Are You Facing New Anxieties? How To Know If You Have A Handle On 2021.
A new year generally marks a new beginning, but 2021 isn’t like any year in recent memory. As the coronavirus pandemic continues, anxiety and isolation remain persistent for many people avoiding social activity. Friends and loved ones may have been separated for many months, even as they mourn lives lost to the virus. Coping has turned into something of a marathon, with new challenges that may require fresh strategies to maintain some peace of mind.
There’s light at the end of the tunnel: vaccination efforts are underway, and the promise of some return to normal activities is on the horizon. But much of the anxiety and uncertainty that the pandemic has brought into our daily lives still remains. And just as the crisis continues to evolve, so do our potential emotional responses to these extraordinary circumstances.
It helps to know you’re not alone. Many people have found themselves facing recent developments with a variety of mixed emotions. Here are some of the unique stressors cropping up in 2021, and useful tips for managing your mental health.
1. Vaccine rollout is encouraging. Mindfulness and patience are key.
Though the vaccination rollout is accelerating, it’s not proceeding as quickly or smoothly as many would like. In addition to staying up to date on vaccine distribution in your area, it’s essential to keep in mind that the process will take time. When you’re looking at a monthslong wait for an eventual shot, it’s easy to forget that the record-breaking speed of vaccine development has been a scientific marvel.
Cultivating patience, nearly a year into the pandemic, is easier said than done. A daily meditation or mindfulness practice can help foster a broader perspective, allowing you to step back and consider the bigger picture when frustration with daily details feels overwhelming.
2. Transmission rates are decreasing, but variants are even more contagious. What now?
Keeping up with the latest coronavirus news can be stressful enough, and even more so when updates seem at odds with each other. Though transmission rates are falling in some areas, new variants of the virus have proven more contagious than ever. The CDC has finally released concrete and useful information about masks, including a recent study with suggestions like double-masking for best protection.
Staying informed, and doing what feels safest for you and your family, remains the best we can do on an individual level. Understanding the extent of what you can control, and making peace with what you can’t, is key to maintaining some sense of calm. Avoiding the virus doesn’t have to mean hiding out on your sofa. In addition to meditation, engaging in physical activity that includes fresh air is another effective way to clear your head. Exercise has been proven to ease symptoms of depression and anxiety.
3. Pandemic fatigue is real, where do we find more stamina?
Speaking of your sofa, it’s natural for you two to have a love-hate relationship at this point. Staying home may have felt like a novel, low-lift commitment last spring; a year on, the routine has understandably grown tired. Whether you’ve been able to work from home or not, chances are you’re at least a little bored with the monotony of mostly staying in. But while we are seeing each other less, it’s important to remember that so many of us are feeling the same things.
FaceTimes and group chats may have been lighting up our devices in the pandemic’s early days, but by now our isolation has come to feel normalized. Making an effort to reach out to friends and loved ones, even just for a quick check-in, can do wonders for our sense of connectedness. It’s natural to feel like withdrawing sometimes, but reaching out to friends and family when you need support is essential.
4. Pandemic anniversaries aren’t fun. Try looking forward instead of back.
Memories of previous milestones — the date of your last vacation, when you went into isolation, your first quarantine birthday — can bring up difficult emotions as we approach the pandemic’s one-year mark. It’s understandable to feel despondent when you look back at the calendar and recognize how much time has elapsed since the pandemic’s onset. Looking ahead with hope for what’s to come can balance out the distress of considering the past.
While making concrete plans for the future is still tough, imagination and anticipation can go a long way. Ruminating about what you’re looking forward to once it becomes possible, from travel to spending quality time with loved ones, can help inspire a bit of hope and steer you away from dwelling too much on the past.
As life under the pandemic continues to evolve, addressing mental health challenges with a professional can be an invaluable resource. Visit us at Skyler Health, where we empower people to prevent and stop anxiety, pain, medication & substance dependence with professional, licensed, and vetted counselors that you can trust.
