Quarantine: A mental health guide for every mood

This article was exclusively written for The European Sting by Mr. Anfal Arshad, currently a 4 th year medical student at Allama Iqbal Medical College Lahore in Pakistan. He is affiliated to the International Federation of Medical Students Associations (IFMSA), cordial partner of The Sting. The opinions expressed in this piece belong strictly to the writer and do not necessarily reflect IFMSA’s view on the topic, nor The European Sting’s one.

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Mental health is difficult enough to maintain while having very occupying schedules, but to be forced alone with your own thoughts could be very debilitating for a lot of individuals and lead to an emotionally overwhelming time. This is a biological war in more ways than one and it is truly a time of struggle around the globe, even for the ones safe inside. Below is a mental health guide for you depending on whichever mood that has taken over you right now or in the last few weeks.

• Stress: To have a pandemic take over your entire life, routine, finances, relationships, plans and dreams is extremely incapacitating. Remember to not go through the stress alone. Reach out to your friends and family. You’d be surprised to see how many of them are going through the same emotions. Try to search for online blogs, online-quarantine support groups or even reach out to your psychiatrist in case the conditions gets unbearable. Make sure to include meditation and indoor exercise regimes in your routine.
• Monotony/dullness: To be in a house arrest instead of living your plans and dreams is not how any of us thought 2020 would go! But then again, when has life ever been predictable? Remember a time in the past where you would have been craving more time for yourself. Just because its now forced upon you, against your will, doesn’t mean it’s not an opportunity in disguise. Try out that recipe you always wanted to, read that book that you were too busy to, reach out to those people you were unable to make time for. More than anything, use this time off to work on yourself.
• Lonely: If you’re social-distancing alone this quarantine and feeling lonely because of it, make sure to reach out to those you feel comfortable around. Play interactive games online, attend online music concerts (yes, they’ve been happening), reach out to old friends, watch Netflix online with your loved ones or even join online book clubs. You may have a chance to virtually interact with people and build soulful relations that you maybe couldn’t otherwise.
• Suffocation: Being locked in with friends and family, even if you absolutely adore them can be very difficult. Make sure to be very communicative in this time to ensure good mental health and maintenance of healthy interpersonal relationships. if you need any behavioral modification from their end, make sure to ask for it and be open to their needs and requirements.
• Burn out/exhaustion: If you’re one of the few officials in the front line of helping the world fight with this situation it is natural to feel extremely fatigued. But remember, you are the integrity of this biological war and the world is extremely proud of you! However, it is very important to be mindful about your needs so it’s absolutely okay to slow down and ask for help when you need it.