For many, it's the
fear of the unknown and uncertainty over how long they have to resort to
limiting their daily lives.
For others, it's the fear of contracting
the coronavirus or worry about how this will affect their financial situation.
There's more. A large number of people are
suddenly waking up to the fear of losing jobs after their employers are done
with the customary lip service of 'we are in it together' kind of stuff.
And finally, there is a concern about a
salary cut.
In a world reeling under COVID-19, there is
no denying that the fears are real.
Psychologists say that the COVID-19 crisis
has indeed created a combination of economic and financial instability, and
there has been a huge disruption of habit and the normal structure of life,
leading to a severe effect on people's emotional health.
For example, hoarding and panic buying in
grocery shops in the initial days of the lockdown were visible examples of
people acting on their fears at the instability and uncertainty they face.
In fact, fear of contamination has become a huge trigger for an almost obsessive-compulsive disorder for many people.
The biggest fear,
of course, is the effect the pandemic can have on people's mental health.
And it can manifest in several ways.
For example, work from home, which sounded
like a bliss in the initial days, is slowly turning out to be a drudgery.
Apart from the fear of impending non-existence of 'work', people are falling into a pattern of overworking, a
sense or feeling that they should be working long hours, to show colleagues and
bosses that they are being produced as no one can physically see them
working.
When they are working from home and can't
get to a call or email right away, the co-workers may wonder if you are taking
it easy.
Stress is normal in a person's life.
But what has
started affecting many people's mental health (often unknowingly) is that among
much global health, economic and societal disruptions, the novel coronavirus
has forced millions to physically isolate.
Combined with an unknown future, it can
create havoc.
Physical distancing, isolation measures,
the closure of schools and workplaces are particularly challenging, as they
affect what we love to do, where we want to be, and who we want to be with,
says an official of the World Health Organisation.
In any case, loneliness is one of the
world's most significant risk factors.
Now that many people’s freedom of movement
is severely limited, the problem has worsened, particularly for older
individuals with limited social life.
That is where the digital age comes to your
aid.
After all, it has
never been so easy to stay connected with the people who matter to you the
most.
Video calls at least give that illusion of
proximity and feels like the person or people you are talking to are nearby.
One way of capitalising on this isolation
is to prioritise the things you enjoy doing by yourself, yet haven't had time
to dedicate to them.
To come out of this feeling of loneliness,
people should utilise this unexpected time to themselves to focus on aspects of
their lives that they may not have paid very much attention to before.
One of the advice
psychologists are giving is to minimise watching, reading or listening to the news
about the COVID-19 that causes you to feel anxious or distressed.
Seek information updates at specific times
during the day, once or twice.
The sudden and near-constant stream of news
reports about an outbreak can cause anyone to feel worried.
It is key to pay special attention to
children during this time.
Children are sensitive and when they hear
adults speaking about the virus in a very distressed way, they are left feeling
nervous, which can lead to long-term negative effects on the child's psyche.
Finally, now that
lay-offs and salary cuts are inevitable in a post-COVID-19 world, companies
need to be extra careful about the stress it might create.
One way of dealing with this is to be as
transparent as possible.
Everybody knows the reason but wants to be
treated with respect and compassion.
After all, how you treat people on their
way out of the door does not go unnoticed by the rest of your organisation.
The short point is that fighting and coping
with the Coronavirus outbreak is not just a physical or medical challenge, but
a psychological one as well.
Source From:- Business Standard
