Coping With COVID-19 Dysphoria

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COPING WITH COVID-19 DYSPHORIA By Tracey-Ann Coley, PhD

Here is the reality, mankind has had to deal with pandemics of this nature throughout our history. The good news is that we rise, we unite, and we develop enhanced resilience in the face of casualties and scars from the battles. The Covid-19 Pandemic is no different – it has taken the world by storm and created unprecedented levels of anxiety. This anxiety is made worse by the fact that there is limited research on the full nature of the virus, no proven cure, and that the wide reach of the internet magnifies the sense of threat by bombarding us with images of loss. There is no doubt that this virus has claimed lives, crippled economies, and created disruptions in every aspect of life. What we have less information about are quantitative and qualitative mental health costs. As Caribbean people, the restrictions brought on by this latest version of the coronavirus are particularly painful because they hit at the heart of who we are – social creatures. As a group, we enjoy outdoor spaces, value family time, and love parties and gatherings that allow us to feel connected to others. It is therefore not surprising that as the social restrictions increase and extend over time, more instances of dysphoria and angst have been reported in adults as well as adolescents. So how do we improve our chances of not only weathering the storm but thriving?

GRATITUDE – develop positive habits that include spending 5-10 minutes each morning thinking about the things in your life for which you are thankful. If you are reading this article then at the very least you have life and with life, springs hope and the opportunity for a brighter day and improved circumstances. On a psychological level, when we are exposed to negative events, especially on a chronic level, our experience of stress builds and if we don’t do something to counteract this build-up or provide release, we develop a mental cloud that saps energy and reduces contentment. Gratitude has been shown to be more effective for boosting mental health, satisfaction than other positive constructs such as optimism, hope, and compassion. Examples of gratitude exercises include doing a gratitude journal daily (in which you write three things that you are grateful for) and doing mindfulness meditations (spend five minutes with your eyes closed before the household comes alive each morning and connect to nature).


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