or her life.

• HOPE IN GOD The Bible provides meaning and hope in life. Individuals tend to be anxious when situations are not under one’s control such as during this pandemic where social isolation is practised, economy is affected, and life is threatened. People are dubious of the future because the pandemic has engendered uncertainty. A global church observed a drastic increase in attendance - usual church service of 35,000 increased to an online attendance of 60,000 two weeks before Easter. The attendance further increased to 120,000 a week before Easter. According to Pastor Rick Warren, this year more than ever, people want to restore their hope. Also, many people started searching for the meaning of life through religion, they have many questions that cannot be satisfied by Google, scientific study, big data, or other people’s opinions. Research depicted that the increase of religiosity will increase hope in life, inner peace, and life satisfaction. Hence, anchoring in the word of God can ameliorate psychological distress.

• CONNECT TO OTHERS Fellowship with like-minded people in the church, ministries or small groups facilitate tangible and emotional support. Members of the group form a safety net to individuals through prayer, sharing, encouraging each other with Bible verses and emotional support to cope with psychological distress. Individuals would not feel alone, lost or helpless when encountering storms of life.

Fellowship in small groups brings salutary effects to mental health.

• DAILY PRAYER Prayer is recognised by its benefits and impact on mental and physical health, and well-being of the individual. A research finding in the UK showed that those who meditate on God’s word, think about God’s deeds, pray regularly, speak to God and listen to God, do experience God’s presence and a deep sense of peace as compared to those who have no personal relationship with God. Thus, prayer has considerable therapeutic effect. At the same time, research also shows that intercessory prayers may aid the health of those being prayed for. Hence, cultivating a habit of prayer will enhance an individual's mental health.

• SINGING Individuals come together in praise and worship in church service, or worship ministry where volunteers gather to practice and prepare for worship or a special programme for church would help maintain good mental health. Singing in a group is positively associated with mental health. Singing involves movement, language, emotion, listening, planning, memory, and organisation. Also, singing in a group augments social connectedness, empathy, emotion, and mental health. Group worships produce positive emotions – gratitude, humility, forgiveness, love, joy – all of which have therapeutic benefits.

Good emotion leads to the release of dopamine which is the feelgood chemical for the brain. Thus, singing is a natural therapy of mental health.

• BEING GRATEFUL Gratitude is always associated with mental health, well-being, happiness and vitality. There were studies on gratitude journals or gratitude lists, both keeping a record of events of gratitude that occur daily or throughout the week, which both are related to good mental health. Another mode of gratitude is gratitude thinking. A study was carried out on gratitude thinking by having participants spending 5 minutes a day for two weeks thinking about something participants are grateful for, and another group was asked to reflect 5 minutes a day on something they had learnt lately. The results showed greater therapeutic effect on the group with gratitude thinking. Another study focused on religious gratitude and general gratitude. The authors found that religious piety had a strong correlation with religious gratitude as compared to general gratitude. Individuals who have religious piety, through religious lens can promote gratitude. In other words, individuals with religious piety will lead to a deep sense of gratitude; they are willing to spend time thinking about God’s goodness daily, and will lead to healthy well-being.

• SERVE OTHERS A study in the U.S. focused on engaging in activity of offering help to others and mental health. In the study, one group received help and another group offered help, this is to identify which group has better mental and physical health after two weeks. The findings showed that the group that offered help experienced better mental health. The research further explained, if an individual offers help beyond one’s own capacity, or feels overwhelmed by the demands of others, both promote negative mental health. Thus, offering help with a willing heart will bring benefits to overall well-being.

• PHYSICAL EXERCISE The lockdown makes us feel that the physical exercises we can perform at home are limited. Do not let the environment restrict our physical exercises. Exercising enables us to divert our attention from stress, stimulates the brain to produce endorphins that make us feel good, improve quality of sleep, increase energy level and resilience. Experts suggest that moderate physical exercises of 30 minutes each day for five days a week will make a difference in our mental and physical health. There are lots of home workout videos online. They are helpful for our mental health.

It is very simple, right? We just need to follow the Word of God closely; safety net is just by our side.

In conclusion, the Bible teaches us interpersonal and intrapersonal skills to make peace with ourselves and others. The Word of God gives us peace, strength, and guidance in life. I want to encourage everyone with a quote from Corrie ten Boom, “If you look at the world, you will be distressed. If you look within, you will be depressed. If you look at God you will be at rest. ”

Mandy Wong is teaching psychology in a private university.

She was lost in the busy and vibrant world for quite a while.

She was lost and found again by God. God draws her back to His arm. Now, she cherishes every day the Lord has made, she also enjoys the quiet moment with God, songs that praise the marvellous, merciful, and gracious God, and learn to serve others. She also wishes to share the good news to others as she is aware that Jesus is the only one who can heal, and restore the despair and distress soul.

Author: Mandy Wong

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