Building resilience in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic

The situation right now is unprecedented and we are very much in unknown territory. Events are changing by the day.

Information is also changing frequently and our daily routines have been completely altered.

This can cause stress for everybody involved as the circumstances are very much beyond our control. It is vital we build resilience to cope with this stress.

Resilience refers to the ability we all have to bounce back from adverse events. We all have had difficult and unexpected things happen to us at various times in our lives. We may have thought at the time we would never cope but we did. We got through it and can talk about it now.

The fact is most of us have more resilience than we sometimes think we have.

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Here are some tips to help you build resilience to cope with the stress of the Covid epidemic:

1. Try and understand the sources of your stress. These can be aspects like worry about your own health or the health of others, difficulty sleeping or changes to your daily routine or financial worries. Avoid going over these in your head repeatedly as this will escalate feelings of stress.

2. Ensure whatever information you get is from qualified and reputable sources, such as the HSE, and limit your consumption of social media.

3. Take care of your body by stretching and taking deep breaths from time to time throughout the day.

4. Eat healthy and balanced meals and keep hydrated.

5. Ensure you get plenty of sleep. Experts tell us we need at least seven to eight hours per night.

6. Make sure to build in some time during the day for relaxing and enjoyable activities. Having a balance is a great de-stressor and resilience builder.

7. Get exercise. For example going for a walk or run at some time during the day. Exercise has been shown to elevate mood and make you feel a lot better.

8. Take a break from watching news stories as repeated information about the pandemic can increase your stress levels considerably.

9. Keep in contact with friends and family. This is particularly important where older people are concerned. Having a good support network around you is a great buffer against stress.

Some Tips for parents:

1. Just like adults, children and teenagers react differently to stress.

2. Watch out for any changes in your child’s regular behaviour. For example, becoming unduly sad or withdrawn, uncharacteristic angry outbursts or irritability or avoidance of activities previously enjoyed. This can be a sign that they are feeling stressed by what they are hearing or seeing.

3. Spend some time with your child to hear their concerns and explain the facts in a way they can understand. Realise that they may have heard plenty of misinformation.

4. Keep up a regular routine for them. When schools are closed it is important they have some sort of routine for learning or playing that puts a structure into the day. Explain to them the importance of handwashing.

5. Remember they are watching very closely everything you do so, as far as you can, demonstrate how you are dealing calmly with the situation. They will take their cue from you.

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