By Dr. Judy Jaunzems-Fernuk, RTC, MTC
Covid19 has brought a wave of uncertainty, and for some fear, worry, and isolation, wreaking havoc on our collective wellbeing. One of the most prevailing concerns for me as a mother, educator, and mental health practitioner, is the impact of increased levels of stress in our communities. Therefore, I am happy to have an opportunity to dispel some myths about stress and talk about what we can do to support and manage our stress and overall health during this time. Being mindful of stress and its impact can help with understanding, coping, and managing our mental health, and in turn, we can use these ideas to support those we love and potentially lessen the impact of our changing world on our health.
Stress starts the formation of a cycle that can have a major impact on our health if we do not keep it in check. One of the first things to be mindful of, however, is that not all stress is bad. Stress can be motivating and heighten our awareness to the world around us so that we can remain safe and healthy. A little bit of stress can be good for us, as it helps all of our senses to be in tune with the world around us. When stress reminds us we have something to do and we complete that task we feel accomplished and the cycle of stress has done its job, When stress settles in, or when we are unable to do anything with the stress energy, however, it can become overwhelming and turn into anger, anxiety, or depression. Stress energy is meant to be expelled through a cycle, and with something as big as Covid19 on our minds, for many of us that cycle may not be completed. In addition to understanding that some stress is helpful to us, the next step is to create awareness around care and management. Self-care can go a long way towards coping with and managing stress. To keep it simple, our bodies need a way to complete the stress response cycle, and since we are living in a globally stressful time, some of us are holding on tight to stress and unknowingly not giving stress a way out of our systems.
There are several ways that stress is brought on, and more importantly, several ways in which it can be managed. We can achieve wellness through managing and creating balance by attending to stress in, stress out. An overall definition of health will help to frame this important conversation. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines health as a state of complete physical, social, and mental well-being, rather than merely describing it as the absence of disease. I have used this definition as a marker for conversations around mental health many times, as it is a reminder of three key components of well-being:
1) that healthy is an active state that requires communication and connection with ourselves (a mental-focus);
2) that our health is connected to the physical world (the physical aspects of health); and
3) our health is impacted by our relationships with others (social-emotional components). To be healthy is to be active, social, and aware. With each of these components in mind, we can support the management of our stress through active attention to the things we can control that help complete the stress response cycle, and help to send stress packing.
The first are usually the most obvious, as many of us are aware of the benefits of exercise, good nutrition, and a proper amount of sleep (preferably between the hours of 10 pm and 6 am).
These supports for managing stress can be hard to adopt (new parents might be already rolling their eyes), however, they are nonetheless the top three. When my mental or physical health is suffering from the effects of stress, I try to manage:
1) moving my body (in any capacity) daily;
2) eating properly (at least a few times a day); and
3) getting into a deep healing sleep as often as I can. In this way I am helping my body to kick my stress to the curb by allowing it to complete the cycle.
Some of the least talked about remedies, however, also offer important and sometimes easier ways of completing the cycle of stress, and these ideas are simple everyday things we can do anytime and anywhere: laughter, having a good cry, spending time with those we are fond of, creating something artistic or special, soaking up the sun, taking thoughtful or purposeful alone time, practicing gratitude, watching, or reading an iconic heroes tale-they always contain a complete stress cycle! Bonus points if you laugh or cry.
Each of these methods works just as well at helping to complete the stress response cycle as going for a five kilometer run, because these activities provide powerful supports to help release cortisol (a stress hormone) and increase serotonin (a happy hormone). The science behind their impact on our health is undeniable. What is really exciting about this knowledge is that as humans, we actually have far more power over our stress, and thus our health, than some may think; especially if we look at the ways that these mighty stress releasing and cycle completing activities can be mixed and matched.
Lastly, relationships are key in this process, as humans are meant to be social beings. Healthy relationships can hold space for our emotions and, in and of themselves, help to complete a stress cycle. If you are feeling a sense of isolation during this time, reach out to your community and check in on Zoom, or other messaging platforms, where book clubs, games nights, or other local activities are happening weekly. This will support the sense of isolation some are feeling. Engaging in some of the activities mentioned above, with others, in a safe and socially distanced manner, can help foster mental wellness because they can help to flood our bodies with the chemicals necessary to fight stress and maintain well-being.
You may also wish to have some of the key phone numbers and text lines handy to help when you feel alone. Therefore, I have listed them below. These numbers can be lifelines for anyone feeling lost or alone during this time.
I also wish to emphasize there is no time like the present to start a relationship with a therapist. Having a good therapist and someone you connect with regularly is something all of us could benefit from, even in the best of times.
Above all, know that there is much we can do to manage the flood of stress chemicals in the body and doing those things regularly will help us, to not only cope, but to manage being well during this stressful time.
Community Services
• 911 / 811 / 211
• Kids Help Phone: 1-800-668-6868 / Text 686868
• SK Suicide Prevention: 1-833-456-4566
• Farm (Rural) Stress Line SK: 1-800-667-4442
• Mobile Crisis: 306-933-6200
• Mental Health & Addictions Services (Intake): 306-655-7777