COVID-19 VS Mental Health
As an individual who has survived trauma in many forms and lives with mental and physical illness every day, I have come to understand the importance of learning about mental illness and the profound impact it can have not only on individuals but also on the people who are around them.
During the pandemic, I, along with millions of others around the world, took a pretty heavy hit to my mental health because of lockdowns and being cut off from those I care about. At that time, I sought to learn more about mental illnesses, but also situational mental states like loneliness, stress, and depression that can have a temporary but catastrophic impact on the entire body.
From that personal experience and research, I created this guide.
And though the pandemic is over, COVID-19 has profoundly changed the world and society for generations to come.
About
In this guide, we will be learning about how pandemics impact mental health.
The loss of employment, financial stress, isolation, quarantines, and lockdowns can have a profound impact on an individual’s life. So, what can we do to help us regain motivation and rebuild our lives once they have been impacted by stressful situations?
And how can we utilise the skills we have from previous work experience to bolster our resumes so we can become job-ready for a new employment environment?
To help you on your journey to regaining control in your life, the guide will be broken into two Modules.
By the end of this guide, you will be able to gather the tools you need to prepare for life once quarantine ends, so you can re-enter the workforce with a positive mindset and hope for your future.
Let's Talk Mental Health
With restrictions, loneliness, financial stress, and our usual freedoms taken from us, how can we find hope, motivation, and support to help us cope with the stress of a pandemic, especially when there feels like there is no end in sight?
In this section, we will discuss:
● What is Mental Health?
● How do lockdowns and the loss of freedom affect our health?
● What can we do to support ourselves and others?
This section will help you to learn about mental health, stress, and how isolation affects the mind, as well as highlight the goal of this guide: To bring people together online so we can all find the support we need in these stressful times.
How do lockdowns and the loss of freedom affect our health?
Pandemics affect everyone, some more so than others.
And it is our responsibility as a global community to not only look after ourselves, but also to support others to ensure everyone comes through the pandemic.
Some of the most vulnerable in our society are children, the elderly, and chronic health sufferers.
But normal healthy people are also at risk when it comes to a virus.
It’s very easy to get stuck on statistics and assume that you won’t be impacted by a viral pandemic. And we can sometimes think very literally, and only focus on the virus, where it came from, how contagious it is, and the fatality rate of that virus.
Yet, isolation from others long-term can have dangerous side effects. When we are forced to suppress our fears and troubled thoughts, they can almost take on a life of their own. Eating away at us until we inadvertently fall into a deep pit of despair, with no idea of how to pull ourselves out. Depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues will become a major problem for those stuck in isolation, as they have no outlet to vent their fears and gain support.
What is Mental Health?
Mental health refers to cognitive, behavioural, and emotional well-being.
When any of these are thrown out of balance, it can cause an individual to develop a mental illness in many different forms, depending on the cause.
Mental health is the psychological well-being of an individual without mental illness, and these people can cope with the normal stresses of everyday life. Mental illness, on the other hand, is a range of conditions such as PTSD, Anxiety, and depression that impact a person’s ability to function and process stress.
Mental Health can affect anyone at any time.
The long-term impact of stress when it’s left unmanaged can lead to health problems, both mental and physical, and there is a strong correlation between physical and mental health, so when one falls, the other soon follows. The sooner mental illness can be addressed, the more likely you can take a situational stress response and prevent it from becoming a chronic illness that will need long-term management.
Break The Stigma And Let’s Talk About Mental Health
Mental illness can be tricky to spot, especially if an individual is hiding that they are feeling vulnerable.
There is a huge stigma about mental illness, and it’s our job to let others know they aren’t alone and can seek support from us.
Simply giving another person a small amount of your time to talk out what they are feeling can make a huge impact on another’s life.
Pandemics affect everyone, some more so than others. And it is our responsibility as a global community to not only look after ourselves, but also to support others to ensure everyone comes through the pandemic.
So, what can we do to support those who are isolated right now?
