Impact of COVID-19 on Mental Health

If you’ve been following my blog, you know that last week I was talking about the impact on the physical body of the stress and emotions from COVID-19. Essentially what I was saying is that long term stress from fear and uncertainty can build up in the nervous system, and create tension and eventually pain in the physical body. It doesn’t always create it out of nowhere, but it sets the stage for a “I moved in the wrong way and now X body part is spasming and really hurts.”

Today I want to continue with this COVID-19 theme by talking about the effects of this sustained stress and emotions on the mental health. So just as this accumulated tension in the body can eventually lead to physical pain, it can also create anxiety, sleeplessness, or depression. Depending on how a person is wired, some people tend to express things more physically, and some more mental/emotionally. And there are those that can have both.

When we are faced with fear and uncertainty for an extended period of time, people might notice that they are feeling more of that sense of anxiousness or unease in the mind, and more often. Or that their sleep is more elusive or restless. This can be slightly more difficult to notice since it’s not a screaming pain and is manifesting as a more general sense of mental unease.

This is why it’s so important when faced with all that we are dealing with right now (global pandemic, social unrest, police brutality, injustice, unemployment, financial stress, etc.) to actively take care of yourself to prevent it from spiraling out of control.

So if you’ve been noticing more anxiety or mood changes, and more frequent sleep difficulty, it’s a good idea to double-down on self care and some of the practices I mentioned last week to actively release the tension and emotions from all that’s going on in the world these days. It’s definitely the most intense time I’ve ever known! And still I’m optimistic about the future.