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“I’m done.”

“When will this end?”

“I don’t feel like doing anything.”

“I’m tired even after sleeping for 10 hours.”

The scale in which these statements are resonating with thousands of people every single day during the lockdown is formidable. A surge of loneliness and anxiety has left adults and children confused and overwhelmed; these are emotions that most aren’t equipped to deal with, let alone even understand.  

Mental health has often been sidelined as a frivolous excuse, a taboo, an overly exaggerated need for attention, or even a matter of little consequence. However, with the onset of a global pandemic resulting in countries being locked down and individuals isolated, the number of people experiencing anxiety or depression has risen. It’s time for people to understand the legitimacy of mental health issues, why it might be caused, and how to cope with it.

Human beings are social animals. Over millions of years, our brains have evolved and adapted to feel safe around people, especially when there is danger lurking. With the lockdown, we’ve isolated ourselves from society and human interaction – a manoeuvre that has disrupted our primal coping mechanisms. With the fear of contracting the virus coupled with limited social interaction, our bodies go into a prolonged “Flight or Fight” mode which releases stress hormones, like Cortisol. This in turn causes us to feel fatigued and emphasises the feeling of loneliness.

A looming air of uncertainty has riddled everyone with a certain level of anxiety. There is no clear definition of when the lockdown will end, how the world is going to be when it does. Lives have been turned upside down with job loss, job insecurity, economic crashes, fear of COVID infections, increase in death toll, political turmoil, and the list goes on. The lack of control over anything and the gross unpredictability of the future has left individuals more anxious than ever. People are also being bombarded with news about the virus – deaths, increase in infected people. This information (sometimes misinformation) overload adds to stress and anxiety levels. 

It’s becoming increasingly important to understand and identify the causes behind why people’s minds are being so adversely affected by the virus. To overcome it, we need to comprehend, acknowledge, cope, and move forward. Taking care of one’s own mental health is a step closer to maintaining our sanity in ridiculous times.