First, we must take care of our mental health.
Many organizations have reinvented their support platforms to enable online support systems that you can access at any time.
Some links to these organizations are:
Beyond Blue Australia
https://www.beyondblue.org.au/
Lifeline
Head to Health
Mental Health Foundation
https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/
ADAA–Anxiety and Depression Association of America
Once the support, we need to discuss our fears and concerns for wellbeing in a healthy way, we can then extend that support to others.
How Do We Overcome Fear?
In this section, we will learn:
● Why do we quarantine?
● What are we afraid of?
● What are some tools you can use to overcome fear?
Today, we will seek to understand not the global impact of a pandemic, but the personal toll it takes on our lives.
Why do we quarantine?
By now, we all understand what a pandemic is and how a single virus can shut down entire countries.
But many can become confused as to why we quarantine.
There are many opinions on whether we should or shouldn’t quarantine and how strict quarantines should be. Today, we take out the opinion and look at the core reason why we quarantine.
Most believe that quarantines are instituted to stop infection rates and kill off a virus by essentially starving it out.
However, a quarantine has one primary focus: to buy time. Viruses are notoriously tricky to eradicate, as they can mutate and adapt to their environment. And as they can have extended incubation periods, as well as being able to survive even after a host has died, viruses are nearly impossible to stop on their own without intervention.
A quarantine's true purpose is to buy time for scientists to create vaccines, while alleviating pressure on healthcare systems so they can treat the sickest patients, while still being able to support the usual flow of other illnesses and accidents that take up resources in hospitals. Some will argue about whether to vaccinate or not. And it’s not for me or anyone else to say which you should or shouldn’t do. The decision you make, either for or against vaccination, is yours, as are the consequences.
And in the end, a pandemic won’t end until the virus has been eradicated. What are we afraid of? When we are in pandemic situations, the primary focus of the guide is on the virus itself. It's causes, where it came from, how contagious it is, and the fatality rate of that virus. While humanity focuses on the ‘facts’ of a viral outbreak, we may not see the fear that also invades the lives of everyone, especially those who are considered more vulnerable.
What we forget is that the virus affects people, and whether you have the virus or not, a pandemic is a unique event that has the capability of uniting everyone in a common cause. It’s very easy to get stuck on statistics and assume that you won’t be impacted by a viral pandemic.
Again, we can sometimes think very literally and only focus on the virus, ignoring the long-term impacts of a pandemic on society, economies, and businesses. Loss of freedom and choice is a powerful motivator when spreading fear, and unfortunately, this is why we see sensationalized information in the media.
What Are Some Tools To Help Us Overcome Fear?
Tip number 1: Limit the amount of time a day that you devote to research
In an age where everyone can become an ‘expert’ after a few Google searches, it is vitally important to check your facts and only expose yourself to relevant information rather than overwhelming yourself with negative news. Keeping up to date with current reports and staying within the guidelines recommended for quarantines and lockdowns is important. But so is your mental health at this stressful time.
Tip number 2: Identify what makes you afraid
Are you afraid of getting the virus?
Or are you more concerned about your finances and livelihood?
All fears are relevant, and none should be ignored at this time. At times like these, when we are constantly bombarded with negativity and stress, it can be hard to identify what exactly is making us afraid and to find the tools we need to overcome those particular fears.
Task
Make a list of the things you are afraid of right now, then number them from first to last, based on which one causes you more stress. When you can better identify what you are afraid of, you can start gathering the tools you need to overcome that fear and resolve the problem.
An example list would be:
1) Getting the virus
2) Losing my job
3) Not being able to pay my mortgage
4) Not getting the supplies I need due to grocery shortages
If not getting the virus is your number one priority right now, there are steps you can take to isolate and reduce your exposure.
However, if not being able to pay your mortgage is a priority, you can then research avenues for financial relief and support services that are helping people right now.
When we understand fear, we can then find the tools we need to overcome it. This brings us to the end of the chapter. But before we go, I have some more resources to help you if you are struggling right now to find support. Below, I will put some links to support Australia, America, and the United Kingdom.
