Undeniably, the spread of the coronavirus has taken a toll on many people’s mental health, making them more anxious and nervous.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has even released new recommendations on how to manage stress and look after your mental health during such tough times.
The WHO wrote, “Avoid watching, reading or listening to news that cause you to feel anxious or distressed; seek information mainly to take practical steps to prepare your plans and protect yourself and loved ones.”
“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 added.
The health organization has also advised against stigmatizing people infected with the coronavirus, a.k.a. COVID-19.
“Don’t attach it to any ethnicity or nationality,” the WHO wrote. “Be empathetic to those who got affected, in and from any country, those with the disease have not done anything wrong.”
The spread of the virus has already led to increased anxiety among people across the globe, prompting them to take precautionary measures.
Director of clinical research and quality at the American Psychological Association (APA), Vaile Wright, said, “We are seeing increasing levels of anxiety [in the U.S.] over a relatively short period of time.”
For more than 19 percent of adults who already have an anxiety disorder, the coronavirus outbreak could exacerbate their anxiety, according to The Washington Post.
Clinical Psychologist Krystal Lewis said, “This is definitely a trigger for a lot of patients. For anyone who might have OCD or specific concerns about getting sick, once you start seeing those signs pop up even more, and the Purell is everywhere, it can be really tough.”
Specialists have several recommendations for people on how to maintain mental health during the outbreak, according to The Washington Post. Those recommendations include avoiding crowds but not isolating yourself, eating healthy food, getting enough sleep, exercising, avoiding too much alcohol, exercising, checking reliable news sources, and seeking help if any flu-like symptoms occur.
