Page 30 - Silver Lakes April 2021

TODAY'S CHILD

A YEAR LATER…

WE ARE STILL

EXPERIENCING

STRESS

By Dr Ilse Ruane

he outbreak of Covid has had a It is natural to feel stress, anxiety, grief and understand more about how stress affects
major effect on our lives. Many of worry during the pandemic. Too much you as an individual, you will come up
Tus are facing challenges that are stress, however, can seriously affect your with your own ideas of helping to ease the
stressful, overwhelming and cause strong physical and mental well-being. Too much tensions.
emotional reactions in both adults and bad or negative stress causes distress. A
children. Social distancing practices major challenge in this stress-filled context • Know your limits. If a problem is beyond
have increased feelings of isolation and of Covid is to make the stress in your life your control and cannot be changed at
loneliness. Economic uncertainty, loss of not work against you. the moment, do not fight the situation.
incomes and loss of life have resulted in Learn to accept what is, for now, until
a decrease in our ability to cope, and a Stress is with us all the time. Ordinarily such time when you can change it. The
decrease in our resilience to keep mental we are able to balance our stresses Covid situation forces us to face our
health concerns at bay. for ourselves. But currently, the Covid frailty head-on. There is very little we
context does not give us much freedom to have control over in these times with
Learning to cope with stress in a healthy navigate the situation or withdraw when regards to Covid itself. But we do have
way will make you, and the people around the situation gets too much. How we control over other things. Therefore, we
you, more resilient. respond to stress is unique and personal need to focus on controlling the things
to each of us. So personal, in fact, that we do have control over – control the
Stress may cause the following: what may be relaxing to one person may controllables.
• Feelings of fear, anger, sadness, worry or be stressful to another. It is also important
frustration to learn how our bodies respond to these Let us look at what we do have control
• Changes in appetite, energy, desires and demands. Recognising the early signs of over:
interests distress and then doing something about • Take a break from the news including
• Difficulty concentrating and decision- them can make an important difference in social media. There is little value to
making the quality of your life, and may actually news and social media currently other
• Difficulty sleeping, dreams or influence how you exit the covid situation, than increasing our stress levels. Try
nightmares eventually. and filter the information into ‘must
• Physical reactions: headaches, body know’ versus ‘sensational news’. It is
pains, stomach problems and skin What to do good to be informed, but hearing about
rashes When stress does occur, it is important to Covid all the time is upsetting, and …
• Worsening chronic health problems, recognise and deal with it. Here are some unnecessary.
including mental health problems suggestions for ways to handle stress. • Make time to unwind. Try and do things
• Increased coping through alcohol, Some are more Covid specific while others you enjoy or used to enjoy. Some people
tobacco and other substances. can be used generally. As you begin to report no longer doing the things that

28 INTRA MUROS APRIL 2021