Dealing with mental health issues during Covid-19

Lately I have been living with my head in the sand. I guess you could say that instead of being petrified by the Covid-19 crisis I have chosen to take the opposite approach and remain quite non-chalant. Don’t get me wrong, the threat is definitely real. As real as can be. And as we all know, just because we are under 70 it doesn’t mean that we aren’t at risk. To be honest, what I have found even more concerning than direct exposure to the virus is the side effects that living in confinement can have on our mental health and our relationships. It is so difficult dealing with mental health issues during Covid-19. I am so pleased to have teamed up with the people at ReGain to discuss how Covid-19 and the quarantine can affect us, and how, even in times of self-isolation we can get help.

Our mental health is more important than Covid-19

This may be a bit of a controversial statement, but I know that there are so many people that are concerned at best, and suffering at worst with their mental health during this time of instability. From parents having to juggle working from home, homeschooling their kids, trying to keep everyone safe and entertained; to those at home alone feeling detached from the world. The overwhelm happens on either extreme and no one is really immune from it.

I was speaking to someone the other day and she mentioned that she has mixed emotions that come and go. Some days she feels that maybe this is all an overreaction and others she just wants to keep her family at home and make sure they are safe and not exposed. I felt her pain. I could sense her confusion and I think it’s something that we all may be experiencing more or less.

What we can do to focus on our mental health during Covid-19

I stumbled across an article about the effect that Covid-19 is having on the mental health of the nurses that are on the frontline. And it led me to wonder how we are all meant to cope with the strain that our already fragile mental health system will have to take on once this wave of Covid-19 passes. That thought alone prompted more anxiety than the virus has, and as you can imagine the cycle just feeds into itself.

Can we actually do anything for our mental health during quarantine?

Dealing with mental health issues during Covid-19 is scary. I could give you a list of self-help activities. And sure, that may help, but with almost 3 months of quarantine under our belt something tells me that most of us are well past that. I think we have all dyed/cut our own hair, drank more wine than we should have, binged on Netflix, allowed the kids virtually unlimited screen time, and the list goes on.

Sure, we may not be stopping anytime soon, and that’s also ok. We have resorted to coping mechanisms that aren’t healthy but in a time of a bombardment of emotions and overwhelm sometimes we do the best we can.

The issue can be excacerbated when there is someone else in the picture also dealing with their own mental health problems and anxieties.

What to do if Covid-19 is affecting your relationship

Being in a relationship is challenging at the best of times. Now throw a global pandemic, a recession, kids, homeschool, bickering, and more into the mix and you’ll probably be at your wits end sooner rather than later. You can easily go from being in a happy marriage to wanting to take a timeout. If your relationship is currently struggling, this article from ReGain gives you more information about how you can save your relationship.

The worst thing is that if you’re “stuck at home” you can end up feeling even more isolated because you just don’t know how to get out of the rut. I’d like to think that there is always hope, and one of the lifelines that we have been given is technology.

I daren’t imagine if we all had to be quarantined and with no Wi-Fi! I shudder at the thought. Seriously though, with the availability of technology it’s totally logical that we can use it for more than entertainment and to stay in touch.

Did you know that you can even get therapy online? I know, therapy may not be a very appealing word. You can call it help, professional advice, or whatever you want but the fact is that there is help!

I know this can be a lot to take on if you’re going through a tough time and dealing with mental health issues during Covid-19. That’s why this post is part one of a series on managing your mental health and relationships during Covid-19.

Have you used an online counselling service before? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.