Statistics show that many people have been suffering from depression for the past few years. One of the reasons is this lockdown. In many cases, people are tired of being under house arrest. The stress of office and studies, coupled with being forced to stay home means that most people’s mental health has suffered. How can you deal with this situation and stay cheerful? Usashi Banerjee shows us the way.
According to Ms Banerjee, none of us like the idea of things being imposed on us. As a result, the sudden confinement at home became a cause for significant anxiety for a lot of people. Simultaneously, the drastic steps that the doctors advised us to take to avoid the Coronavirus were greatly stifling. The situation was akin to being caught in chains and the problem was especially acute for young children.
One thing to note is that there can be more than one root cause of mental fatigue. Hence, being under house arrest is not the only cause of mental depression. During the pandemic, a large number of people have sadly seen death quite close up. The pain of losing a loved one or an acquaintance has also pushed many people into mental depression. Those who have been able to cope with it are doing well. However, the fact that gives us hope is that everyone seems to have coped, and continued with their lives.
Has the amount of anxiety increased in the last decade? Ms Banerjee conceded that it has. She further added that we are all associated with different professions. The level of worry depends on the profession. Some are worried about the stability of their jobs. Others are anxious about their financial condition. Yet others are worried about their office environment, or about their family. It isn’t that people did not have these concerns prior to the pandemic. But the anxieties in general may have increased. However, we must also admit that there has been no specific cause for anxiety or frustration among children at home. And that is because the ability to adapt varies greatly between adults and children. We have seen many cases where children wake up between 10 and 11 in the morning and straightaway sit down in front of a laptop or a mobile. They have no physical activity all day, no regular routine and no meeting friends or time for playing. In fact, there isn’t even any direct interaction with their teachers, and no connection with the outside world. This is bound to lead to mental exhaustion.
How can we stay healthy in the midst of this situation? In reply, Ms Banerjee says that it is imperative that we reduce mental fatigue in order to be in a good mood, irrespective of age and circumstances. There are certain parameters to measure physical well-being. However, we must understand that there are no such parameters for mental health. That is, how a person defines mental well-being depends entirely on them. For instance, a person may equate mental well-being with having stability or being cheerful. And it is also every individual’s responsibility to stay happy and in a good mood. The pandemic brought with it highly increased levels of frustration and uncertainty. But, as we emerge from the pandemic, the general outlook is also looking better. People have adapted over time. Coping with bad situations requires a certain fighting spirit. The refusal to give up is an important aspect of overcoming bad situations effortlessly. Stay confident. Find yourself and give yourself time. Only then is it possible to overcome mental fatigue and stay in full swing.
At the end of the day, remember that every individual has different abilities. If such a situation arises in life when it becomes difficult for you to cope, you must seek the help of a psychologist. But overall, stay happy and keep others happy.
This report is published in a joint venture with AMRI.
