Pandemic Depression is Real, Lets Talk About It
3 strategies to approach feelings of sadness during the COVID-19 pandemic.
I’ve lost count how many weeks we’ve been social distancing. With COVID-19 cases on the rise once again, I’m finding more reasons to give up. Give up hope, give up motivation, and stoop to the lowest of lows. My family is over 2,500 miles away, and while I put on a happy face for them during video calls, I miss them immensely.
If you’re anything like me, you’ve felt down, depressed, and discouraged in recent months. The pandemic has made it increasingly difficult to utilize traditional methods of supporting one’s mental health.
We can’t escape on a mind-clearing vacation during a pandemic. We shouldn’t be gathering with friends or family to ease our loneliness. Some people are facing difficulties in reaching their mental health providers. What do you do when the stressors are overwhelming, and your familiar sources of mental health support are floundering?
Storytelling
A lost art in the 21st-century is storytelling. We’ve grown to be mechanical, analytical, and robotic through the rise of science and technology. We need science to solve many of the world’s modern problems, but it serves a minimal purpose in healing the soul.
Our workplaces have become hyper-vigilant about productivity and stagnant with circulating “small talk.” With the pandemic keeping most people at home, the disappearance of any meaningful non-work related interaction has taken a toll.
Anthropology studies have shown that storytelling has been a universal feature of every culture on this planet. The process of storytelling allows us to verbalize our experiences, feelings, and recreate situations in colorful language. When is the last time that you told a meaningful story? Not simply answering “how’s your day?” or “what’s new?” but honestly describing an experience, analyzing the situation, and painting the scene with words.
Personally, before the pandemic, I can’t recall the last time I told a story. It’s an unusual activity and feels strange at first, almost as if your vocabulary is insufficient to describe your memories. Still, the practice of connecting with others through expressive language is an essential mindful activity.
My Experiment
The pandemic provided me with an opportunity to experiment with storytelling. I started a journal to privately write about my feelings, experiences, fears, desires, and frustrations. Each entry was written as if I was telling the story to my best friends or family member. I set a date to review my stories 1 week after they were written.
After several months of writing and reviewing, I began noticing patterns in my behavior. I became mindful of the reasons for feeling sad and the reasons that made my blood boil. The ability to express my memories drastically expanded, and I noticed that my childhood memories crept into my mind. Even if I wrote about a negative feeling, I felt better afterward, almost as if I was providing psychotherapy for myself.
Storytelling doesn’t have to be verbal. The goal is to engage in a mindful activity, analyze what you have to say, and deliver a story that improves the understanding of your psyche.
Give Back to the Community
Part of the challenge of social distancing is that it’s easy to lose your sense of purpose. While I survived for the first week on Netflix binges and overwhelming myself with minuscule tasks, I quickly fell out of connection with reality. Human minds are built on being integrated into society and yearn for a sense of belonging.
The pandemic has made it difficult to engage in volunteerism. The typical volunteering outlets, such as hospitals, libraries, kitchens, and donation centers, are no longer options. But, there are other ways to contribute to improve your mental health and support those around you.
First, you can start with small good-deeds. Offer to return a grocery cart from a senior citizen that finished loading up their trunk. Contact a friend that you’ve lost touch with and let them know that you’re thinking about them. If your neighbors have lawns or gardens, offer to weed their yard or to mow their lawn. Thousands of other ideas arise every day that are safe to accomplish while social distancing.
If you notice that your mood is improving through helping others, consider working with larger foundations that support COVID-19 relief projects. The Washington Post recently created a list of 19 organizations that are looking volunteers and charitable donations to help us move past this crisis. I’ve twice donated blood to the American Red Cross since the pandemic started. Even though I have a vasovagal reaction every time I donate blood, I feel grateful for the opportunity to provide blood during a nationwide shortage.
Acknowledge that Feeling Sad is Acceptable
Feeling down in the dumps is a natural human emotion. With the age of social media, we’ve shied away from displaying sadness in front of others. We show artificial smiles and throw on shades to cover the tears in our eyes. There is a lot to be sad about in our society nowadays, and we need to talk about it.
Liberate yourself from the bottled up feelings and lay it all in front of a trusted confidant. Believe me, people listen. Your confidant will be grateful that you trusted them and will support you.
I worked in a psychiatric clinic before pursuing my Master’s degree. The clinic specialized in caring for patients with treatment-resistant depression and anxiety. My patients were immensely depressed. I had difficulty empathizing with them because I couldn’t imagine what it would feel like to not have a sliver of happiness for months or years. I lent them my ears and actively listened to their stories. Occasionally, I would share with them one of mine.
Some of the most substantial relationships flourished through expressing our feelings and trusting others to respect our troubles. We need to defeat the stigmata against depression and accept that it’s ingrained in our society.
*Disclaimer: If you or someone you know are experiencing thoughts of self-harm or thoughts of harming others, please consult a medical specialist immediately.
