Tips for maintaining mental health during COVID-19
January 28, 2021 - Captain Ernest Roberts, Chaplain, 4th Canadian Ranger Patrol Group
Bell Let’s Talk Day is Thursday, Jan. 28 and we’re joining in to help drive progress in mental health.
COVID-19 has affected every aspect of our lives, including our mental health. According to the Canadian Mental Health Association, 38 per cent of Canadians say their mental health has declined due to COVID-19, and people already struggling with their mental health were twice as likely to say their mental health has declined due to the pandemic.
This year’s Bell Let’s Talk Day campaign shines a light on the actions that we can all take, because now more than ever, mental health matters. 4th Canadian Ranger Patrol Group Chaplain Ernest Roberts has compiled a list of ways to support your mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic.
At the outset, I believe it is important to state a couple of working principles: COVID-19 has thrown us all in numerous unprecedented challenges, stresses and strains, many of the effects of which we are just now starting to recognize. Mental health is best understood as closely related to other aspects of health (e.g. physical, relational and spiritual health). As is true for health challenges of most kinds, there are few ‘quick fixes’ when it comes to mental health stresses and strains. The strategies and tips outlined below will need to be customized specifically for you, and with focus, support and determination you can make significant strides toward better health.
Sleep well
Researchers and the medical community have long since known that good quality and age-appropriate quantity of sleep are absolutely vital components of mental health. Going to bed and waking up at consistent times is one aspect of ‘sleep hygiene’ (personal strategies for fostering healthy sleep patterns), more detailed resources of which are readily available online or from me directly.
Be kind to yourself
As mentioned above, COVID-19 has confronted us with many stresses and strains that are completely new to us. Being able to adapt to present circumstances is a fantastic ability that we all have as humans, but it takes time, effort and some degree of ‘trial and error.’ Be careful not to cause extra strain on yourself and/or others by expecting perfect and immediate management of all that you are facing.
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With the current stresses that COVID-19 puts on mental health, 4th Canadian Ranger Patrol Chaplain Captain Ernest Roberts provides ways you can support and improve your mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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During COVID-19 it is important that physical exercise remains part of your daily routine. Exercises of various kinds activate the endocannabinoid system in the body which has positive, balancing effects on an array of things such as sleep, memory, mood, metabolism, learning and cardiovascular function. Highlighting physical activity here helps us recognize that, physical health and mental are extremely closely related.
Regulate how much news and social media you expose yourself to
Though it is essential to be well-informed these days, there is a great deal of misinformation out there as well. In addition, being over-exposed to intense, traumatic stories and data about COVID-19 can be hazardous to mental health. Be selective in what you watch and in how much you watch. This is, of course, important for people of any age group.
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Much like the important role that traditions play with the esprit de corps of military units, family and traditions can have the same positive impact on your mental health. Making time to ensure the observation of both formal and informal family traditions helps to establish cohesion and stability, which are especially important during these COVID-19 days of separation, stress, ambiguity and upheaval.
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While the COVID-19 pandemic has turned the world and daily norms upside down, Captain Ernest Roberts highlights the importance of routine activities. Something as simple as a hug can release important hormones such as oxytocin, and can have a positive impact on one’s mental health.
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Jan. 28, 2021, is the 11th anniversary of Bell Let’s Talk Day, an annual campaign across Canada that promotes awareness of mental health. This year’s campaign shines a light on the actions that we can all take during the COVID-19 pandemic to support mental health.
Engage in activities of well-being
Much of our state of mind is related to the relative balance of neurotransmitters in the brain (i.e. chemicals that enable to brain to function properly). Here is a list of some activities that you can do, along with the neurotransmitters they produce, which will help maintain and enhance mental health.
- Discover/accomplish/learn something (dopamine) - We all have different interests, but when you discover, learn or accomplish something new, dopamine will be released in your brain. These activities don’t need to be on a grand scale. Even simple discoveries like finding a new place to hike, or basic accomplishments like completing a crossword puzzle, produce dopamine.
- Accomplish something of intrinsic value (serotonin) - Engaging in compassionate, supportive and altruistic activities for others helps produce serotonin, a very significant neurotransmitter. Increases in serotonin, for instance, can be an important aspect of managing depression for some people.
- Give someone you love a hug (oxytocin) - Don’t take for granted the importance of appropriate human physical contact (though I recognize there are some current restrictions around this!). Hugs and other forms of physical contact, even petting a cat or dog, help produce oxytocin, often referred to as the ‘bonding neurotransmitter.’
- Exercise (endocannabinoids) - Physical exercises of various kinds activate the endocannabinoid system in the body, which has positive, balancing effects on an array of things such as sleep, memory, mood, metabolism, learning and cardiovascular function. Highlighting physical activity here helps us recognize that, as stated in working principle No. 2 above, physical health and mental health are extremely closely related.
Maintain spiritual and family traditions
Spiritual practices such as prayer, meditation, ritual and worship help us remember that we are not alone in our stresses and strains; provide us with sources of hope, healing and power beyond ourselves; and have long since been understood as being extremely important in mental health. Being intentional, too, about observing family traditions of various kinds, both formal (e.g. Thanksgiving, etc.) and informal (e.g. games night) provide means of establishing cohesion and stability, which are especially important during these COVID-19 days of separation, stress, ambiguity and upheaval.
There are but a few practical tips and strategies that you can explore to help maintain and enhance your mental health (and overall health). Please remember that your unit or base chaplains are available during these times and are able to provide more information, support and resources to you if needed.