The rise of self-care during the pandemic

Self Care and CBD

14 Oct The rise of self-care during the pandemic

Posted in Health, by
0 Likes

Since March 2020, the challenges posed by the Covid 19 pandemic have seen millions of people turn to self-care. Social isolation, fear of infection and loss of loved ones have all had a negative impact on mental health, and with limited access to health services, more and more people are now looking for ways to support their own wellbeing.

What is self-care, and what are the benefits?

Self-care can be defined as doing something that you enjoy or that will benefit your mental, physical, or spiritual wellbeing in some way. Common examples include exercise, healthy eating, getting enough sleep, spending time outdoors, maintaining good hygiene and meditating.

Self-care is known to be particularly effective at easing anxiety and stress, and making us more resilient to challenging circumstances. Far from being selfish, it actually increases our capacity to help others and fulfil our responsibilities. While not all mental health issues can be managed with self-care, it can help to prevent more serious conditions from developing.

Why has self-care become popular during the pandemic?

Over the past two years, travel restrictions and social distancing rules have slowed the pace of life and narrowed its confines. Time once spent commuting to the office and socialising has been freed up and used by many to reflect on what matters and attempt to ease the anxiety of uncertain times.

According to research by GlaxoSmithKline, 65% of Europeans are now more likely to consider their health in daily decisions. The study, which focused on people in four European countries (UK, Spain, Italy and Germany), also found that many people are now taking extra precautions to avoid getting ill, and that most Europeans are caring more for their loved ones, especially women (80%) and 16-24 year-olds (75%).

The pandemic has also increased Europeans’ appreciation for health services and frontline workers, and most people want to do their best to relieve pressure on the healthcare system (84% of people in Spain, UK 77%, Italy 75%, Germany 63%). According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), frontline healthcare workers are among those most at risk of psychological distress. Healthcare workers in China have reported high rates of depression (50%), anxiety (45%), and insomnia (34%), while 47% of healthcare workers in Canada have needed psychological support during the pandemic.

In the US, nearly half of all adults have experienced symptoms of anxiety or depression, up from one in ten between January and June 2019. In France, cases of depression have doubled, while in Ethiopia, symptoms of depression increased threefold in April 2020 compared to before the pandemic. These symptoms have also been linked to a rise in sleep disorders; for example in the UK, the number of people experiencing insomnia had risen by almost 10% by April 2020, while in Italy, there was an “alarming” prevalence of clinical insomnia, driven by depression, anxiety and poor sleep hygiene.

One article in The Atlantic suggests that severe mental health issues may have peaked at the beginning of the pandemic, perhaps due to the sudden changes to our everyday lives and the new, ever-present threat of deadly infection. As a result, Google searches for “self-care” in the US more than doubled in the first month of the pandemic, with millions of people tapping into the wealth of information freely available on the internet. But soon, the intense anxiety that prevailed was replaced by “languishing”, or a felt loss of meaning, fuelled primarily by social isolation.

Importantly, the article points out that self-care is particularly good at easing stress and anxiety, but less effective at dealing with loneliness and depression. Focusing more on oneself may actually compound feelings of isolation, when what is really needed is connection with others. In such cases, self-care could be counterbalanced by caring for others, which has been shown to give people an increased sense of meaning and connectedness.

Takeaway

Self-care may offer an antidote to the anxiety caused by these tumultuous times, but like all things, it has its limits. If you’re feeling lonely or depressed, reaching out to help others may actually make you feel better than a little more “me time”.

References

Recent Posts
Alex Coughlan
Latest posts by Alex Coughlan (see all)


Discover more from Naturecan US Blog

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading