Go on holiday. You need one.

I've had the good fortune to travel in the last three weeks. My partner and I were able to save some money and travel through Europe after?lockdown and some reprieve from COVID limitations. We hadn't travelled in three years, yet what struck me about this trip was how different it seemed. We went to "The Markthal" ( picture above) a residential and office building with a market hall underneath, located in Rotterdam. The building was opened on October 1, 2014, by Queen Máxima of the Netherlands.

Usually, a holiday is aimed at relaxation, rest and getting out of your usual routine. But this time around, I believe lockdown has resulted in a slew of new reasons why we so desperately need a holiday.?For one, a simple sense of freedom. Being able to climb on a plane and travel to wherever I wanted (albeit with many restrictions to still abide by.) Also, the emotional trauma and PTSD that it's left us with have also made this holiday feel different. How we've taken freedom for granted.

So I've set out to find why it feels so different this time around? I've come across some of the massive impacts that the pandemic has had on mental health. In brand-new studies coming out of China, Spain, the United States, and other countries, researchers are discovering in real-time how we are collectively coping with this worldwide event. The results are not uplifting, but they aren’t surprising either. We are suffering, some of us worse than others. You don’t have to have lost a job or a loved one to be affected. Humans are complex, and so are emotional responses to the pandemic.

Kira M. Newman?the managing editor of?Greater Good shares some of her findings in this article below.

1. We’re anxious, depressed, and traumatized.

As COVID-19 spread through China in January and February, researchers were already sending out questionnaires to citizens locked down in their homes. In?half?a?dozen?studies with over 10,000 respondents, they found that people were experiencing?worse mental health problems?than before the pandemic—high symptoms of stress, anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Up to half showed serious signs of?depression?(depending on the study), while up to 35 percent showed serious?anxiety.

And studies find that this stress and anxiety fuel?poor sleep, creating a vicious cycle. The more we lay awake at night during the pandemic, rehashing worries we have no control over, the worse our?mental?health?becomes.

2. Some of us are lonely, but not all

Stay-at-home orders and social distancing have left many people isolated, so it makes sense that we would be feeling lonely. And, indeed, nearly?1 in 7 U.S. adults?said they were often or always lonely in April 2020, up over 25 percent from 2018. But another?study?in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K. found that people’s feelings of connection to others didn’t change much from before to during the pandemic. When one group of researchers?surveyed?over 1,500 people in the U.S. from January to April, they were surprised to find “remarkable resilience.” Not only did people not become lonelier over time, but they actually gained a greater sense of support from others.?

3. The effects depend on your personality, lifestyle, and demographics.

While older people have greater health risks from COVID-19, it seems to be younger people who are struggling emotionally. According to studies from?Spain,?China, and?Slovenia, younger people tend to be more depressed, anxious, stressed, and traumatized in the era of COVID-19. The same is true?for?women, who may also be more?lonely.?

There’s no clear explanation for why this might be true, but researchers have some speculations. Women tend to have?worse mental health?in general, and certain stressors right now—like the added?burden?of caregiving and the risk of losing jobs—may fall more heavily on women. For younger people, it could be the disruptions to their routines that are to blame, particularly for?college students?who have had to adjust to online schooling.

Personality also influences how we fare in tough times. Two related traits that seem to matter during the pandemic are our ability to tolerate uncertainty and our ability to tolerate distress. While it’s hard for anyone to struggle or face the unknown, some people are less comfortable with it than others. And right now, it’s those people who seem to be?ruminating more, feeling more afraid, and experiencing more?depression, anxiety, and PTSD.

We need a holiday but instead of sun beach and partying maybe we need something slightly different.

Here are some positive coping skills to address the mind, body, and soul during this pandemic:

1. Be aware of your thoughts.

Your choice of thoughts has an immediate influence on your central nervous system. This is science. And that tiny structure in your brain that was designed to keep you alive—your amygdala—loves to shine a light on all the ways you could be harmed or killed. When completed, it will also push you to consider all possible negative consequences for each and every person you love or care about.

2. Practice self-care

Schedule self-care in your calendar. Really. And when you have a day where you feel underwater, and the fear takes over, acknowledge and accept it all, then go to sleep and try again tomorrow.

3. Go Outside.

Nature is a healer, and there is all kinds of?science to prove it. Being outside in nature:

• boosts energy
• is good for your vision
• helps you focus
• can help mitigate pain
• boosts your immune system
• enhances creativity
• gives you vitamin D
• can lessen sadness
• helps you let go of pressures in society

Enough said.

4. Ground yourself.

I also refer to this as “getting back into your body.”

It’s that heavy feeling you get after you’ve exercised or done something relaxing like a massage. When you are grounded in your body, you are more easily able to stay out of the thinking mind where overanalyzing and?fear?thrive.?

5. Reconnect

Take the time & make the time to reconnect with people friends and family. Even if you're encouraged to self-isolate, it's critical that you find methods to connect (in the event that you have been exposed or are contagious)

Get to know your neighbours better. Achieve a renewed sense of belonging in the community. One-on-one or phone conversations with friends and family can be arranged. Inspire and improve yourself through meaningful connections with others.

Don't get bogged down in the details of your fears and anxieties. Encourage each other to look for answers or focus on what you can control rather than focusing on the fear, worry, and problems that you can't manage. For self-care, it's important to connect with someone who is willing to go there with you, even if it's just for a short time.

Lastly, if you can. Go on holiday. Go somewhere completely different and unexpecting. Change your space. Change your energy. Change everything.

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