There's been a lot written about our individual wellbeing in lockdown, and how COVID-19 has exposed inequalities in society. Psychology researcher and academic, Dr Liz Temple, believes there are key positive lessons the crisis can teach us as individuals and as communities.
Aftershocks - and timely lessons - from the COVID 'earthquake'
While various parts of the country and the world begin to make changes to their pandemic-related restrictions, for many what has made COVID challenging is that, largely, "every day feels the same and there seems no end in sight"."How we feel about that - whether increased boredom, isolation or anxiety - depends on our resources and circumstances," Liz says. "There is a great diversity - from people working longer and harder than normal, through to those who don't qualify for any assistance, who are concerned they won't have enough money to buy food or pay their rent.
Our ability to feel safe and secure is tied to our ability to predict what will happen in the future. Without that, most of us feel untethered.
Liz believes that getting through this next stage of easing - but still tight - restrictions will require additional patience and adherence to a few simple steps.
1. Maintain your normal routine.
"Keep going to sleep and getting up at the same time, and having meals at regular times," says Liz. "These things help us to remain firmly embedded in the present day. Research pre-COVID-19 found that the body clocks of unemployed people shifted over time, but that can make it very hard to resume habits on the other side.
"Maintaining a daily and weekly schedule, which includes social contact, helps you to know what's coming up in your life, despite the broader unpredictability. Getting things done, especially things you enjoy, gives you a sense of achievement and elevates your mood."
2. Remember you are not alone.
"Many people are experiencing financial difficulty right now," Liz says. "Psychologically, when misfortune hits you individually, you can think it's something you personally have done or that you deserved it. When misfortune strikes a whole lot of people at once, there is more camaraderie, more understanding and less self-blame. COVID-19 has impacted lots of people, so hopefully this will make it easier for us to move on and not get stuck in depressive cycles."
3. Reflect.
"Especially when there has been such a big loss of life, it prompts us to think about our own mortality and the things we really care about," Liz says.
Anything that has a big impact prompts us to think about what life means and why we do what we do; it's like an earthquake going through society.
"It's a time now to create the mental and emotional space to reflect on the things we have learnt about ourselves and the world during this crisis. What have you worried about? What have you enjoyed? For some families, spending time together will have been hugely valuable ... and hopefully a lot more people have learned how to cook.
"Reflection might make people think differently about their lives and what constitutes quality of life for them. Depending on your circumstances, you may find the impetus to retrain or do something completely different."
4. Have gratitude.
"Australia has handled this situation remarkably well and it's important not to forget that," Liz says. "Show gratitude for the positive things in your life. We live in a country where we take a lot for granted. Even though people have lost jobs, we haven't experienced the same loss of life as in many countries. When you start thinking about what you are grateful for, it changes your energy and mindset. Hope is so important for our mental health."
5. Seek support or professional help.
"Our experiences of the crisis are different," Liz says. "Some people may need encouragement to talk through their experiences. Often people simply need to be able to tell their stories and find commonalities in the stories of others, and to be heard.
"Writing about what's going on for you, in a lockdown diary, can be helpful. It gets it out of your brain and onto the page, which makes it more manageable. You also then have a record of this time, to share if you want. And remember to make use of support lines, psychologists and counsellors."
As we begin to contemplate life after COVID-19, Liz suggests reassessing what is essential to human needs. "Some of those things we are lacking at the moment - like social connections, friends and family, freedoms and autonomy, the ability to do meaningful work and have a purpose in life. What is it we truly need?
"Many of the Federal Government's initiatives have been focused on individuals, rather than just businesses, and people are making a recommitment to the importance of community. COVID-19 reminds us that bad stuff can happen to anyone, and hopefully we will come out of it as a kinder and more understanding community. We are, after all, a society, not an economy."
Dr Liz Temple is a senior lecturer in the School of Psychology at the University of New England who has researched relationships between our psychological functioning, social and emotional wellbeing, especially in relation to time psychology.
