In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic sweeping through nearly every country has made life difficult in all manner of ways. In addition to the viral threat itself, many people are experiencing the indirect impacts of the pandemic that are starting to take a toll on every person. While having one’s health is a huge plus – especially with World Health Organization advice that the most at-risk of COVID-19 are those who already have conditions affecting their immune system – we cannot ignore the overarching impact of the pandemic when it comes to our dynamic well-being.
The reality is that even prior to this virus emerging, WHO had identified stress as being ‘the global health epidemic of the 21st century’. When a situation emerges that causes increased levels of stress – it has recently reported that a citizen poll revealed that people rated their current stress levels as higher than during the 2009 economic recession – including financial uncertainty, domestic pressures, life disruption, and hopelessness about the future, what should we do to tackle the situation?
With this infographic from Study Medicine Europe, ‘The Negative Health Impact of Stress’, we will explore more about:
- Causes of stress
- Physical impacts
- Strategies for managing stress
- Key stress statistics
Stress will affect all of us at some point in our lives and understandably, even more so in our present times. Therefore, taking key steps to manage our stress is an essential health step both in terms of our mental health and our overall holistic well-being.
Researchers say that COVID-19 may be causing more mental health issues and we do need to be considering the long-term physical implications of any kind of chronic stress.
No matter what, remember that stress can impact our physical health – it’s literally not just in our heads – and it’s a fundamental issue of civic importance. Take the time to care for yourself, do what you need to for you and your loved ones, and work to overcome the lower levels of stress that can build up over months and years.
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Image credit: Freepik
Dennis Relojo-Howell is the managing director of Psychreg. He interviews people within psychology, mental health, and well-being on his YouTube channel, The DRH Show.
