J'AIME APRIL 2020

H E A LT H
Facing crisis together
COUNSELLOR ALYCE WILLIAMS TAKES A LOOK AT THE MENTAL HEALTH IMPACT OF
THE CURRENT CORONAVIRUS SITUATION, AND OFFERS SOME TIMELY ADVICE ON
LOOKING AFTER OURSELVES IN TIMES OF CRISIS
There is no doubt about it; as a nation we are feeling
the impact of the pandemic Coronavirus. There is
an air of uncertainty in the air and this is leaving
many of us all feeling vulnerable, overwhelmed and
insecure.
Feelings such as these are quite normal when
something big like this happens; as humans we desire
a certain amount of certainty to feel safe so when
that safety feels at threat, we become anxious. In fact,
uncertainty is a breeding ground for anxiety and
when we feel anxious, we often want to feel more in
control to create a sense of safety.
This explains why people are panic-buying hundreds
of loo rolls and all the pasta in the shops. The belief
system around this is ‘I’m protecting myself by
having all this stuff now I can feel safe’, however this
is a false sense of security because it further down the
line, the panic buying will create other problems, like
the anxiety of a food shortage. So, trying to control
the uncontrollable is futile and exhausting and often
creates a cycle of anxiety, which is trickier to get out
of.
I think the truth now is we are all going to feel some
level of anxiety over the coming days, weeks and
months as big changes are in process and change is
scary for everyone. It seems to me that the key is how
we collectively respond to this to help look after our
own and other people’s mental health.
Being a counsellor and working in mental health I
have spent some time reflecting on how I think we
can all achieve this to a level and try to stay mentally
and emotionally as fit as we can in such turbulent
times. Here is what I have come up with somehow,
and I really hope it is a help.
Firstly, talk to people. Express how you feel and don’t
think you are alone in those feelings; most of us, if
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