Stress, Anxiety, Anger : The Other Side of COVID-19

Be it economical, social or mental this pandemic, we have seen adverse changes within us and our surroundings. Not everyone of us is habitual of sitting within the four walls of our houses and isolate ourselves, but it is the most important thing to do right now. This constraint has given rise to temperamental issues, anxiety and brought with itself a whole lot of uninvited stress. The disease may harm us physically but it is surely taking massive a toll on our mental health at the same time, to a larger extent.

Our bottled up frustrations are finding an outlet through futile arguments, which disturbs our peace of mind, at the same time, straining our relationship with others. We should remember that no good will come from stressing over the fact that how this year is wasted or how things aren’t going according to our plans. It’s time we realise that everyone is going through the same and we can do nothing but accept the situation and try to adjust. The pandemic is playing with our mental health and that is one thing we should try to stop.

Channeling our emotions in a healthy way instead of repressing them, being practical and reasonable, finding solutions with a calm mind rather being in a stressed state is what can help us. We should always prepare for the worst; we know it’s easier said than done but it is quite unknown what life will throw at us. Isn’t it? The situation is quite frustrating and we can make it a little less annoying just by accepting it and supporting those around us instead of taking it out on them. We can help people feel good about themselves; that will definately put a smile on our faces as well.

If you feel that you seem to perpetually have a bad mood these days, then it is probably because you are under a lot of stress and have hidden frustrations.

To get rid of all of it, deal with it using healthy coping mechanisms. It’ll not only benefit you but also the people around you. What you should avoid doing at any cost is to yell at someone; instead talk about how you feel or write it down. That way, you can unburden youself without spoiling someone else’s mood. No one likes to be yelled at or be a part of a situation that involves shouting or a sour mood. It is important to remember that everyone is fighting their own battles and your anger will just put more fuel to their fire.

Some techniques to control anger are:

1) Keep yourself busy-

If one is sitting idle, unwanted and unfounded feelings and thoughts are bound to cross one’s mind, giving home to overthinking, stress and anger. Hence, it is important to try to yourself busy with something productive. It doesn’t always have to be work. That would inevitably lead to burnout. Instead, take frequent breaks and do what you like, keep yourself engaged that way. Pick a hobby, dance, cook, paint, read, write, do whatever you love just do not give yourself the idle time to feed on our peace of mind.

2) Stay connected-

Being in isolation does not mean that you have to cut off all your relations. Use the means of technology and stay connected to the people you love. Talk, share things, plan a virtual game night or cook together virtually. You can always try to mend your previous broken friendships. People are just a call away.

3) Don’t forget about people who are under the same roof-

While connecting with people who are physically away, do not forget those who are residing under the same roof. Take care of the people you are quarantining with, surprise them by cleaning the old dusty cupboard or cook a difficult recipe together. Play indoor games with them, try to know them better. Humans need human’s support.

4) Do some charity work-

Abiding to the rules, try to donate things to the needy. They need our support to get out of this pandemic. Donate money, food, clothes, protective gear or whatever you can afford to help them. If nothing is possible help your house-helpers, the cleaning person in your neighbourhood or your security guard. Helping the needy can give us a sense of satisfaction and feelings such as anger take a back seat.

In a nut shell, feelings of anger and frustrations come naturally as a result of a situation like this but we should learn how to control them. It is important to realise that if we present those feelings in a violent way, it is bound to hurt people and no good has ever come out of such practices. It is time we support people and most importantly be kind towards others and ourselves. Our mental health should be our priority as is at a vulnerable stage and should be taken care of at this instant.

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