Divorce rates are going up in several Chinese cities that were put on lockdown. The explanation is that when couples are forced to spend so much time together, the stress can be overwhelming for the marriage.
Our lockdown might be even more stressful, with so much more uncertainty and a lack of social support.
We’re like the Chinese, who use the term re nao, “hot and noisy,” to mean joy and camaraderie. Westerners see a crowd and say, “Let’s leave, too many people”; we see crowds and we go, “Masaya, let’s go see what’s happening.”Now we can almost see the virus lurking in crowds, and there are many people forced into risky situations such as checkpoints or waiting for transport.
We see much more loneliness, too—people kept apart in queues, or people walking long distances because public transport has been shut down.
So much of the advice on media focuses on physical precautions, but we need to take care of our mental health as well. When we’re depressed, our immune systems weaken, making us more vulnerable to illness. Depression can also make us more careless and negligent about ourselves and the people around us, and that can include taking risks that may get us infected.
Here are some areas relating to mental health that deserve more attention and publicity in mass media.
Lent allows us a time for quality eating: simple and healthy. I’m usually on the anorexic side, but this lockdown has brought out amazing temptations for junk food. Beware the sugar and salt—they have problematic physical effects and can also affect our moods.
Exercise keeps us physically fit, especially our cardiac and respiratory systems. In addition, physical activity releases endorphins and other “feel good” chemicals. Coach Russell on GMA-7 demonstrated very simple exercises: jog-in-place (stationary running), squats, and bicep curls using bottles of water instead of barbells.
The Japanese have developed all kinds of wonderful exercises for the elderly. Here’s one very good video showing two women, one standing and one sitting, with the taisho exercise: https://youtu.be/b9oPbi9wnP4. The commentary, unfortunately, is in Japanese. Perhaps our physical therapists can develop local ones and post them.
Go outdoors and soak up the sun and fresh air. There’s such a thing as “cabin fever,” or getting depressed from being cooped up indoors. This is especially the case with children.
Keep in touch with friends by phone or by email. If you have good Wi-Fi access, do video calls. Lately I’ve been using Zoom, which was developed for business and academic purposes but is becoming popular for social interaction. They’re allowing free use for certain countries like the Philippines during the pandemic.
Take advantage of streaming video like HBO and Netflix (which has a bargain offer of P150 a month), but try to watch with friends and family so there’s social interaction. One film you shouldn’t miss is “Yey Ballet” from India—exhilarating, moving, and based on a true story.
Surf the internet, but avoid social media crowds that rant—they’re worse than the virus. Limit the time for listening to the news, which can become shrill at times, with too much doom and gloom.
Look for and share examples of the human fighting spirit. Do a search of “SCMP rare look Wuhan hospitals,” a short video from the South China Morning Post with moving stories of self-sacrifice, and a taste of what we have to prepare for in our own hospitals.
Italians, so like Filipinos, broke out in song recently, with people playing instruments and singing from their balconies to honor their health workers. Search for the New York Times article “Italians find moment of joy in moment of anxiety.”
I feel the circles of infection are closing in as I get news of friends, usually health professionals, getting infected, and we will have to be around to console people. One relative of a COVID-19 victim dealt with her grief by writing a moving tribute in Esquire Philippines. Do a search of “Dad was PH129”—a reminder to remember the people behind the numbers.
We have the gift of humor, but we should know, too, that it’s all right to cry sometimes, maybe subdued and in private and away from the children (with dogs and cats okay). Crying can make us stronger and tougher.
When you look up the article on Italy, do click on the embedded videos, including a man singing the operatic aria “Nessun dorma” (No one sleeps). It ends, “With the dawn, I will win.”
We will win.
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mtan@inquirer.com.ph