The ongoing pandemic imposed strict restrictions on our lives. The recurring lockdowns challenge the global population to sit at home and lead a safe life. Although things started slowly opening up with respect to the personal restrictions, people are living in confusion on how things are going to be.
During the lockdown, people learned new chapters of life, how to deal with such a threatful situation on your own, and many more. The complete dependence on technology for the pastime as well as for work has become tiring for some, thus they restarted reading. Some reaped fruits and vegetables from their own fruit-vegetable garden at home; created within this time. Some focussed on how to take care of them by the practice of yoga and workouts. Some started singing, dancing, painting, new learning, etc. However, a certain percentage of the population tried to find happiness through productive activities within the four walls.
While on other hand, the majority tried hard to cope up with the situation and are continuing the same. No blame on anyone.
“Life isn’t as serious as the mind makes it out to be.” – Eckhart Tolle; therefore sitting at home for months definitely affects our thoughts and mood.
The global economic crisis had severely affected people. The question of unemployment still stands relevant. There are students who got stranded in hostels due to lockdown and lack of transportation. The isolation and fear of the pandemic escalated the nervousness among the people. Altered habits of being at home aroused other health issues among people, some even missed their regular check-ups due to fret. Similarly, countless reasons are responsible for our mental health issues.
Yes! The mental health of people was the most affected. According to the ten-day online survey (mental health) conducted as a part of the Lockdown studies, there was a hike in the number of people diagnosed with issues of anxiety and depression during these months. And nearly 15 % required medical support which proves the level of distress that resulted in preoccupation and disrupted normal activities. To combat these issues, spreading awareness via people-friendly ways was a major concern.
In states like Kerala, DISHA, a 24×7 telehealth helpline under Arogyakeralam, plays an active role in providing physical and mental health support during a severe crisis. The team of trained professionals and counselors handles queries regarding the quarantine precautions and other related issues. They often encounter cases of confused, upset, frightened people. In such cases, the calls will be rerouted to the health team for counseling purposes. Also, “Break the Chain”, a mass hand-washing campaign was conducted to initiate behavior change among people to ensure safety. Campaigns on increased domestic violence and cybercrimes also were organized to make people aware of the same. Likely countries, states, and organizations around the world continue to come up with such initiatives to help those in need.
The extent of the pandemic is uncertain. All that we can do is hold on and stay connected with the hope of better tomorrow.
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