Resiliency during COVID

As we all attempt to look at ways to navigate ourselves through the Covid-19 pandemic, one area that we need to look at is our mental health and how we are managing extra stress or mental strain that it has placed on our daily functioning. A recent survey by the CDC and Census Bureau asked Americans about symptoms of anxiety and depression they were experiencing. Approximately one third of people surveyed reported having some symptoms of anxiety and depression since late April as compared to the first three months of 2019 where only 11% Americans reported having signs or symptoms of anxiety or depression. This does not necessarily mean that people have been diagnosed or will be diagnosed with depression or anxiety, but it helps us to understand the psychological impact of the pandemic.

With the pandemic continuing to impact us, we need to look further at mental health. This includes looking at our own well-being and our resilience as factors that predict our ability to cope with the stress brought about by COVID. Resilience can be defined as the ability to adapt to new situations and having the ability to cope as things change.

If people have a strong sense of resiliency and a positive sense of well-being, it allows them to approach their life with more optimism and confidence. Having a stronger sense of confidence and optimism will help you to face the added strains put on us by the pandemic. The following are some of the indicators of resiliency:

  1. Having the confidence to approach new people and new situations
  2. Having the ability to set new goals and apply attention and flexibility achieving those goals
  3. Having a realistic yet optimistic viewpoint toward life
  4. Having a positive self-esteem and develop a level of self-awareness
  5. Having the ability to avoid negativity and self-blame, allowing yourself to let go and move forward.

Remember asking for help to achieve this is not a personal weakness, it is a strength. It is one of the steps toward personal wellness. We need to start to practice healthy habits for our mind and body as we work toward a stronger sense of resiliency. Some of the habits include getting enough sleep, eating a healthier diet and exercise. These are some first steps to address to meet our basic needs. As you begin to have those first steps move in a positive direction, then you can begin to work on your emotional management/resiliency. You may choose to work on setting the goals on your own or you may need to reach out for assistance from a professional therapist. The therapist can help you to set up a structured plan and goals for you to work on while giving you support and feedback as you walk your path toward a positive sense of well being.

Silver Oaks Behavioral Hospital has the tools and knowledge to help you develop resiliency. We offer programming on both an inpatient basis for adolescents, adults, and senior adults and outpatient basis for adults and senior adults.

Call today for more information: (844) 580-5000.