Is the pandemic really increasing our stress levels?

The pandemic, natural disasters and other potential crisis events are known to pose a threat to mental health.

The American Psychological Association (APA) has highlighted the constant negative impact of Covid-19 on mental health. Indeed 16-18% of the participants showed symptoms of anxiety and depression. In particular, it has been showed that coronavirus can stir up all sorts of feelings, like fear, anxiety or stress.

A little stress can be helpful. It can be the motivation that keeps us self-isolating or “washing our hands”. However, constant or high levels of stress can negatively affect our mental and physical health.

Taking care of our minds is always important, but doing it in the middle of a pandemic can be really tricky. For that reason, people are worried about their health families, their job or about how long they have to stay inside their houses.

Unfortunately, signs of coronavirus anxiety are rising day by day. So, what can we do about it? Excessive worrying is dangerous. Have you been feeling worried for the past few days? During this uncertain time our minds have the tendency to overthink and to create situations out of the what-ifs. If you feel like you can't stop worrying then designate a time for your worries, like 10 minutes per day. You can talk to someone about it during that time. Make sure to take time to unplug from your social media platforms and make sure to spend some time without constantly checking the news. Moreover, start your day well and before you get out of bed concentrate on three things you can see. For example, your patterned curtains, the blue sky or even just a lightbulb.

Although it's tempting to stay curled up in bed adapting and creating positive new routines can be helpful and keep you motivated. For example, during your spare time listen to a podcast or go for a walk. Exercising outdoors every day is good for mental and physical well-being.

Set aside time to speak to friends, family or your colleagues. Connecting with others releases feelgood hormones that help to relieve stress. But most importantly take care of yourself each day.
Stress cannot overwhelm you!