Focus On Your Well-being. Conquering COVID-19 Anxiety.

Although they are all under extreme pressure, societies are also showing compassion and support across and beyond national borders, assisting each other with the psychological repercussions of COVID-19.

The impacts of economic recessions and other crises on mental health have been studied for decades, and unsurprisingly, research indicates that the current pandemic will negatively affect the mental health of people across the world. Here’s how we can help each other.

The 1930s saw the longest and most widespread recession of the 20th century, the Great Depression. Nations gathered in anxiety and panic over increasing unemployment rates and decreasing incomes. Today, we are being warned and told to prepare for the same societal crisis as occurred in the 1930s.

But there’s a huge factor differentiating our current situation to the past. The current downturn that we’re all experiencing is not the result of an economic incident, but a medical one.

This means that we are not only experiencing a global health emergency but an economic one too, which will affect us in so many different ways that it’s almost impossible to fathom what is to come.

Besides severe health problems, this pandemic has already caused innumerable disruptions. Since mid-March, businesses worldwide have shut down their daily operations due to enhanced restriction policies. In the U.S. alone, there has been a 33% increase in unemployment insurance claims in a single week; this is a larger jump than during the depths of the financial crisis, and one which reflects only the beginning of pandemic-related job losses.

Isolation, combined with the stress of coping with existing mental health problems or unemployment during a global pandemic is brewing an incredibly difficult environment for all individuals and social groups. The situation is in many ways unavoidable, and for many cannot be changed. However, many of us are in a position to help and assist each other during these stressful times.

We are social beings. It is natural for us to want to form physical connections and be close to people, yet now we have been forced to change our routines, making many of us feel isolated from the rest of the world. Our global society is exploring uncharted waters: we do not know how long our isolation will last for, or how our future will look. Understandably, these unknowns result in even more panic.

Even when COVID-19 is behind us, we will still feel the repercussions of the pandemic. The enforced solitude we are currently experiencing has the potential to wreak lasting changes in our societies. Organizations and businesses will have to make up for the lost time by cutting down on expenses; unemployment rates will be high, and anxieties about future pandemics may remain close to the surface. As a result, it will continue to be vital to show our capability as a community to help each other.

There is a large difference between our societies today and those of the 1930s. Our compassion now has the potential to cross beyond national borders, and we have come so far in our global connectivity that we can even feel support from the other side of the world.

The consequences of the pandemic are dependent on our choices. By cooperating and supporting one another, we can utilize the power of society and minimize the severity of COVID-19’s impacts.

We can assume that almost everyone we encounter during the next few months is, or has been, stressed or anxious about the outbreak and its consequences. Everyone handles stressful situations differently, but everyone deserves help with regard to their own situation.

We can list so many disastrous consequences of this pandemic, but as with past hardships, people have also proven incredible strength in shedding a positive light on negative situations.

Yes, humans may be struggling with the lack of opportunities for socialising and physical connections but we have also shown ourselves to be extremely adaptable and fast in our response to crises. Already, many governments have stepped in to help those in economic difficulties, and scientific and technological researchers are working round the clock to provide solutions to the health and systematic problems we are encountering.

Technology, in particular, has demonstrated its incredible potential at this time. We have been able to do everything from downloading health apps and tracking symptoms, to virtually speaking with therapists and connecting with friends and family living both around the corner and on the other side of the world. Across nations, people have shared their stories and struggles, both negative and positive, helping us to feel more connected to each other.

We will continue to face challenges over the next few weeks and months, but we will also see the development of new solutions, created by the heroes that fight non-stop to help us every single day.

When the pandemic is over, there may be no concrete scientific solutions for amending the remaining societal issues quickly, but human compassion and support has been shown to go a long way in any crisis.

What can you do for yourself and others?

Here are a few ideas with some advice from Corti’s employees:

• Connect with others
  Whether it’s someone from your work or a close relative, find ways to connect with others through a video or phone call. Even a simple message can make a great difference, not just for you but for the other person as well. Remember that you can still stay social while still physically distancing.

