Image credit: Amin Moshrefi on Unsplash

 

If there’s one thing I hope we learned in 2020, it’s that we can’t take our health – mental, emotional, physical, or spiritual – for granted.

I mean, let’s face it – 2020 sucked. The entire world was thrown into a situation it was mostly unprepared for. That was especially true here in the U.S. Out of the more than 116 million cases of COVID-19 worldwide as of this writing, there have been more than 2.5 million deaths reported. More than half a million of those have been in the United States alone.

Suffice it to say, it’s been a difficult twelve months for everyone.

COVID-19’s TOLL ON MENTAL HEALTH

The pandemic and the ensuing safety precautions such as mask-wearing, not gathering with friends and family, and keeping your distance from people, have created mental health issues in people that did not have one before.

In fact, a June 2020 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study says that 31% of adults have felt an increase in depression and/or anxiety since the coronavirus pandemic started. That’s a big number, and I’m sure it’s only gotten bigger.

It certainly rings true for me. I’m an isolator by nature; I feel my best when I’m left to myself or with one other person. But the added stress of not being *able* to see my friends and go do things has affected me, as well.

My girlfriend Lisa and I would love nothing more than to go dancing, but we’re not planning on it anytime soon, even after we get vaccinated. We’re not going to venture out much until most of the threat has passed and the majority of people have gotten the vaccine. Once we hear Dr. Fauci say it’s safe to go out again, we’ll be there!

Most of the people I know are feeling the pressures involved with lack of contact with loved ones, lack of human touch, and having to cancel holidays. And it looks like many people might cancel Easter again this year, which is a big deal for a lot of people.

As an introvert and a homebody whose family members live hundreds of miles away, I have managed, for the most part, to survive most of this last year without feeling the loss of connection. After all, I only see my family members once every two years, except for my brother Mark, who lives just forty minutes away.

I know my mom and her husband are feeling it, though. His family has a reunion every even year; they had to cancel it last year. And my family has our reunion every odd year. Thankfully, it looks like we’ll be able to have it this July. But it has been touch-and-go.

SELF-CARE NEEDS TO BE A PRIORITY

So far this year, the coronavirus numbers have been decreasing, at least here in Michigan. Our governor recently reopened bars, restaurants, entertainment venues, and more places at 50% capacity. It’s a good start. This will help some people feel a little more normal and less stuck at home, which is fantastic.

But what about those of us who have certain emotional issues? More people than ever feel depressed right now. It’s true that, with three vaccines now available, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. But we’re not out of the woods yet.

The pandemic-induced depression that formerly non-depressed people are feeling has had time to really dig in, and they may not be as used to dealing with it as we are. This is an opportunity for us to reach out and help and to lead by example.

Lisa and I recently started walking around the neighborhood and it feels good. Living in the Upper Midwest, we decided to wait until the coldest of days were behind us. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still pretty brisk out there, but it’s better than it was. And it feels REALLY good to get out of the house.

With the mental health of so many people at stake right now, it’s even more important that we not only take care of ourselves but that we consider the mental health of our loved ones as well.

WHAT CAN YOU DO TO COMBAT DEPRESSION?

Many of us are at a place where basic self-care is of the utmost importance. I’ve written about self-care before, and those ideas still stand. But we can add to it. Here are some ideas of how you can get through the next little while and maybe help others, too.

• Open up. Talk to your friends and family. Listen to them if they need to vent about how lonely they feel. Share how lonely you are. Now more than ever, we, as a whole, crave connection. Are you extra stressed since the pandemic? Do you feel like you’re ready to blow? Talk to someone about it. Chances are they understand what you’re going through, since we’re all riding out the same storm.
• Plan a safe get-together with your friends and other loved ones. It’s still a good idea to wear a mask or face covering (over both your mouth AND your nose!) and practice social distancing, even if you’ve gotten the vaccine, but being able to get together is on the horizon. Yay! Sometimes, even just planning an event can help us feel better. It gives us something to look forward to.
• Talk to a therapist. One of the side effects of the pandemic has been the growth in popularity of online therapy. If you’ve ever thought about seeing a therapist but felt funny about doing it on their turf, it may be easier to do it over a video chat. One of my friends does her therapy through texting. Please recommend this idea to anyone you know who is struggling. It can’t hurt. (You can find a list of online therapy providers here.)
• Engage on social media, but only if it doesn’t cause you stress. I know many people are turned off by the negativity and divisiveness on social, but it can also be a good place to go to help others feel better. If someone tweets or posts about how depressed they’ve been, go ahead and send them a positive response. Tell them you understand. Send them a cute gif that will make them laugh, possibly for the first time that day. Share beautiful photos or funny memes on your feed. Or just send them a smiley face.
• Grab a buddy and get physical. Okay, I know how that sounds, LOL!! What I mean is, go for a walk with a buddy. Go to the gym with a buddy, even if you can’t be directly next to each other on the ellipticals. Grab a friend and do a socially-distanced, masked yoga class. They say it’s easier and more fun to work out with a friend. Go ahead – it will help both of you feel better!

HELP YOURSELF HELP OTHERS

We all have our ways of dealing with depression. Wait, maybe that’s not quite true. Someone who rarely gets depressed may not have the tools to dig out of it. I think it’s incumbent upon those of us who are well-versed in mood disorders to help our families and friends work through it. I mean, why not share what we’ve learned?

It only seems right that we who have suffered and floundered in the depths of depression use what we know to help our neighbors. I don’t wish depression on my worst enemy, and I’m willing to bet that you don’t, either. Let’s share our knowledge, tips and tricks, and insights. It’s good to feel useful, and it just might help someone else.

Here’s a simple challenge: Can you think of other ways to combat depression? Make a list of things that are easy and uncomplicated. That way, when you (or someone you know) needs a break, you can go right to your list and pick an activity without having to think about it.

As always, thanks for reading. And let’s try to share the love out there. It doesn’t get any more real than this!