COVID-19: stress management
Stress is a response to exceptional events that require readjustment to the new situation, and therefore has a significant impact on our physical and mental balance. Stress-related responses are often accompanied by fatigue, tremors, tachycardia, mental heaviness, difficulty concentrating, irritability, anxiety and fear, which in turn may lead to panic. Prolonged exposure to stressful stimuli is a potential risk factor for several diseases, including psychiatric or cardiovascular ones. Before this can develop into a chronic and disabling psychological condition, therefore, it is important to implement strategies which help restore our mental and physical balance and make us feel that we’re back in control.
An emergency like the current COVID-19 pandemic can be a source of stress for individuals and families who are confined to their homes, and healthcare workers who are dealing with the impact of the epidemic.