Four Tips For Managing Stress During Crisis

The last few months have been nothing short of pure, totally destructive chaos and sure, we have proven alone that this is nothing compared to the times of hurricane disasters and barrages of tornadoes plowing throughout our communities tearing up everything in sight. When you think of the word crisis, what comes to mind? Being out of control? Feeling abnormal? Depressed? Anxious? Worried? Yes, yes and YES! Let’s not leave out that this current time of crisis that we are suffering from has led to a pandemic like no other — the kind that causes mass hysteria and panic buying so much so that aisles are out of basic necessities; such as water and paper products. People tried selling one roll of paper towel and toilet paper for $40.

Now from crisis, this yields outcomes of chronic illness such as worsening stress, anxiety, depression and self-diagnosis of unrelated illness to help alleviate the pain-staking toll this has taken on each and every household globally. Usually, I like to write about health and fitness (since my blog is about that) and I would like to discuss stress management and ways we can minimize the risks and negative outcomes during this time. In my work as a mental health screener at a private facility, I assess the level of danger that patients present to psychiatric emergency for and I work with children as young as 5 and adults as old as you can think of (99+).

For one, any crisis (whether an emergency room visit or failing an exam at school) can be challenging and difficult to cope with if certain things are not in place to minimize the effects of such. Below I will address four ways to promote healthy coping and positive stress management techniques:

1. Communicate with family and friends through video platforms: With the ever-so-growing world of technology comes the blessing of video chat apps. By going to your iOS Play Store on your phone or computer, you can type in “video calling app” and several results will yield. Since I have an Android phone, I use WhatsApp, Duo and Zoom. Other apps you can find are FaceTime (popular to iPhone users), Skype, JusTalk and IMO. The alternate option can be to text or call. This is a critical element that has affected the geriatric population that are not accustomed to video calling and has challenged our millennial generation to utilize these methods for communicate. We need one another, so while you practice ‘social distancing’, keep in touch with your loved ones.
2. Develop, practice and apply healthy coping mechanisms: Sure, a brisk walk or performing 10 push-ups might feel good in the short-term; yet plenty of studies have proven that the application of coping mechanisms has both, a short and long-term effect on our overall well-being. In a study by Patterson (2003) discussing the effects of coping and social support on work and life stress notes that “coping and support have a main effect on well-being. Second, when coping and social support are high, the negative effects of work stress on well-being are reduced.” One app that has useful material in called Calm and it has an array of breathing exercises and meditation with soothing music to ease your worries. To name a few, there is deep breathing, meditation/prayer, guided imagery by way of listening to a pre-recorded script, exercising for 30 minutes daily and utilizing pressure points to reduce anxiety. You can access any of the above throughout resources on the internet or by simply visiting YouTube and searching for your coping method of choice.
3. Minimize duration of news watching and alert on your phone: Easier said than done, of course, because you want to keep updated on what’s going on otherwise how will you know? It is one thing to turn on the TV for five minutes and listen to what is new and it is another to sit and binge watch ABC, CBS, CNN and BBC. Yes, this COVID-19 virus is lethal, fifteen times deadlier than the flu and it is here to stay. COVID-19 is killing people of all health ranges within a matter of hours and those who are second or third contact with a positive-tested member of their family need to stay home and self-quarantine themselves. So, watching the news all day and indulging yourself in new coverage 24/7/365 is not only unhealthy, it negates anything discussed above and will only cause more panic. You can simply keep up with the news for a short period of under 10 minutes and keep your day productive by completing house chores, keeping healthy and communicating with family/friends.
4. Practice good hygiene: I purposely left this for the end because if you don’t listen to anything else I have said so far, you will at least pay attention to this one. The whole reason behind the spread of this COVID-19 virus is behind the fact that people are not practicing good hygiene and taking serious care of their personal health. People are still meeting in groups, trying to hold weddings for God’s sake, not adhering to the mandatory stay-in orders and simply not washing their hands. According to the CDC (2020), “many countries and global organizations have adopted recommendations to wash hands for about 20 seconds (some recommend an additional 20-30 seconds for drying).” You can even make it fun by reminding yourself of the alphabet or singing happy birthday to yourself several times throughout the day. Getting bored? Create a snippet in your head because if you simply run water or choose not to wash your hands, you are causing your own downfall. This also means brush your teeth, shower, adhere to using a paper towel when opening door knobs and using them to turn the faucets of public restrooms on and off.

In conclusion and without boring you more to death, taking care of yourself will allow you to save the lives of others that include family members or friends that you reside with. Furthermore, it will protect the lives of others you come into contact with. With the shortage of medical supplies and N95 masks, you can simply create your own mask, use one of those grass cutting masks and safely quarantine yourself in your home. People are money strapped and with the promises of a stimulus check to help alleviate the stress this is causing on people’s financial health, we can use this time at home wisely to protect ourselves, our loved ones and educate our children about the importance of caring for your emotional, mental, physical and spiritual well-being. Be safe, be smart and be positive — for this too will pass!

References

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2020). Show Me The Science —

How To Wash Your Hands. Retrieved from:

https://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/show-me-the-science-handwashing.html

Patterson, G.T. (2003). Examining the effects of coping and social support on work and

life stress among police officers. Journal of Criminal Justice, 31(3), pp 215-226.