These are starting points to help you begin your research to gain support. And if you are from another country, refer to your local government websites for updates and links to support in your area.
Financial Assistance
Financial Assistance For Australians: https://www.australia.gov.au/?gclid=Cj0KCQjw6PD3BRDPARIsAN8pHuEiDW1BAqxovHAi4MBcjrhNQ4D6C avq_tneBy-TBABaUA6rGVtTtQQaAq-CEALw_wcB
Financial Assistance United Kingdom: https://www.whitecase.com/publications/alert/covid-19-uk-government-financial-assistance-measures
Financial Assistance America: https://www.usa.gov/coronavirus
Mental Health Support
Mental Health Support For Australians:
Beyond Blue Australia
https://www.beyondblue.org.au/
Mental Health Support For the United Kingdom:
Mental Health Foundation
https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/
Mental Health Support For America:
ADAA–Anxiety and Depression Association of America
There are many resources out there to support the global community with the impacts of the pandemic. Pandemics always have an ending. But for some, the long-term ramifications of this crisis will take years to recover from. Don’t be afraid to seek support for you and your loved ones. Pandemics affect everyone, and we must take care of those who are vulnerable at this time, as well as ourselves
In the next sections, we will gather the tools we need to prepare for life once quarantine ends, so we can re-enter the workforce with a positive mindset and hope for our future!
Life In Lockdown
In this section, we will discuss:
● Life in lockdown, do we need to stay productive?
● What can we do for ourselves in quarantine?
● TheInspiration List!
Some lives will be changed forever by this event in our history.
The current pandemic and the ensuing lockdowns are not only stressful but unprecedented, and no one knows yet what the future holds and what long-term changes will happen because of this pandemic, except that they have proven to be demoralizing.
As people lose their jobs, financial security, and businesses, some individuals may never get back what they have lost.
Currently, there is a perception that we should stay productive while locked down as a way of coping with the stress and isolation. And the internet is awash with videos and memes about people who intended to be productive but ended up binge-watching Netflix. These are amusing to watch and, for a lot of us, sadly relatable.
But why are we putting ourselves under the pressure of being productive?
If you feel you should be productive, but end up on the couch watching TV, maybe what you need is to have that quiet time to yourself. Lockdowns are stressful times for everyone, and sometimes we need to put our mental health first before we venture back out into our normal routines.
Pandemics cause stress, but they also provide opportunities we wouldn’t normally have. As a jobseeker on disability support payments in Australia, I took the time I was given in isolation to build my own business.
Did I take days off to rest and recharge? Absolutely!
But I also decided to use the free time given to me to build my dream job, so once the pandemic passes, I will be able to work for myself. It’s not very often in life that we are given time to do what we want to do.
With life being stressful anyway, how often have you been given the time to just relax and take care of yourself?
What can we do for ourselves?
If you want to stay productive and start working towards your next goal in life, I have some tips and tasks to help you get started!
But first, you must ask yourself an important question: Do you want to be productive?
If your instant answer to this question is no, or you're uncertain as to what to do, that is perfectly fine! If you set yourself unrealistic tasks you don’t want to complete, you are setting yourself up for failure.
Like I said, you don’t have to be as productive as others all the time, if you don’t want to. You may need some time to take care of your health before getting back into employment.
Now, when you’re ready and wanting to be productive, let’s get some tools together to help you achieve your goals!
Inspiration List!
"If I could do anything, be anything I wanted to be, without any limitations, what would I do?"
Welcome to The Inspiration List! Today, we are going to have some fun creating our inspiration list to identify what we want from life, so we can then acquire the tools we need to achieve it! We will start by identifying what hobbies and interests we have, and what career we want for our future.
Below, I have created a fun document that you can download as many times as you like!
This activity can help you generate ideas and create realistic goals for the future.
Are You Job Ready?
Some businesses are gone and their jobs with them, but new industries and small business owners are emerging.
