How the Global Pandemic Has Created a Chronic Stress Crisis
How the Global Pandemic Has Created a Chronic Stress Crisis
Most people have never lived through a frightening event like the pandemic of 2020. This was one where life as we know it changed, and more than a year later, things still aren’t back to normal.
People lost their jobs, relationships crumbled, they had their health put at risk, or lost loved ones to the virus. Finances were ruined and businesses had to close. It’s no wonder the mental health of men and women has suffered so greatly during this tumultuous time.
For each person, there would be a factor they could pinpoint as to what the biggest stress was regarding the pandemic. Some would say it’s the claustrophobia they feel at being locked down for months on end.
Other would say it’s the lack of human interaction they now have. They no longer get to chat with coworkers in person, their kids don’t have playmates to interact with, and they can’t even visit their grandparents or other loved one when they need it the most.
Financial stress has been a big stressor, even with small government stimulus funds that really didn’t do much to assist the average household. If they were business owners, being forced to close for months could be devastating – and they also had to watch their staff suffer the loss, too.
While many have suffered greatly during the pandemic from stress, others have thrived. The isolation has made them reconsider their priorities. They’ve been forced to engage in down time, pick up stress-relieving hobbies and learn more self-sufficiency.
Though some turned to destructive habits, like drinking, using drugs, or overeating, others used this time to better themselves. They began doing at home workouts to improve their bodies.
They started doing things like puzzles, painting, participating in volunteer duties like dropping off goods to nursing homes or making dog toys for shelter pets. The global pandemic has caused a lot of suffering.
That can’t be denied. It hasn’t ended, either. There are still businesses shut down. Still regulations on social gathering. But you have the ability to determine how you handle the stress of this situation.
You can either face it head on with active solutions or allow it to steamroll you and usher in a wealth of problems that will only worsen what you’re going through. Use this time to help yourself and your loved ones better manage the stress life throws at you.
