HEALTH IS WEALTH
Outbreaks can be stressful. Fear and anxiety about a disease can be overwhelming and can cause strong emotions in adults and children. Find ways you and your family can reduce stress. It has been a common observation that those who have been affected and died of the pandemic viral infection have suffered not only physical maladies and/or symptoms but more so of psychic epidemic or mental stress. Those patients who survived the dreadful illness are described to have a strong or healthy attitude.
Stress is defined as a high level of mental arousal and bodily tension that exceeds a person’s capacity to cope resulting in distress, worsening of disease or certain death. The ones affected are those with poor mental attitude who would feel extremely depressed and weakened their disposition and die. Thus, stress can kill!
Reducing Stress During The Pandemic
A. Know The Facts To Help Reduce Stress
To help everyone combat stress, let’s all do our part and follow the necessary measures given. By doing this, we are alleviating our frontliners from unwanted stress leading to burnout. Understanding the risk to yourself and people you care about can make an outbreak less stressful.
- Stay healthy and stay at home
- Always wear masks to prevent the spread of the virus
- Observe physical distancing
- Wash your hands with soap and water or use disinfectants when you’re outside
- Eat a well-balanced diet and take multivitamins
- Exercise moderately
- Drink 8-12 glasses of water daily
- Rest and sleep well at least 8 hours/night
- Consult a doctor or go to the hospital when you feel some symptoms (fever, cough, shortness of breath, loss of taste or smell, etc.)
B. Boost Your Mental Health
- Have a positive mental attitude (i.e. “I’ll be well”, etc.)
- Don’t be a “defeatist”. Don’t be crippled by fears!
- Seek a mental health consultant (adviser)
- Be a spiritual person (seek the power of prayer; cleanse your soul and trust in God.
- Virtual communication can help you and your loved ones feel less lonely and isolated. Consider checking in with loved ones by phone, social media, video call, email, text/chat messages.
- Help stop the hoaxes and rumors by learning and sharing the FACTS about COVID-19 through reliable sources. You can help make people feel less stressed, make a connection with them, and help stop stigma when you share accurate information about the virus.
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