“I didn’t realize immeadetly the impact it would have on not going to the office every day or socializing with friends and family on the weekends. Now, my partner and I organized a virtual Friday dinner club where we catch up on what we can and tell each other about our weeks. It’s, of course, not the same as meeting loved ones physically, but it really makes my week! Additionally, us at Corti try to communicate with each other as much as we can, informing what we’re up to on Slack to keep up the ‘office vibe’ we miss so much”. Klaudia Audunsdottir — Marketing Coordinator

• Learn something new
  This is a great time to add some additional knowledge to your information bank and start reading that book you never actually opened. Read up on that historical event you wish you knew more on, or even start learning that language you always found so interesting and appealing.

“Although I’ve been wanting to learn Danish since I moved to Copenhagen in September, it was always the first task that got bumped off my list whenever I was busy. But now, there’s no excuse! I’ve signed up to the language learning site Babbel and am racing through the topics. My two flatmates have also started learning, so we have been practising our speaking skills together, which is really fun, and a good way of adding a bit of novelty in our lockdown lives. Jeg vil gerne tale flot Dansk!” — Nikki Motohashi, AI trainer

• Stick to a routine, and get enough sleep!
  It’s crucial that despite changes in previous routines, you still keep a structured schedule and organize yourself. You can feel extremely unmotivated when not sticking to a plan and often might completely forget to do what you originally intended. Additionally, sticking to a regular sleep schedule is vital, and will help you to stay organized whilst you’re awake.

“When I began working remotely it was hard to stick to regular routines. My sleep schedule started to slowly change and I began seeing a complete difference in my daily mood. When I started tracking changes in my routines, sleep was the main factor. It’s debatable whether bad mentality or bad sleep schedule comes first, but the only thing I know for sure is that a good sleep schedule makes an incredible difference”. Hermann Ólafsson — Jr. Software Engineer

• Share positive events happening in the world to spread kindness
  We are seeing every day how far human compassion can go, and it’s important to celebrate these sparks of joy. Let’s share every bit of positivity we can find to shed some light on our circumstances and remind each other that not all is bad. We do not even have to share this compassion virtually; a simple smile to a stranger that your cross on your daily walks can go a long way.
• Stay active
  Exercise is always good for our physical and mental health. There are various ways you can stay active during the outbreak. Try to get out of the house at least once a day. If that’s not possible, open your windows and try light exercise routines in your home. Even if it’s just stretching on your living room floor, it will make a difference.

I cannot stress this enough, exercise is so important right now. It might be tempting to stay at home all day when you cannot go anywhere, but trust me when I say that a 15-minute walk will make a complete difference in your day. I only started running in every morning recently, and have seen a complete change in my mood and motivation!— Sebastian Slej, Sr Business Development Executive

• Spend time outdoors
  If you’re able to, spend time outside in nature. Exposure to nature not only makes you feel better emotionally, but it also contributes to your physical wellbeing. Connecting more to nature can reduce blood pressure and heart rates while decreasing stress. It’s crucial to find a balance in maintaining a normal routine in our lives.
• Limit your time on social media
  This is crucial for mental well-being. Although it remains important to keep connected with loved ones, limit your time on the news and social media outlets. Even before the pandemic, we were aware of the mental dangers of spending too much time on smart devices, so let’s not forget them.

“Following the increased restrictions and quarantine recommendations, I noticed that my time on social media was slowly increasing — while simultaneously, I felt my productivity decrease. This had a great impact on my mental health as it becomes so easy to spend hours scrolling down social media and lose track of time. I suggest deactivating your notifications during your “core working hours” and keeping yourself busy to avoid any temptations.” — Caroline Landy, Lead AI Trainer

• Explore new, or old, hobbies and skills
  Whether it’s painting, baking or playing a new instrument, pick up on those skills you were once passionate about — and reexplore that passion again! Even find a new hobby that you have always wanted to try. Were you always a really horrible cook but wanted to improve? Now’s your chance!