Keeping watch on your health and wellness and staying calm for others are key in dealing with the coronavirus outbreak. When coping becomes difficult there are local resources to help. (Systweak)

By Dan Marshall

Coping With COVID-19

‘There isn’t a road map:’ maintaining mental health through COVID-19

Mar 28, 2020 | 8:40 AM

NANAIMO — The on-going COVID-19 crisis is proving stressful on many levels and straining the mental health for those dealing with the pandemic.

Terms like social distancing and self isolation became more common as the virus spread from China around the world. The terms present new challenges for proper health and wellness.

Island Health’s Stephanie McCune told NanaimoNewsNOW the value of acknowledging the world is going through a big change and it requires an adjustment.

She explained part of the process is trying to figure out what the new normal is.

“There isn’t a road map, we’re all learning this together,” McCune said. “We’re in some unfamiliar terrain and these are certainly extraordinary times.”

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Practicing safe social distancing is not easy, however McCune offered a suggestion to focus on what that practice is actually doing.

“We are actually participating in this incredible human effort to protect one another,” McCune said. “We’re breaking down this us and them dichotomy that often happens in society and we are coming together try to try to shift the dial on what’s happening around us.

McCune noted technology and social media can be a great benefit in these situations, however their use should be with caution.

Being drawn to messages of fear or looking for the latest updates on the coronavirus might lead to deteriorating mental health.

“When any of these are starting to have the upper hand over our sense of wellness and calm that’s a sign we need to reach out to others or additional resources and those resources are going to look very different for individuals.”

Getting help could come in the form of taking a walk, doing a physical activity, calling a friend or reaching out to formal services such as the Vancouver Island Care Society’s crisis line.

“It does service all of Vancouver Island. It’s has been and is continuing to be a 24 hour resource for anyone needing that emotional support right now,” said Emily Post, community awareness coordinator for the society.”

Post said even though the COVID-19 pandemic is occurring on such on a broad scale, it still taps into the same common stressors for most people.

“The nature of the calls might be more specific to what’s going on but the concern, the anxiety, the fear, those are human emotions that we’re used to supporting.”

McCune added parents and caregivers can be particularly stressed in times of uncertainty. She said clear communication in a calm, supportive manner goes a lot way to adjusting other’s experiences.

Resources for mental health services include:

Vancouver Island Crisis Line: 1-888-494-3888

Island Health website: https://www.islandhealth.ca/

Crisis Services Canada website: https://www.crisisservicescanada.ca/en/

dan.marshall@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @danmarshall77