Mike’s top 10 tips for protecting your mental health during Covid-19 lockdown and beyond.

It’s no secret that the Coronavirus and Covid-19 seemed to appear out of nowhere and within weeks the whole world had so stop business as normal and start taking precautions. There is talk that things will never go back to the way they were before Covid-19 and that we must all prepare for a “new normal”. Here are 10 tips to help you protect your mental health during this time.

• The best way to avoid COVID-19 is to follow the instructions issued by the World Health Organization and South African leaders. Stay at home as much as possible, sterilise your hands all through the day. Wear a face mask and if you can, also wear gloves when you go out. Don’t touch your face, nose and eyes.

• Many people experience loneliness during this time of self-imposed isolation and social distancing. Give them a friendly call to say Hello. Let them know that someone is thinking of them. It’s so easy to keep in touch with loved ones these days, we can use WhatsApp, Skype, Zoom, MSTeams and so many more.

• Don’t believe everything you read. Social media and news sites are constantly showing doom and gloom figures when it comes to pandemic news updates. This is because scary posts attract readers who click on website buttons and the website owner gets paid money for that. Recently Facebook and Twitter have started to moderate posts and flag those that are inaccurate. If you read something and you think it might not be true, don’t be fooled by the source. Sometimes even the most trusted news agencies or experts can spread inaccurate information. One of our favourite fact-checking websites is www.snopes.com

• Don’t panic. It is easy to grow more and more fearful as new people are infected or die every day in our country. The Western Cape is the worst hit by far. It would be easy to get so afraid that you are powerless to do anything for yourself. Remember that the mortality rate (the number of people who died from COVID-10) is only 2%. Most of the patients infected with the virus experience flu-like symptoms and manage to recover during self-isolation. Those who have died tend to be older, already have medical conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, heart problems or others. The good news is that being diagnosed with Covid-19 is NOT necessarily a death sentence. The majority of patients recover.

• If spending so much time at home with your partner, spouse and/or children can be challenging. If your work permits it, I would stagger the lunch breaks so that Mom can care for the children for an hour while Dad does important work. Then he can tackle care for the children for an hour while mom does her important work. Get the children involved in the household chores so that they can learn how much it takes to keep a hope tidy.

• Host a remote playdate. Your children are most probably missing their friends. Why not invite them to an online playdate. using WhatsApp group video call? They can all see each other on the screen to chat and play.

• Family fun. Tell the children that if they finish their school work, Friday will be movie night. Make a great meal, make a big pot of popcorn and stream a family-friendly movie on Netflix or Showmax for the whole family to enjoy. Or dust off all the beloved board games and playing cards from when you were a child.

• During times like this, it is also completely normal for couples to experience conflict. These are extraordinary times and we are all coping with it in the best way how. Conflicts will arise and if your relationship is precious to you and you’d like to resolve the conflict, why not have a couple’s chat to Mike?

• Remember that this, too, shall pass. As human beings, we are resilient and resourceful. We have found cures for illnesses that were lethal years ago. We will find a way to beat this too. I encourage you and your family to plan what you would like to do after COVID-19 is gone. Have some fun with this. Create a vision board where the children can stick pictures from magazines of holiday destinations, cars they would like to drive. etc. Let them focus on forward. Let them focus on after COVID-19, because it is way too depressing to only focus on the current way of life.

• Remember that help is right here. You can reach out to a parent, family member or friend. You can also reach out to a professional psychologist who can help you cope with your fears and come up with a plan to function better. You don’t need to face this alone. Please contact me and I’ll gladly help you if I can.

Contact us for more information or to schedule an appointment.