The coronavirus pandemic has brought with it a certain sense of fear and stress of contracting the virus. Everyone, around the world, is constantly worried about the virus – even when they fall in low-risk categories, and only step out of their houses to buy essentials. For people in the high-risk category, staying at home to keep themselves safe is also maximising stress.
Out of the many ways to prevent the spread and contraction of coronavirus – respiratory hygiene, hand hygiene, staying at home as much as possible, reducing social interaction, and staying as healthy as possible have been recommended as some key measures. Our immunity can play a very important role in reducing the risk of contraction, and complications due to the novel coronavirus infection – COVID-19.
While we eat a healthy, nutritious diet, and follow a regular exercise routine to boost immunity, we may not realise that even stress can have a considerable effect on our immunity. Therefore, it becomes extremely important to manage it and keep it at bay, to ensure reduced risk of diseases and infections, including COVID-19.
How stress affects the immune system
According to Simply Psychology, when we are stressed, the ability of the immune system to fight pathogens is reduced, which makes us more susceptible to infection. The stress hormone, called cortisol, can suppress the effectiveness of the immune system – for instance, it may lower the number of lymphocytes in the body.
Indirectly, stress can cause unhealthy coping mechanisms – like binge eating, drinking, smoking, etc, which can also increase the risk of diseases.
At the same time, stress can increase the risk of various diseases like heart problems, digestive issues, etc. previously, it was believed that the coronavirus only affects the lungs and respiratory system, but recent findings suggest it could damage the heart, kidneys, liver, and other vital organs in the body. These links make it extremely important to manage stress better before it starts suppressing the immune response of the body against several pathogens.
How can you manage stress better during this pandemic
According to the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, USA, fear and anxiety about a disease can be overwhelming and cause strong emotions in adults and children. Coping with stress will make you, the people you care about, and your community stronger.
Here are some ways to manage stress better during these testing times -
Take a break from the news – The constant updates about the casualties, infected people, and other news about the coronavirus can be overwhelming. Try to take a break from the news every once in a while, and try to focus on the more positive, happy news of the day instead.
Change what you can, accept what you can't – One of the sources of stress are uncertainty, and the constant pressure we put on ourselves about things we wanted to do, and cannot anymore. You must list down things that you can still control – you can control your physical and mental health, your thoughts, work, etc. However, you must learn to accept the things that are not under your control as of now and know that things will get better.
Be active – Activity does not only mean physical exercise. While physical exercise plays an essential role in keeping stress at bay, you must stay active with anything you enjoy doing. Even when it is exercise, try opting for the one you enjoy doing, so that it is sustainable. You can cook, write, read, bake, dance, sing – do whatever feels relaxing and keeps your body and mind productively occupied.
Take care of your body – It is more important than ever to keep your body healthy, to ensure you keep the risk of diseases at bay. Meditate, take deep breaths between your work, give your eyes a break from screens, eat healthy meals, and try to get at least 6-8 hours of sleep.
Connect – In times of social distancing, ironically, it is extremely important to stay socially connected. Connect with your family and friends, and if need be, you can also tele consult a psychologist if you are having trouble coping with your mental health issues. Various helpline numbers for mental health issues are available where you can consult with medical professionals.
This article originally appeared on Timesnownews.com.
