Adjusting to life post-COVID-19 pandemic has proven difficult on a worldwide scale.
Since the 2020 lockdown, there has been an approximately 25% increase in anxiety and
depression, as reported by the World Health Organization. Stress factors such as increased
isolation, financial worries, fear of death, and exhaustion have been linked to these increasing
rates of poor mental health. Of the individuals most affected by the pandemic, healthcare
professionals have been identified as having higher levels of suicidal thoughts as a result of
higher work-related stress levels and exhaustion.
The pandemic set in motion a “self-care boom.” Social media platforms became beacons
of hope as they provided audiences with useful tips to “stay sane and stay healthy” in the months
following. More and more people immersed themselves and relied on the internet to help bring
them comfort and help them take control of their lives once more.
During the pandemic, I was one of the many who found themselves struggling to stay
afloat. My mental health crumbled as I spent hours upon hours locked inside with my thoughts. I
found it extremely difficult to assimilate to this new form of life and saw these effects trickle into
my life post-COVID. My social anxiety was at an all time high. I felt uncomfortable surrounded
by people and was overwhelmed by the human interaction I craved while being forced to stay
indoors. I turned towards methods of “self-care” in hopes of finding some “peace.” I spent extra
money pampering myself, went on mother-daughter dates, and listened to music to try and block
out some of my inner thoughts. – I relied on what I saw on the internet. I figured, “This MUST
work; everyone on social media is talking about it.”
It wasn’t until my fourth year of college that I truly understood the meaning of “self-
care.” One of my classes heavily revolved around deconstructing what self-care actually meant
and how it could be used to help those around us. It highlighted the fact that true self-care, or
radical self-care, dealt with partaking in practices that nourished the body as a whole. The
practices worked to target our mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual selves. My professor
explained that more well-rounded self-care practices involved meditation, time spent outdoors
and in nature, journaling, and improved sleeping patterns. Moreover, she discussed the
importance of taking care of our inner struggles in order to be better equipped to support those
around us.
Boy was I wrong- I was addressing the issue on a superficial level! I thought that
monetary investments would help alleviate some of the anxiety and mental anguish I was
experiencing. I failed to nourish my body on a deeper level and saw that reflected in the lack of
improvement.
As Public Health workers, we must first learn to take care of our own needs so that we
might better address the needs of the communities we aim to help. Being fully charged and ready
to go will allow us to better support our targeted communities for as long as they need without
experiencing burnout.
Resources:
https://www.who.int/news/item/02-03-2022-covid-19-pandemic-triggers-25-increase-in-
prevalence-of-anxiety-and-depression-worldwide