During the COVID-19 pandemic, we are required to stay home and practice social distancing. During these trying times, I think it’s important we focus on our mental health.
Staying inside for long periods of time can have negative effects on a person. According to Health Magazine, “being indoors for too long will put us in a hibernation mode.”
This means we are not getting enough exposure to sunlight. The magazine states that getting sunlight has many benefits such as: “Sunlight exposure can improve people’s moods, produce vitamin D, reduce body inflammation, and keep our internal body clock on schedule”. Being in quarantine makes it hard for people to get the amount of sunlight needed.
On sunny days, be sure to open your curtains or even go out for a walk. Be sure to practice social distancing if you do decide to go out. The magazine says that only 20 minutes of sunlight per day can be enough for your mind and body.
I know going outside can be scary, but I definitely recommend trying to get sunlight every now and then to improve our moods. Our mental health is something we should take care of just like our physical health.
Besides being unable to get enough sunlight, Time magazine claims staying indoors for too long can bring about anxiety and insomnia. People can feel this way when they don’t go out for a long time in general, but I feel that because of this pandemic people are experiencing more anxiety and stress being cooped up at home. People are fearing their health as well as the health of their loved ones.
According to the CDC, “this fear can cause changes in our sleep or eating patterns, create difficulty sleeping or concentrating, cause an increase in the use of alcohol and drugs, and even worsen any chronic health problems a person might have.”
This pandemic is taking a toll on our mental health and we have to try our best to find ways to cope with the stress of social distancing. In order to take care of our mental health, the CDC recommends that we take breaks from watching, reading, listening to news stories, and social media since constantly hearing about the virus can be upsetting.
The CDC also recommends we take care of our bodies by taking deep breaths, stretching, or meditating. Eating healthy, exercising, and avoiding alcohol and drugs should also try to be done. We should try to do the activities we enjoy as well as talking to people about how we are feeling or about any concerns that we might have.
I think we should follow the CDC coping mechanisms for this pandemic to try to lessen the stress this situation has given us. People are trying their best to find a cure and we must do our best to stay strong.