The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a toll on our mental health, with 42% of Americans reporting depression or anxiety symptoms in December 2020, compared with just 11% the previous year. A survey of healthcare workers found that 93% reported stress, 86% had anxiety, 76% reported exhaustion and burnout, and 75% felt overwhelmed. This article based off a book by Bernard and Cohen describes what and how to focus on to get back to normal.
- Accept that having negative feelings and emotions is normal. You are a human.
- Pay attention to your emotions: If you do not know it, how can you help yourself?
- Challenge your beliefs: i.e., People will never get vaccinated, or pandemics will never end.
- Practice cognitive reframing, in which you consider alternate explanations for your beliefs and then choose to think more positively.
- Mindfulness: More here at Mayo Clinic website. You may try these Apps.
- Socialize and engage in some degree of in-person communication: Know that there will be some anxiety. More here.
- Know that you are not alone, and things will get better. Remember long-term Prisoners of war and how they survived.