Overcoming stress during the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic with changes in virus variants with fast spreading rate, an increase in the number of cases in the community … has been and is affecting a lot of people’s psychology.

In the mental health field, experts say this pandemic is causing a shock, severe stress for people. We need to face and keep up the spirit and overcome this pandemic.

In our country, the health sector has continuously issued scientific recommendations and instructions on COVID-19 prevention to people quickly and promptly. However, in the face of a new epidemic and many potential risks such as COVID-19, moreover with a high rate of spread, it seems that anxiety is a constant thing in everyone’s mind. Translation COVID-19 affects mental health and causes conditions: stress, anxiety, depression … in different degrees. In general, the COVID-19 pandemic causes stress and anxiety due to the following 3 reasons: fear of infection; fear of isolation; fear of losing a job, no income. The most common stress is when people are mildly able to cope, but severe stress and shock can have big consequences.

In addition, the normal environment has stress, but when the epidemic comes, we apply many preventive measures such as social distance, children do not go to school … easy to cause disturbance, stress. In each individual, the level of stress varies. In areas of the heart of the epidemic, life is affected more, causing higher stress than in places where there are no cases, and people who are protected are less stressed.

The science is divided into 3 categories: Stress-induced disorder causes acute stress response, the second is post-traumatic stress disorder, and the third is called adaptive disorder. Stress-related disorders are a combination of stress and individual personality (anxiety, depression, sleep disturbances, etc.) with consequences such as memory, heart, and digestive problems. , movement … Post-traumatic stress disorder is manifested by acute, strong trauma that causes body manifestations such as fear, avoidance, insomnia, memory disorders … This can cause consequences immediate and lasting results for humans.

For middle-aged and older people, due to the effects of life and changes in the body due to the natural aging process … they are susceptible to stress, anxiety, and depression. During the epidemic, the elderly are also recommended subjects to limit out and exposure.

The effects of COVID-19 are causing people to worry and fear. However, for people with anxiety disorders it is much more serious, people who have controlled anxiety disorders can have a relapse. This anxiety also exacerbates depression, especially in people with agitation, characterized by restless, anxious, or irritable behavior.

For kids & children

In children, school breaks are prolonged and outside play is limited, many families seem to only let their children be friends with iPads and phones. This will have an impact on children. As with adults, children also have widespread anxiety disorder during the COVID-19 pandemic. Children are stressed mainly because they are afraid of being isolated, especially during the very close New Year or Christmas, will limit meeting family members, not going out and meeting friends, not going to school, cockroaches. learning …

For children, school, friends and teachers are a very important part of society, taking up a significant portion of their time in the day. When the social distance lasts for a few weeks, the stress in the children will be very clear, although the intensity is not as heavy as in adults. Therefore, parents need to pay attention to help children develop in the future to become people with good personality, understanding, good sharing … Do not let children play games all day when they are off school, it will upset lifestyle as well as can cause behavioral addiction problems (game addiction, internet). While studying with such breaks will collapse and it will take more time to regain balance.

To reduce the risk of stress in COVID-19, people should pay more attention to each other for mental relief. Individuals need to clearly identify negative emotions caused by psychological burdens, psychological crises (fear, anxiety, anger, sadness, disappointment …) and accept them to be able to overcome them. Besides, a positive and flexible mindset at this stage is essential.

For the elderly

For the elderly who do not need intense activity, can stay at home to read, take a walk. Relatives need to pay attention to chat with the elderly in the family so that they do not feel alone and lonely.

To cope with the epidemic, each person needs to pay attention to strengthening physical strength, exercising for 30 minutes a day, practicing relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, meditation, yoga or cycling with bikes… calcium, vitamins to enhance fitness. Avoid staying up too late and sleeping too much because it not only affects your health, but also affects your mood.

Experts say that the epidemic will last for a long time, so we must determine to live with the epidemic, but it must be safe, absolutely not subjective. Safe coexistence in each specific area such as study, travel, production and business; Safe play … Especially safe in care and protection of health. We try to minimize the infection by following the instructions of the Government, the Ministry of Health … from which a better life, spirit and society will reduce stress.