Mental health and Psychology have had a historical connection with “normalcy” or “abnormality.” At the root of the diagnosis process with all mental illnesses is a deviation from “a normal level of functioning,” or the presence of “abnormal” behavior, thought and emotion. These are not normal times that we live in. People losing their loved ones, losing financial security, having their future plans interrupted. We can’t even resort to our normal ways of coping with stress; meeting a friend, going to the beach, playing sports.

The Covid-19 pandemic has been largely described as a mental health pandemic, as well. All around the world and here in the Maldives, we see an alarming spike in people experiencing mental health challenges anew or having their existing symptoms worsened. It makes sense, that in a world that is not normal, the way we think, the way we feel, behave and react are not the same as we are used to as well.

One of the main cognitive errors or faulty thought mechanism we have which is causing us distress during this pandemic is an expectation of normalcy. More than a year into this, we are still not used to it. We keep expecting things to occur in exactly the same way it used to; we expect our work life to return to normal and when it doesn’t, it frustrates us. We expect to be able to have our normal coping mechanisms back and when it doesn’t happen, it frustrates us. Maybe the biggest expectation is that we expect ourselves to not feel sad or angry or frustrated.

Being mentally healthy during a pandemic requires in part, an acceptance. An acceptance that it is okay if you feel stuck. The world is not moving either. It is okay if you are not meeting all the goals and standards you had set for yourself. There is a surrender of control that is necessary here, where we have to accept that a lot of the ways in which we think we are failing, is not within our control. And it is completely normal and okay for you to be frustrated with that as well. Whatever you are feeling, it is okay to feel that and accept that you are feeling that.

This acceptance is necessary for us to work towards some kind of normalcy. And normalcy can be found even in these times if we are mindful of a few things.

1. Firstly, it helps to have a schedule, even if you are in a lockdown. It is often frustrating to hear this, as a schedule is difficult for some of us to fall into. But a schedule doesn’t have to be a rigid timetable where you do every task in the allotted hour. The beginning of a schedule can just be doing one thing at the same time every day; and then two things, and so on. A schedule helps restore energy and relieve some anxiety as well.

2. Secondly, it helps to accept that you can’t have your old coping strategies for now, and an old dog can learn new tricks; and you can develop new coping strategies and hobbies as well. Try writing, cooking, baking, painting, taking a short course online for free or find a new game you can play.

3. It is important to understand that in today’s world, we are only as limited as we believe we are. Social interaction and support can still be found, even if you can’t meet your loved ones in person. There are so many apps coming up which allows you to do different activities with your loved ones as well.

4. Fourthly, always take some time of the day to reflect on yourself, to spend with yourself; to be mindful of how you are feeling and how you are doing and how your environment is. A lot of the times, we only notice we are not okay when we reach a breaking point. Giving yourself time, allows us to be more self-aware.

5. If you are feeling anxious, it helps to put an ice-cube in your mouth or to eat something very sour or list down things you can see, hear, smell and touch and feel in the environment. Your senses help ground you when your mind is being overactive.

6. If you feel like you need help, please do reach out. All VC staff and students can reach our counselling services at counselling@villacollege.edu.mv