Brace your Mental Health for the Next Covid Wave

If there’s one thing we all have in common today - doctors, lawyers, students, professionals, parents, siblings - it’s that we have questioned our existence multiple times during the past two years. 

The global pandemic has not been kind to anyone (except maybe sanitiser manufacturers?). Wave after wave gave us hope of things going back to normal and then shattered it, and not just once. The worst part was perhaps the uncertainty and bleakness of what lay ahead.

As the world gears up for the next wave and masks become mandatory again, it’s important to prioritise holistic care once again, both physical and mental. Getting a Carebyte subscription will give you 24x7 access to psychologists, fitness coaches, physicians and other healthcare professionals.

Linking the Pandemic to Increased Mental Health Decline:

According to a scientific WHO brief, 2020 saw a 25% increase in the global prevalence of depression and anxiety. Some of the major contributing factors were constraints on mobility, isolation, fear of getting infected, death of family members and financial stresses. The brief also pointed out that young people and women were affected the most, while people with pre-existing physical conditions like asthma, heart disease and cancer were more likely to develop symptoms of mental disorders. According to the Global Burden of Disease study, young people were more likely to indulge in self-harming and suicidal behaviours. 

While the first wave was rough, it was more about adapting to staying indoors. The second wave brought it much closer to home, with several people losing loved ones rapidly. With a lack of face-to-face solutions, online psychologist therapy and counselling sessions saw a rapid increase in demand. It also threw light on the lack of mental health infrastructure in the country. And while many rushed to fill the demand, there are several issues like accessibility, high costs of consultations and additional service costs that still remain unanswered. But not for long.

Brace Your Mental Health for the New Wave:

The feeling of helplessness during the pandemic has had its own waves. But the important thing to remember is that if you aren’t a doctor or epidemiologist, you cannot find a vaccine or cure that will take away everyone’s problems. There are several actions you can take and many more you can’t. Instead of worrying about what you can’t do, you’ll do yourself a favour by focusing on what you can do. This includes wearing masks in public, practising social distancing, washing your hands regularly and maintaining hygiene. 

There are also several alternatives you can choose from as coping mechanisms. This could be in many forms:

• Reduce the amount of news you watch in the day. Take time to detox from the internet at least once a week.
• Stay in touch with friends, family and neighbours.
• Find different ways to help and serve others. This could be by providing food, volunteering or giving donations to needy people and organisations that help them.
• Try to stay positive as much as possible despite the bleakness of the situation.
• Reach out to a mental health professional whenever you need to. Seeing an online psychologist for therapy can help you unload your emotional stress regularly.
  

Solving Mental Health Challenges with Carebyte:

Carebyte is a healthcare subscription program that gives you access to a team of healthcare professionals anytime, anywhere using the mobile app. With a one-time subscription fee, you get unlimited free consultations, follow-ups, consistent healthcare treatments, diet plans, nutrition and fitness maps and overall physical and mental checks. What’s more, you also get inpatient medical cover up to Rs. 3 lakh with your annual subscription.