Flickering Mental Health During Lockdown

 India has transformed dramatically over the last couple of months with the most prolonged lockdown because of the novel Corona virus or COVID-19 pandemic. After nearly 4 months of lockdown, social distancing and individuals being quarantined it has been creating mental health issues and agony for families, daily wages laborers, young people etc. So this article is going to talk about the topic depression, causes of depression, impact on people because of lockdown and also the measures or the tips which one can take for reducing the mental health.

Introduction

Novel Coronavirus or COVID-19 pandemic is an infectious disease caused by a newly Coronavirus. It was identified as the cause of a disease outbreak that originated in China. The virus is now known as the severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-COV-2). It is the major health crisis that affected several nations of the world. This virus is mostly attacked towards the Older people and those with the medical problems like diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer etc are likely to develop serious illness. The best way to prevent this virus from spreading is social distancing and protect yourself and others from infection by washing hands or using an alcohol based hand rub.

And because of maintaining social distancing  the Central Government started the process of lockdown due to which the whole India is locked and the Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 was imposed which talks about the Curfew. Because of this action many people get mental stress and has suffered from the disease known as depression which is going to be discussed in this article.

Depression

Not always does life leads as expected. Expectations for having controlled the pandemic were high, but unfortunately the results were not good. All we are doing these days is to follow some rules and stay back at home because of which many people faced the disease named depression. So depression is- a process of over thinking which can be caused due to stubborn thoughts and belief patterns, lack of self love, low self esteem, disrespect and lack of acceptance from the society. It is also a mood or emotional state that is marked by feelings of low self worth and a reduced ability to enjoy life and anxiety is the state of constant thought process of What to do next? Also according to the World Health Organization (WHO) 4.4% of the total world population suffer from depression. On the occasion of Mental health awareness day it was observed that the number of people are suffering from mental health disorders, alcohol addictions, loneliness and despair during this challenging time. In order to do self love it is very important to take care of each and every thought that is coming into our mind which is becoming impossible during this lockdown.

Causes of Depression

Studies laid down the causes of depression are-

Past physical, sexual or emotional abuse can increase the vulnerability to clinical depression later in life.

Depression can be found in someone who has the biological vulnerability to develop depression may result from personal conflicts or disputes with family members or friends. Sadness or grief from the death or loss of loved ones, though natural, may increase the risk of depression. Even the good events such as starting a new job, graduating or getting married can lead to depression. Problems such as isolation due to other mental illness or being cast out of family or social group can contribute to the risk of developing clinical depression. Sometimes also depression co-exists with a major illness or may be triggered by another medical condition. Nearly 30% of people with substance abuse problem also have major or clinical depression. So as a member of the society it is everyone’s duty to have a conversation with their loved one’s and make them happy which can reduce the mental stress.

Impact on Public

The lockdown is mainly applied to three main streams : physical movement, social distancing and restricted availability of the most public services which are the important part of human life. There was a sudden and drastic change in the daily routine of the human life which initially makes them happy but now they are getting bored and because of which they are suffering from mental stress. The isolation and the fear associated with this lockdown leads the people to the disease named depression. A woman cannot stop disinfecting furniture, kitchen appliances, sanitizing the products or even keeping vegetables and groceries in the sun just to avoid the virus due to which there work load is double. The youngsters are facing relationships issues and losing patience with their partners. Employees are worried about their next salary,Students are worried about their studies. People who are living alone are searching people who can have a conversation with them.

Along with loneliness it also affects the mental health but also lead to a decline in lifestyle quality and ultimately one’s health choices. The people who are poor has the greatest impact of this lockdown as they don’t have the money for the food due to which they died. Academic work grounds like cleaners, gardeners, security guards have been thrown out of their contractual work because of which there is a sudden loss of empolyment along with the financial stress which enhance the psychological impact on this community.

Apart from this there is shortage of labour, near total restrictions on logistics and transport have disrupted supply chains, creating a scarcity of raw material. Unemployment is skyrocketing, while policymakers across countries race to implement fiscal and monetary measures to alleviate the financial burden on citizens and shore up economies under severe strain which is creating mental stress

Tips on coping with lockdown anxiety

  • Don’t lose sight of a routine – Even during the lockdown stick to the healthy eating and sleeping habits. Because harmless changes to a schedule can cause discomfort to you as well ss the family.
  • Be mindful of each other – Going through this situation everybody is having a new experience. So all the members of the family should have conversations with each other which will reduce the boredom in the house.
  • Minimise corona time – Spend not more than 30-60 minutes in the whole day for getting news updates related to this pandemic and dedicate the rest of the time with your work or spend time with yourself or the family.
  • Social connectedness – Make phone or video calls with others on daily basis to stay in touch with them. By doing this one can have idea about what’s happening in other’s life and will reduce the boredom.
  • Express yourself – Try to express yourself and also encourage people to spend less time in consuming content and more time in creating it. Try to spend more time on movement, even if it is just to perform mundane tasks.
  • Spend time in making new dishes – The lockdown is a good time to put extra efforts in your kitchen and start baking and cooking new dishes which can be turned into a home chef.
  • Spend time doing what you love – During this lockdown tge important thing is to spend some time in doing what you love and that chore should bring you happiness and helps crush those nervous nerves and also manages bouts of anxiety.
  • Be physically active – Doing any form of physical activity like yoga, exercise or meditation can be a way to connect with your inner self, clear away toxins and ward off stress. It also helps to beat depression and anxiety.
  • Working from home – If you are working from home, make a schedule and decide on the amount of time you spend on your laptop and also make sure that you get the most work done in that period of time and also avoid using phone and laptop for ling duration.

Conclusion

Therefore to be stay safe from this Novel Coronavirus as well as the mental stress the factors required to fight against it are will-power acceptance and self love. Also if the fear related to depression get accepted it will give strength to fight against it. After knowing these are just thoughts and can be changed, if negative thoughts or emotions coming across an individual can change it by shifting or diverting his mind.

Meditation and yoga plays important role to reduce the anxiety level and makes an individuals mind more relaxed. Also the activities like listening good songs, writing  what you feel, exercise, dance or focus on your breathing while meditating which helps the person to build his self esteem and self confidence. Also if we take proper care of ourselves as well as of our loved ones, that day isn’t far away when we as a society will stand together giving importance to one’s mental peace finding happiness and satisfaction in what we have and helping the ones who are struggling with mental issues, making the journey of life easier for them, such positivity, warmth and support will not only give them a ray of hope to cope up and fight back but will also send a strong message to the upcoming generations that life has greater opportunities, more happiness that it should not be ended, because it can’t be bought by one single click.

 Bibliography and References

  1. https://www.thehindu.com/education/coping-with-lockdown-anxiety/article31439566.ece
  2. https://www.news-medical.net/news/20200527/How-Indias-lockdown-has-affected-mental-health.aspx
  3. https://www.newindianexpress.com/lifestyle/health/2020/may/07/anxiety-feeling-of-uncertainty-mental-health-talks-rise-amid-covid-19-lockdown-2140214.html

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