By Imesha Thushani
COVID – 19 pandemic is growing day by day. This global pandemic has limited the freedom of the whole world. While countries are taking measures to fight this virus in every way possible, some people are fighting for their dear lives.
In this situation, it is difficult for individuals to fulfill their needs. We are constantly struggling with fulfilling our basic needs as well as social needs and security needs. The ‘’needs hierarchy’’ introduced by Abraham Maslow can be used to better understand what human needs are. Psychological needs, Safety Needs, Social Needs, Esteem needs, Self-actualizing are the categories mentioned. According to the Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy, once the basic needs of the individuals are satisfied, they constantly seek to satisfy other needs. Mainly the security and the social needs. The lack of satisfaction of these individual needs causes mental breakdown and mental disorders.
What is Mental Health?
Mental health is an integral and essential component of health. According to the World Health Organization’s definition “Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” An important implication of this definition is that mental health is more than just the absence of mental disorders or disabilities. In other words mental health refers to our cognitive, behavioral, and emotional wellbeing.
The early stages of mental illness are identified as stress.
Symptoms of Stress
Nervousness, Anxiety, Decline in mood, Decline in self-esteem, Causing negative thoughts, Difficulty of getting a clear mind, Heavy alcohol use and smoking, Too much talk, Changes in eating habits, Forgetting, Difficult to make decisions, Headache, Body pain, Abdominal pain, Sweating, Dryness of mouth, Dizziness, Change of urine and toilet patterns, Shortness of breath and Sexual dysfunction.
The symptoms of stress can also vary from person to person.
Causes of stress
It is difficult to pinpoint the real cause or causes of stress. They vary from person to person.
Stress-induced complications, High blood pressure, Paralysis, Heart disease, Diabetes, Gastritis and stomach ulcers, Sleep-related problems (insomnia, excessive sleepiness), Depression, Anxiety, Eating disorders, Lack of immunity, Increased consumption of alcohol, smoking, and drugs, Problems in sex.
Avoid unhealthy strategies that can be used to alleviate stress.
Smoking, Drug use, Drinking, Avoid overeating or eating too much, Alienation from society (family and friends), Excessive sleep or insomnia, Anger and violence.
- In this situation our future is uncertain. Our Essential duties are avoided. Failure to achieve goals. And social relationships have broken down. Man is a curious creature, so that He loves constant travel. But in the face of this heightened crisis, we are trapped in our homes. Curfew has made it impossible to carry out routine activities. There is no choice but to stay home for the sake of the country and the future of the country. However, it is a tragedy that some people are acting irresponsibly to satisfy their mental and physical needs in this curfew period.
Ex- Police arrest 1,245 people for violating curfew in last 24 hours
Lockdown intensifies domestic violence
For over a month many countries across the world have been in lockdown. People have been ordered to stay home and practice social distancing by their governments in a bid to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). But as the virus rapidly spreads across the world forcing people to stay home a host of social issues have cropped up as a result. Among the many issues, activists over the world have pointed out the increase of domestic violence due to the lockdown resulting in victims having to live with their abusers round the clock. For governments fighting a tough battle to combat COVID-19, this was not an issue they had anticipated.
In this state of affairs, the human mind is in a state of confusion, and there are constant conflicts. These conflicting situations arise when they are unable to fulfill their needs.
Contribution of the government to uplift the mental health in society.
In this critical situation, the government is constantly making an effort to build the our mental health. Some of the measures are:
- Police band is providing entertainment in Colombo Locked-down areas
- The Navy at the Havelock Apartment complex in collaboration with Bathiya, Santhush and Umariya
These are supposed to be pilot runs and will be carried out in other parts of the country as well. For people who have been in quarantine for almost a month now, these kinds of entertainment measures go a long way in easing people’s minds and relaxation.
Mass media channels create songs targeting the essential service oproviders and appreciate their valuable service. Art competitions are organized to improve the attitudes and showcase talents of our people.
- Sirasa Gammadda Nagitimu Sri Lanka art competition helps people take away their minds from this difficult time, at least for few minutes
- Sirasa #stayathome challenge which is a challenge solely for women Where they can send a 3 minute video clip of their husbands’ corporation during the quarantine period via whats app, which is fun and makes the husbands work harder..hopefully!
The Government gives quarantine certificates to the self-quarantined individuals and appreciate them for the effort they make to protect their loved ones and the community at large.
These are only a few of the measures taken by the government to uplift the mental health of the citizens and there are many government employees and volunteer groups who are working day and night to ensure the safety of the people and they need to be appreciated and wish them courage to continue their service.
How individuals can uplift their mental health at home
In addition, as individuals we must also work towards strengthing our mental health. Humans are intimately connected to nature, and our physical and mental health is influenced strongly by our environment. The “elements,” classically described in humoral theory as Fire, Water, Earth, and Air, all may impact our mental health.
- Air –breathing exercise
- Fire-light, sun exposure
- Water- water therapy
- Earth- animal therapy/nature exposure
Meditation/Yoga
Meditation and yoga are very important factors.It can bring about the mental recovery of human. In a review published in March 2014 in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine, researchers reviewed more than 18,000 scientific studies looking at the relationship between meditation and depression and anxiety and found positive results.
Home Work out
You can also exercise at home which leads to being physically healthy. Home work outs are well-known coping techniques, of which being the most recommended by health care professionals.
Listening to music
Music is an important outlet for healing, even for mental illnesses. Music therapy has seen an increase in usage over the years. Research shows that it can stimulate mood and imagery that foster emotional and mental health.
Ex- Spiritual music
Strong bond with loved ones
You can strengthen your family bonds and also you can keep in touch with your loved ones via social media
- Viber
And specially, there are so many dares/games doing the rounds on social media
- Whats app dares
- Facebook challenges
Also, older people are terrified at this time. Those undesirable fears cause anxiety and depression, so you need to talk to them, help them perform religious rituals at home, and take care of their physical well-being.
Hobbies
Mental satisfaction can also be enhanced by giving priority for your hobbies.
- Reading
- Cooking
- Painting \Sewing
Love nature
As Kapila Rasnayaka says in his comedic but serious influential videos, Love the nature. Grow plants and vegetables at home. We can take care of the garden and enjoy it and it brings relaxation to most of us. Spending time with a pet at home can bring peace of mind and help improve mental health.
Above are just a few measures to maintain your mental health. Mental health is very important to our personality. In this critical situation we need to prepare our minds as individuals. There should be no panic of illness. We must develop our personality to face any challenge by following the instructions given by the government. It’s always very important to think positively and train your mind to be calm in every situation.
Be happy and always be considerate of the community at large – we can all get through this if we work together!
