As all Thammasat University students know, these are unusual times, and the Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has brought some new worries about health and economic matters.
Last year, even before the pandemic, TU innovated by opening a Viva City clinic in the dormitories zone of Rangsit campus to offer psychological advice to students, open daily from 8:30am to 10pm. Anyone who gets too concerned about things like exams and due dates for academic assignments can learn some coping strategies.
In August, it was announced that the Thai Health Promotion Foundation (Thai Health) together with the Faculty of Social Administration, Thammasat University, the Department of Disease Control, Ministry of Social Development and Human Security (MSDHS) and other network organizations, launched a community development and social care project to help reintergrate recovered COVID-19 patients psychologically as well as physically.
The Thammasat Model was extended to use for caring for a range of people.
So with this excellent record of caring for the community, it should not surprise anyone that The Office of International Affairs (OIA), Thammasat University has posted on its website a reminder that free counseling is available for all TU students, whether they are Thai or from different countries. English language sessions are offered on the first floor of the Student Activity Building from 8:30am to 12:30pm on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Thai language sessions are available on the same days from 1:30pm to 4:30pm.
The Thammasat University Library owns a number of books about how to be as happy as possible through self-help as well as counselling and talk therapy.
Expert suggestions
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has posted extensive tips about how to avoid feeling too stressed out by the pandemic.
The Bangkok Hospital website has posted some useful information about how to tell if stress is getting out of hand and some friendly suggestions might be helpful:
Anxiety is a Normal Reaction To Stress, Especially When People Must Deal With Crisis Moments
The COVID-19 outbreak is extremely stressful for people. Fear and anxiety about a disease can be overwhelming and cause strong emotions. In fact, the feeling of being stressed can be typically triggered by an event that makes people feel frustrated or nervous. Anxiety is a feeling of fear, worry or unease. It can be a reaction to the stress. During COVID-19 pandemic, stress and anxiety are appropriate responses to raise awareness, allowing people to carefully plan and effectively manage the situation. Without stress and anxiety, a number of people would have ignored all disease control measures and denied complying preventive policies. As an undesired result, it potentially enhances disease transmission to the families and wider communities, causing disease even more difficult to be kept under control. Everyone reacts differently to stressful situations. Nonetheless, stress and anxiety should be properly managed. People can first mitigate stress by taking all measures recommended by health authorities to reduce risks of infection such as frequent handwashing and social distancing. To relieve anxiety, it is recommended to maintain a routine involving a balance of time, relaxation and connecting with friends and families preferably through technology. To avoid being overwhelmed while paying attention to reliable sources of news on the pandemic, taking breaks from time to time including from social media is highly suggested…
How To Effectively Cope With the COVID-19 Pandemic
People respond to the outbreak differently depending on their background. People who may react more strongly to the stress include older people with chronic diseases, medical responders such as doctors, nurses and other health care providers as well as patients who have mental health conditions including problems with substance use. Nevertheless, everyone can face cumulative stress while dealing with the situation. These recommendations significantly help to manage stress associated with COVID-19 outbreak.
- Stay informed but calm and do not panic
Being excessively stressed can lead to long-term effects including feeling emptiness and hopelessness, resulting in inappropriate decision making and responses such as intentional self-harm, suicidal thought, resignation, relocation, getting a divorce, impaired judgment and risk-taking behaviors as well as poor relationship with friends, family and colleagues. It is highly recommended not to make any important decision during this moment. Only continuing daily life with extra care and staying away from infections are crucial.
- Know the facts to help reduce stress
Excessive consumption of news on the pandemic must be avoided. If necessary, checking updates only once a day is sufficient to prevent overwhelming feelings. Taking breaks from watching, reading or listening to stories including social media is advised. Hearing about the pandemic repeatedly can be upsetting. In fact, sharing accurate information about COVID-19 obtained from reliable resources can make an outbreak less stressful.
- Comply with preventive measures and disease control policy instructed by health authorities
Instructions and measures announced by health authorities and government must be strictly followed. These include personal hygiene, frequent handwashing, social distancing, wearing masks and avoiding exposure to endemic areas or suspected cases.
- Take care of mental health
Not only physical health and well-being, but mental health should be also well looked after. Warning signs of mental illness must be closely observed such as feeling depressed or hopeless, sleep disturbance, changes in eating patterns, emotional fluctuation and increased alcohol intake. If any abnormal sign presents, medical assistance should be provided as soon as possible. Delayed consultation may result in chronic stress with long-term health impacts. People with preexisting mental health conditions should continue with their treatments and be aware of new or worsening symptoms that might arise.
- Make time to unwind
Although this crisis limits the freedom and flexibility of our lives, to get rid of stress, people should continue living as usual as possible. If boredom develops during a 14-day quarantine time, some joyful activities should be considered. In addition, healthy habits should be regularly maintained
- Tips for a healthy routine
Eating healthy foods with well-balanced meals. In fact, cooking at home is more economical than eating out. Food delivery can be occasionally considered.
Getting sufficient sleep. Lack of sleep can affect immune system. Medical researches widely prove that adequate sleep does not only help to prevent depression, but it also minimizes the risks of viral infection. To obtain a quality sleep during nighttime, mobile phones must be switched off or put into a silent mode.
Staying connected with other people through communication technology such as social media and apps. Self-isolation without routine conversation or interaction with people might be a potential factor to develop stress and anxiety.
Continuing daily life as usual. During free time, interesting activities must be conducted. Staying active and productive while working from home. Routine tasks should be continued such as waking up in the morning, taking a shower, having exercise, house cleaning, cooking and gardening. Having an active life greatly reduces risks to develop depression and anxiety.
Finding new interesting hobbies and recreational activities. Although several activities have been restricted during COVID-19 pandemic, a wide range of recreational hobbies are also available. These include drawing, baking, playing a musical instrument, creating lyrics, jigsaw puzzles, yoga and having a foreign language class.
Attitude adjustment. Even though this pandemic is highly worrisome, it is essential to keep yourself reminded “no worries and do not panic”. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) can be an effective tool to help anyone learn how to better manage stressful life situations.
(All images courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)