Dealing with Stress & Isomnia in Pandemic

Image via Unsplash

Since the beginning of the pandemic, anxiety has gone rampant among the people of all regions.

Whether it’s economically strong and developed countries like US and UK, or under-developed countries of Asia and Africa, rich and poor are in the same boat.

And when the stress kicks in, the common struggle for every stressed person is getting a GOOD NIGHT SLEEP.

In the USA, according to 2016 data taken from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately a third of US adults were getting a minimum of seven hours of sleep per night.

But since the start of the pandemic, people are struggling to get good night sleep. There has been a 14.38% overall increase in the number of prescriptions filled for sleep disorders between February 16 and March 15 — a report from pharmacy benefits manager Express Scripts indicated.

Another study which was conducted by Kaiser Family Foundation found out that 36% of Americans reported difficulty sleeping this summer due to stress about the pandemic.

This is an alarming situation because lack of sleep can cause life-threatening diseases like obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes.

However, with effective stress management and maintaining sleep hygiene, you can combat stress and improve the quality and quantity of your sleep.

Here are some tips that will prove useful in alleviating stress and ultimately sleeping better:

1. Stay in the present. Don’t overthink. Nobody knows what the future holds for you, but does it make any difference? Don’t ruin your present by foreboding over the future.
2. You can’t control everything. So why fret about things that are beyond your control? Instead, divert your attention to the things that you can control, and by controlling them you can improve the quality of your life.
3. Don’t binge on news. The media is doing its job, they are paid to make a big deal of small things. Their job is to spread panic. You are better off by not knowing what’s happening outside because most of the things shown are not real, or not as severe as shown in the media.
4. Be physically active. Physical activity can lower your overall stress. Though it is advisable to stay indoors to avoid this deadly virus, you can go outside for a stroll— preferably in daylight, with the face covered with a mask.
5. Isolation only means you are physically isolated from the rest of the world. Luckily, this virus can’t be transmitted from Facebook messenger or phone call. You can still get in touch with friends and loved ones via social media and your phone. We all have that one friend who is more than a friend. Make sure you keep in touch with him/her and take out whatever you are holding that is making you feel anxious.
6. Follow strict sleep hygiene. Avoid using your phone at least an hour before your sleep.
7. Eat less and avoid junk food. People who eat too much junk food are more likely to experience depression.
8. Read motivational and self-help book. Don’t read fiction that may simulate this pandemic, it’ll only make you feel more anxious.
9. Find your Ikigai. Do the things that you enjoy doing. Get enrolled in online courses to learn a skill that you always fancied learning but couldn’t take out time for it.
10. Seek mental health if your condition doesn’t improve. In severe cases, you might have to take sleeping pills or anti-depressants.

Takeaway

Mental health is one of the biggest challenges people all over the globe are facing in this pandemic. Unfortunately, there are no pills for instant relief. However, with proper stress management, you can take care of your mental health and ultimately improve the quality of your life. It is true that life can’t be the same as it used to be until everything around us is brought back to normal. But the importance of mental health gets even greater when our brain is constantly exposed to fight or flight mode. So make sure you are not overthinking, living in the present and focusing on things that are in your control.