Stress Management during COVID (Psychiatry/Psychologist)

Stress is not a bad thing; however, too much stress can have adverse effects on our lives. Coronavirus has affected everybody globally, and sometimes it can be difficult to cope. Stress can lead to mental health problems and make existing ones worse. Mental health problems can also cause stress; sometimes, it is overwhelming to deal with mental health symptoms. According to statistics, more than 4% of people in the UAE are clinically depressed. Fear, stress, and worry are natural responses to threats and the unknown. It is normal to experience fear during the Coronavirus pandemic. There is the fear of contracting the virus, losing jobs, and lack of physical contact with family and friends.

Side-Effects of Stress

Sometimes stress is unavoidable, but continuous stress can have negative effects. Stress manifests through physical symptoms, for instance, vertigo, headaches, nausea, upset stomach, etc.

Stress causes a lack of appetite and insomnia; stressors overwhelm your body and emotions. It affects your eating habits and how much you sleep. Worrying makes you skip meals and keeps you up at night.

Unhealthy coping mechanisms are the most common side-effects of stress. You’re likely to develop unhealthy and toxic behaviors, like self-harm, drug abuse, etc.

You might also experience suppression, refusing to admit that you have a problem, remaining in denial over the situation, and bottling things up. The weight is anxiety, and stress can build up and cause you to lose your mind or turn to unhealthy coping mechanisms.

Stress Management : How to Cope with Stress during COVID

As the events around COVID-19 start to unfold, it’s normal to feel stressed. Information keeps changing, and you not only have to worry about yourself and your family and friends.

Here are healthy ways to cope with stress;

Seek Help for Stress Management

If you feel overwhelmed, it’s vital to ask for help from the many reputable psychologists in Dubai. A psychologist helps you to maintain a clear mind and manage your phobias, anxiety, and stress. He can help you see the positive side of things even during this pandemic and keep depression at bay. The first step to stress management is to admit that you have a problem and seeking help. It is better to seek treatment sooner than later.

Know You’re Not Alone

It is natural to feel overwhelmed and alone, especially now that you’re not physically meeting with family and friends. The Coronavirus can amplify the already existing fear and worry; this happens because you feel like you cannot control the future. One of the easiest ways to beat stress is to seek medical teleconsultation services. These are telephone consultations for psychiatry and psychological help. This helps you to know that you are not the only one dealing with fear and anxiety during the Coronavirus; it also allows you to see that people are willing to help you overcome.

Find Ways to Connect with Others

Although we’re social distancing, it doesn’t mean to cut contact with your loved ones. Isolation can increase depression and anxiety, especially if you already have a chronic illness. Seeking online consultancy services is an excellent way to talk to a psychiatrist about various ways of connecting with your family and friends. Although you’re not physically close, you can connect virtually. Social media, emails, text messages, and video calls are great ways of keeping in touch and catching up. Emotional support and meaningful connection are vital for your mental wellbeing.

Use Reliable News Sources Only

There are different sources of news everywhere in social media apps, newspapers, blogs, family members, etc. Some provide unreliable and false information that can cause or accelerate stress. Any reliable psychiatrist will advise you to only consume news from reliable sources, like the government’s website. It’s also necessary to reduce your exposure to Coronavirus news, put your phone down, switch off the television, and read a book!

Get Enough Sleep

Some stress levels are inevitable during a pandemic; stress affects the quality of sleep, and not getting enough sleep can increase stress. Anxiety keeps you awake; it also makes you come in and out of stress throughout the night. Sleeping is one of the easiest ways to reduce stress. It is important to establish a regular sleep pattern; this calms and restores your body, regulates mood, improves concentration, and sharpens decision-making. You can easily cope with stress when you are well-rested. A lack of sleep diminishes mental clarity and reduces your energy. According to research, a lack of sleep makes you more sensitive to negative stimuli, more impulsive, and emotionally reactive.

Focus on the Good

Social distancing and all the news about COVID-19 can be overwhelming; it can be impossible to think about the positive things in life. Talk to your loved ones to let them know that you care. You can also engage in kind acts like writing positive messages on social media or writing thank you emails to people who have helped you. Be intentional about focusing on the good. It is easy to get lost in the news and forget to see all the goodness around you.

Healthy Diet

Did you know that a healthy and balanced diet helps to fight stress? Avoid stress eating and eat to reduce stress; avoid junk food and focus on good nutrition. Eat regularly; don’t skip any meals. This maintains your blood sugar levels and ensures that you are psychologically hungry. Small regular meals Improve mood and energy levels. Try to avoid highly-refined foods like biscuits, pasta, white bread, and other foods with added sugars. It is also important to watch your coffee and tea intake. Although stimulants can provide a temporary energy boost, too much can do the opposite. Avoid too many caffeinated drinks and incorporate fruit or herbal teas.

The Coronavirus continues to affect everybody, and it is normal to feel overwhelmed and uncertain about the future. Stress has negative implications on our lives; this is why it is necessary to admit whenever you have a problem and seek help. A psychiatrist helps you to maintain sanity and recommend ways to deal with stress.