This post is to address an underlying pandemic that has been existing within us for decades, a pandemic that is equally significant as the COVID-19 pandemic, if not larger. This pandemic is one that affects hundreds of millions of people yearly, unlike any other illness. Today, we will be talking about the mental health pandemic.
According to the WHO, mental health illness affects 1 in 4 people globally, and it is one of the leading causes of death. However, it is still not treated with priority and individuals still don’t recognize how potent these illnesses can be. The dangers of this pandemic are still overlooked across the globe, and this is largely due to lack of education and awareness. In order for the pandemic to be treated with utmost importance, we must spread awareness about mental health illness, its significance, and how dangerous it can be, while also removing any stigmas associated with mental health.
Now more than ever, we must realize the significance of mental health. Due to the social distancing and isolation measures brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, we have been cut off from two very important activities: human contact and going outside. The activities we took for granted are actually the things we miss the most, and this is having detrimental implications on the mental health of individuals. Moreover, two more effects of COVID-19, job loss and financial insecurities, are expected to also cause a rise in mental health illness. In fact, according to KFF survey, around 45% of individuals have felt negative effects within their mental health. So, during the Coronavirus Pandemic, we have actually seen more mental health illnesses than before.
So what can we do to maintain our mental wellbeing during challenging times like these? Even though there is no definitive answer as to how we can do this, there are things we can do to at least TRY. You can keep yourself occupied through a wide range of activities such as reading a book, writing, engaging in physical activity, watching a movie, playing some video games, or cooking. It is important to also keep a healthy balance between these activities. For instance, binging a show is not very good for both your mental and physical health. Moreover, in a digitally connected world such as ours, you can always call or text your friends or loved ones whenever you want!
It is also important to help others during these times. If you see a neighbor, family member, or friend feeling down lately, you should reach out to see what’s wrong! We must help each other and get through this together.
All in all, we must all realize that we are currently dealing with TWO pandemics, and we must equally address both to ensure mental and physical wellbeing.