I learned a new clinical term last week: Pandemic-Related Psychological Distress. A colleague recently shared this article with me: The Nature and Treatment of Pandemic-Related Psychological Distress (Sanderson et al., 2020). Everything in the article sounded familiar to me — it fit with the themes I’m hearing from my clients, friends, and family — not to mention my own experience during the pandemic:
Fear and Stress — check
Existential Concerns — check
Increased Media Consumption — double check
Unrealistic Personal Expectations — that’s me
Poor Sleep, Sedentary Behavior, Zoom Fatigue — yep, yep, and yep
Non-bereavement Related Loss — I miss normal life
Frustration — sounds about right
Many people I’ve talked to are experiencing emotional ups and downs. One day we feel fine and we think things will be okay. We might even see a few silver linings here and there. And then the next day our “surge capacity” gets depleted. Everything feels lonely and exhausting, and we feel like this will never end. At times we might try to cope with our stress in ways that aren’t helpful, like drinking more alcohol than usual, watching too much TV, or checking the news late at night. And usually that just digs us in deeper.
The truth is, just about everyone is stressed in some way right now. And that makes sense — this is a chronic and highly stressful situation, of course it has an emotional impact on all of us. All the emotions you might be feeling right now are valid. This is hard. Go easy on yourself for feeling whatever you are feeling.
We humans are an adaptable species. Sometimes I’m amazed by how quickly we’ve adapted to the pandemic already, adjusting our lives as necessary. It’s hard, but we will get through this together, and most of us will be resilient in the end. According to experts on Posttraumatic Growth, periods of adversity are often associated with emotions of grief and loss, followed by hopeful periods of adjustment, healing, and growth.
And in the meantime, below are some tips and resources that might be helpful.
Ten Tips for Coping with Pandemic Stress
As the article points out, “There is no ‘right’ way to cope with the pandemic… individuals need to simply do what works best for them during these challenging times.” (Sanderson et al., 2020). Here are some suggestions, based on evidence-based therapy practices, you might want to try out
Accept painful emotions. Remember that all of the emotions you are having are valid; fear, anger, sadness, etc. are all normal human reactions to a stressful situation like this. When difficult emotions arise, practice opening up to them and accepting them as they are, instead of thinking there’s something wrong with you for feeling this way. Attempts to avoid or control our emotions usually make things worse. Your emotions might even teach you about what’s most important to you.
Be flexible in the face of uncertainty. There is so much we don’t know about the future ahead of us these days. Our minds don’t tend to like uncertainty, but here we are (unfortunately). Try to maintain a stance of flexibility and openness to uncertainty, as you face the unknown.
Reach out for support. Social support matters a lot! Talk to a supportive person about your feelings, and make time to be with people you care about - virtually will work if you can’t be together in person. Either way, it’s important to reach out if you’re struggling.
Don’t get too stuck in pessimism and worry. It’s normal to worry and have negative, pessimistic thoughts, but you don’t want to get to bogged down by them or let them run your life. If you are getting stuck in a spiral of unhelpful thinking, be aware that these are just thoughts, not necessarily facts, and free yourself up from your mind.
Remember our common humanity. All of our experiences are unique, but most everyone is having some form of difficulty right now. Remember, you are not alone!
Take perspective. It can help to look at the big picture of your life, with all it’s ups and down. Most people over the course of time have faced suffering in some form or another. And when things feel especially dire, take perspective by remembering this statement from the article: “COVID-19 will pass, humankind will survive, almost everyone will still be alive in its aftermath.” — Sanderson et al., 2020.
Take care of yourself. Check your habits, and see if you are engaging in any that increase your stress in the long run. It can be helpful (and hard!) to prioritize sleep and exercise, and limit alcohol use during stressful times. It can also help to take some time away from screens each day, and limit your news consumption to a healthy daily dose for you. And go easy on yourself in terms of expectations - this is not the time to put extra pressure on yourself!
Just do “the next right thing.” (Any other Frozen 2 fans reading this? Fist bump!) I love this song from Frozen 2, which is a reminder that even in our darkest moments, it’s possible to carry on by just doing the next small action that’s in the direction of our values. Put one foot in front of the other, and repeat.
Get outside of yourself and your own problems. With too much time to think about ourselves, we can start to get a little too stuck in our own problems and have trouble seeing past them. It can help to take a values-based step outside of ourselves, through helping others, extending compassion to someone who’s hurting, or making a contribution to a cause we care about. This is a great time to volunteer or make a donation to the local food bank or another helping organization (if you have time and resources). Helping others feels rewarding, and can get us out of being stuck in our own problems.
Get Mental Health Support if needed. If you are struggling with Pandemic-Related Psychological Distress and finding it hard to cope, please consider reaching out to a mental health professional for support and strategies to help you move forward.
More Resources
Check out my recent Podcast Episode on ACT for Pandemic Stress, with my co-host Dr. Diana Hill! In this episode, we share some strategies for coping with Pandemic Stress from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and talk about what we are experiencing in our own lives.
Check out my local news appearance on Pandemic-Related Psychological distress here
Article: The Nature and Treatment of Pandemic-Related Psychological Distress (Sanderson et al., 2020) and the Self-Help Guide that goes with it.
For more resources, see this list of Resources for Challenging Times.
National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1-800-273-8255
Image by Willfried Wende from Pixabay