COVID-19: Practical Tips to Foster Mental Well-Being

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed our daily routines. Efforts to contain its spread transform our social experiences, shift our moods or make our emotions feel tangled in a tight knot. Routinely naming and acknowledging feelings can make them less intense. 

Common Emotions:

  1. Uncertainty ➜ Contributes toward anxiety and mood changes.

  2. Loneliness ➜ Physical distancing can worsen loneliness.

  3. Fear ➜ Experiencing fear during a health crisis is normal.

  4. Grief ➜ The deaths and suffering of so many is painful even if we are not directly affected. 

Activities you can do to address these emotions:

  1. Know that you can protect yourself against COVID-19 by using the three fundamental public health measures: Hand washing, physical distancing, and not touching your face with your hands. 

  2. Create routines

    1. Get up and go to bed at your usual times.

    2. Shower, wash hair, laundry etc. as usual.

    3. Schedule work and other activities such as meals, social time, reflection and exercise.

  3. Stay active

    1. Walk, run, cycle and incorporate other movement into your routine.

    2. Regular aerobic exercise (such as walking or jogging) can be as effective as medication in improving symptoms of depression. 

    3. Physical activity has been shown to improve mood and decrease feelings of depression and anxiety.

  4. Eat healthy food, and minimize alcohol and drug use 

    1. Incorporate fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains into your diet.

    2. Minimize alcohol consumption since it can worsen anxiety or mood. 

  5. Plan social connections even when you are physically distant from others. Creating connection helps with fear, loneliness, grief and uncertainty.

    1. Having strong social connections has even been associated with living longer.

    2. Check in regularly or make virtual dates with friends, family, and loved ones by using virtual tools such as Zoom, Facetime, Skype, Google Hangouts, texting, and phone calls.

  6. Make time to connect with yourself and to foster a sense of belonging through daily mindfulness activities such as meditations, body scans, prayer, journaling, gratitude practice, calm breathing or spending time in nature. A daily mindfulness practice can relieve the intensity of emotions.

  7. Choose to trust that the situation will evolve and know that we are in this together. 

  8. Share emotions with family, friends or with trained professionals which can help you move beyond them.

  9. Stay informed by using trustworthy sources such as WHO, BCCDC, CDC, ECDC, but if you feel overwhelmed, limit news and social media exposure (eg: 1-2 times per day, for 30 minutes).

Mental Health Resources (free or subsidized): 

Created by: Tori Spangehl BKin, BSN, (MD Candidate 2021); Paige Dean BSc, (MD Candidate 2021); Angeli Rawat MPH PhD (Global Public Health Consultant); Maureen Mayhew MD MPH AAC (Clinical Professor) at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada

Maureen Mayhew