“Your normal coping strategies are not as available as before,” says MSF psychiatrist Dr Jairam Ramakrishnan. “It’s not all doom and gloom, we’re working out new ways of connecting with people. But it takes people time to figure these things out.”
“Before COVID-19, if we wanted to get out of the house, go for a walk—we could. But now we’re often cooped up in a familiar, restrained environment for large amounts of time,” adds Dr Ramakrishnan. “We’re having to spend more time than normal with the people we live with, which puts pressure on relationships. Lack of respite from that space has an impact.”
During these unprecedented and stressful times, it's important to monitor our mental health just like we monitor physical health. These tips from MSF psychologists will help you to create a healthier environment and give you tools to assess whether there are steps your can take to improve your overall wellbeing.
