Pay attention to your mental health, too

As we near the one-year anniversary of when COVID-19 first entered and ravaged New York, we are reminded of the fear and anxiety it initially caused. It’s been a long grind since, especially from a mental health perspective.

The emotional toll and stress put on our health care and essential workers has been unprecedented and unthinkable. But it’s affected you, too.

We’ve transitioned from being worried about our health and panicking about our own mortality to dealing with significant loss of life. Grief followed. And COVID has now impacted our jobs, finances, schooling, childcare, families. The list is endless. Daily life hasn’t been the same.

Put simply, we’ve never endured a situation like this. And the mental health issues that have surfaced or been exacerbated dealing with this crisis need to be addressed to avoid a pandemic after the pandemic. In December, more than 42 percent of people surveyed by the US Census Bureau reported depression or anxiety symptoms, which was an 11-percent increase from 2019.

How can we alleviate this stress? First, take a breath. Then, start with hope.

Hope may seem like a four-letter word when you are overwhelmed and there seems to be no way out. But its power can be reinvigorating and, in this moment, unifying. To truly recover, we must all band together under the conviction that things will get better, because hope is more than just a wish, it’s a belief.

For me, I find hope every day I walk into one of our health care facilities or hospitals and connect with team members who — still a year later — exude unity and confidence. “We’ve got this” is their daily mantra.

I also find hope in the vaccines that are slowly making its way across the world. Things will get better as you can now see the light at the end of the tunnel. Watching the precipitous decline in daily positive cases, some suggest that we may be in the first leg of herd immunity after you combine the millions who have recovered from the virus and have antibodies with the number of Americans who have received at least one dose of the vaccine. This is the moment we have been waiting for.

But most of all, hope is an active process. In any disaster, there are victims and helpers. And for COVID-19, we have all been impacted and are now on the pathway to recovery. We need a mentality that we are not just victims and powerless to COVID’s twists and turns. There are tools available. Here are a few suggestions:

1.    Build resilience. Find a new balance. Know how to problem solve and respond to stress. Take a look at some valuable resources from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

2.    Practice stress-recovery solutions. If work-related, have an open dialogue with your supervisor and colleagues. Remind yourself that everyone is in an unusual situation with limited resources. Embrace your friends and family, as they have been your “rocks” the past 11 months. Find a consistent routine — sleep and eat right, take breaks and exercise. Go for a walk. Meditate. And most importantly, recognize that you are doing the best you can.

3.    Tap into what has worked. Early in the crisis we all came together, realizing the importance of our health. We stayed connected and learned how important human interaction is once it was taken away. Use technology to connect if you are physically unable to.

4.    Find treatment if needed. Remove the stigma of needing help with your mental health. There is no shame in this. In fact, the stress you are feeling will eventually overrun you unless you take action. Ask for help. Schedule a telepsychiatry visit or visit your primary care provider.

COVID has been a sustained disaster, much longer than other catastrophes like 9/11, where people suffered from post-traumatic stress well after that fateful day. We need to prepare for what’s ahead after the pandemic. Remember, this is a marathon, not a sprint. And we are about to turn the corner and see the finish line. Let’s make sure we are mentally fit for when we get there.