How the pandemic affects the mental health of the Filipinos?

Nowadays, we suffered from a pandemic because of the virus called Covid-19. People suffered
because of this pandemic we experienced right now. Some of them lost their job because of the
financial problems we are having right now. Criminal rates are increasing because they do it to earn
money. Children and teenagers are not learning well and they face so many problems because of the
new ways to learn like modular or online classes. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is drastically
changing the lives of people, including the lives of young people. Schools and universities have
closed, exams and events postponed, the usual health information services are limited, socializing
with friends and wider family is highly discouraged and in some places even punishable. Living in
these circumstances can be tough for young people for their social, physical and mental wellbeing.

Our mental health is the one that we should focus right now. Our mental health is not just
about our problems, it is very serious and it can cause death. Mental health is the main issue in this
situation right now we are into. People are experiencing anxiety and depression because of this virus.
At the age of 18 years old to 24 years old, over 52.6% are experiencing the anxiety and depression.
Bereavement, isolation, loss of income and fear are triggering mental health conditions or
exacerbating existing ones. Many people may be facing increased levels of alcohol and drug use,
insomnia, and anxiety. The COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting economic recession have negatively
affected many people’s mental health and created new barriers for people already suffering from
mental illness and substance use disorders. During the pandemic, about 4 in 10 adults in the U.S. have
reported symptoms of anxiety or depressive disorder. Many people are afraid and they overthink
because they think that all of us will have the virus. Students are experiencing stress and they break
down because of the activities or projects that they are not finish. The adults are facing so many
problems like financial problems and some lost their job. This is the impact of this pandemic to the
Filipinos.

This pandemic is giving us stress and trauma. Some of the people are experiencing
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This disorder are very serious because it can cause death. It can
make you suicide or hurt yourself. Kody Keplinger said “You can’t control everything. Sometimes you
just need to relax and have faith that things will work out. Let go a little and just let life happen.” We
should love ourselves and always be happy. To keep our mental health, healthy. We should not
overthink. We should not stress ourselves and sometimes we just need to be free to forget our
problems.

So, the only way to face our problems is to manage our mental health and to take care of
ourselves. All of these changes and disruption of our normal life can be causing feelings of fear,
anxiety, disappointment, or even boredom. Here are some tips to practice daily to help you manage
your mental health during these challenging times: Stick to a routine every day, get up in the
mornings, take a shower, and get dressed as if you would go out. Make your bed and clean up the
house. Do stretches and exercises if you take medication, make sure you take them and make
arrangements with your doctor. Eat decent healthy meals and try to have as many vegetables and
fruit every day, study well and finish the your tasks before deadline to avoid cramming. Clean up your
workspace and for focused sessions of work, if you are working remotely. Practice deep breathing and
meditation. Reduce caffeine intake as this will increase your anxiety levels. Do online calls and video
calls with friends and family and make sure to switch off from social media intermittently during the
day. Be healthy, stay safe, love yourself and always be happy.