Now is the time for opportunity and innovation!
If you want to learn more about creating achievable goals for business, hobbies, and interests, I provide some tools to do this in chapter three!
How can we become job-ready so we can re-enter the workforce as soon as possible?
In this section, we will gather the tools we need to help us get ourselves job-ready.
● Identify what skills we have, what skills we need, and where we can apply those skills in a new job environment
● Who am I now?
● What resources are out there to support you?
But first, I have a little piece of advice for you.
Do what you can
Where you are
With what you have
We can’t control what others do or what will happen in the world. But we can choose to have a positive impact on the people around us.
Our life is our choice, so what do you plan to do with yours?
Who Am I Now?
The Who Am I Now template is designed to help you collect your employment history in one place, so we can then identify your strengths, weaknesses, and interests for employment.
Once complete, you can use this document to:
● Start your job search and identify what employment fields you can apply for
● And you can identify if you need to upskill your current experience or if your current skill set could be adapted to a new job field
● Create a resume and cover letter to help you apply for work
To begin, we will: 1) Write a summary of your employment experience and what kind of industries you have worked in before. (e.g., hospitality, tradesman, office administrator)
2) Then we will list your skills and qualifications, if any, and then rank your skills from 1-10 based on what your strengths and weaknesses are.
3) Finally, if you got to choose what industry you wanted to work in next, what would it be and why? And what skills have you acquired, or will you need to achieve this employment goal
You can find your very own template below!
Resources
To help you on your way to gaining and keeping employment, I have created a resource list below.
Each resource will cover an area of job seeking that is vital to helping you gain employment.
Resource One: The Resume and Cover Letter templates.
Using the ' Who Am I Now?’ document, the information.
These templates are free to download, and if you are unable to print them, they can be edited online!
Resource Two: Job Search
Now that we have a resume and cover letter ready for an employer, we have to find a job!
But with so many businesses gone and jobs in short supply, how can you find the right job for you?
The first step to finding a job is to conduct a market analysis.
To do this, ask yourself the following questions BEFORE applying for a new job.
● What jobs are available?
● Am I qualified/ experienced enough for that job role?
● What industries are hiring on mass right now?
● Can I work from home? (especially for those who are high risk)
The reason why we ask these questions is so we can achieve employment faster and ensure we will be able to keep the job longer. The last thing you want is to find a job that will end in 6 months due to financial hardship with covid-19 lockdowns.
Many industries are changing their work practices to incorporate at-home’ job roles, which is a perfect time for a health sufferer, parent, or job seeker to grab a job that better fits their circumstances. And, with millions of new job seekers, many of these industries will also be adapting their hiring requirements to incorporate more diverse employment backgrounds, so it’s a great time to start a new career if that is part of your ‘Who Am I Now?’ employment goal.
For more information about what employment industries are hiring as the lockdowns lift, go to your local government websites and consult your local job-seeking agencies. They will have the most up-to-date information and may even be able to help you find employment through their databases. Seeking a new job as lockdowns are lifting is an intimidating task.
Don’t feel disheartened, my friend. Some amazing changes are happening in the world right now. And even though it is easier to get pulled down by the negative, at the end of the day, it’s your choice what you do with your life. Just remember, if you ever need support, there are many resources and organizations ready to help you on your journey.
This brings us to the end of the guide, but not the end of the journey. If you or a loved one needs support at this time, please contact me on any of my socials! And don’t forget about the other guides I have on the website!
Below, you will also find more free documents you can download at any time to help you on your journey of wellness and positive mental health :)
Free Downloadables
After many years of battling chronic illness and having to make constant adjustments for my health, I have learned that sometimes there just aren't enough resources out there to help people who struggle with their health, whatever form it takes.
After trial and error and some advice from others in my circumstances, I created these documents that have helped me manage my health, keep track of my treatment plan, and create goals for the future.
I even created a Health Library of Chronic Health Conditions where you can research and learn more about common illnesses!
