Why our mental health has worsened during the pandemic

682 days have passed since the first lockdown in Germany. We look back with sorrow at all the damage the pandemic has caused, at all the people who have lost their lives, and at all the people who have been left with health complications.

It is rather difficult to talk about other consequences of the pandemic, as it would seem insensitive compared to those who had to suffer the loss of a loved one. Nevertheless, there is an immense impact that is neglected in the current discussions about the pandemic. Namely, it’s the discussion about our mental health. We need to have this conversation because it can have long-lasting effects on both society and us as individuals.

682 days ago, we were told to isolate, and we remain in that isolation. Even though it is for our own safety, we don't talk enough about the consequences of this isolation. As the first cases began to emerge, several countries began to close their borders, along with the schools, academic institutions, and non-essential businesses. As a result, our day-to-day lives came to a halt, but our responsibilities remained intact, with numerous businesses switching to home office. Schools and academic institutions switched to remote learning, so we were forced to adapt quickly. Throughout this rapid transition, we were incapable of developing adequate systems suitable for this isolation. I'm certain you can recall what that must have felt like. One day you were going to work or university, grabbing lunch with friends, and going out for the evening, and then the next day you were lying in your bed trying to stay awake for your 8 o'clock conference, working through the workload all by yourself.

I speak from experience: I graduated from high school during the pandemic, which meant I went to school one day not knowing it would be my last. Initially, it felt like a relief because now I didn't have to get up so early, I could save myself the commute to school, and I could turn off my camera and sound at any given time, but this brought complications that didn't become apparent until I got to university. Although remote work or study is a necessity, it’s not a long-term solution.

1. Why remote work or study endangers our mental well-being

Academic institutions as well as plenty of offices rely heavily on social interactions. They are not just a setting where we learn or work, they are primarily a place where we interact with others. We learn how to engage with one another, how to work in a group, and how to establish meaningful relationships.

Having moved to another city to study, I know from personal experience how difficult it is to make new friends during the pandemic. Getting to know new people, let alone reaching out to them, is much more difficult. Although we relied on technology to connect us, the pandemic has proven that technology cannot substitute real human interaction.

Did you rather attend meetings, lectures or conferences in person or online?

For me, it's in person, particularly when it comes to lectures and studying as a whole. It's certainly not because anything has changed in terms of content, but rather because there's a completely different atmosphere in a room than there is in the same “room” over Zoom. What a lot of people are not taking into consideration is the anxiety that is connected with having for instance your camera on or speaking over zoom. As a result, you are less likely to engage, you also feel a certain type of discomfit. This has a lot to do with the lack of human interaction. You are not able to pick up one the general atmosphere, which doesn’t allow you to feel comfortable. This goes beyond the conferences on Zoom; we do our tasks or studies mostly alone, there is nobody we can look over the shoulder for inspiration, or at least have the comfort of knowing that we are not the only one struggling.

While studying architecture, my mental health was compromised by the constant thought of not being good enough; I convinced myself that I was the only one struggling and that everyone was doing well. As a result, I suffered from insomnia, some days I hardly had an appetite, while on other days I ate even though I wasn't all that hungry. All of these are symptoms that a lot of people suffer from. However, remote learning is not the sole cause behind worsening mental health. This leads me to my second point.

2. The lack of certainty for the future

To date, no one knows how long this pandemic will last. While some of us have made peace with the idea that this is our new normal, others are hopeful that this may be the last wave and life will return to normal. This uncertainty, combined with the constant stream of news about the worsening conditions along with all the damage that has already been done, is causing severe stress on everyone's mental health. This is intensified by the current recession and the job losses that come with it. A lot of people no longer have the financial security they had before the pandemic. This leads to an increase in anxiety and could even lead to depression or substance abuse.

Several studies have found that anxiety, alcohol use, domestic violence, and child abuse have increased significantly during the course of the pandemic. It is important that we see these things in context and not as isolated incidents because all of this points to a systemic problem. We will never be able to fix this problem if we don't even acknowledge that there is a problem in the first place.

There are, of course, several reasons why someone's mental health could have worsened, most of which have quite personal causes. But there are 3 steps you can take to improve your mental health regardless of the cause.

1. observe how your mental health has changed during the pandemic.

   • Again, you can only work on an issue once you’ve realized that there is one in the first place. Since we were forced to adapt quickly, along with the fact that the majority of us consider this a temporary condition, we didn't take the time to check in with ourselves. Determine what has changed for the worse and what has drained you mentally and physically. Only then can you attempt to eliminate the cause.

2. make your struggle known

   • When I chose this topic, I knew how difficult it would be to talk about it. The reason is that, unfortunately, there is still a tremendous stigma around mental health. Even I've noticed that when I talk about my experiences in this essay, I feel vulnerable. Yet, we need to overcome this discomfort because only by sharing our experiences or simply stating that we are struggling might encourage others to do the same. This will lead to necessary discussions about mental health in general, and the mere fact that one can share their struggles will make them feel heard.

3. become proactive

   • After you have figured out where your mental health has worsened and you have shared your experiences, you need to become proactive. You need to build support systems that will improve your mental health. Remember, even though there is a big stigma attached to mental health, you can take care of it the way you take care of your body. For example, when you have a cold, you take a day off, lie down in bed and rest so that your body can recover, and you can do the same if you have burnout. Take a few days off, and let your mind recover.

   We need to recognise that there is no substitute for human interaction, that we can build a bridge to others by making our struggle known. After all, these are not individual problems, but something we suffer from as a society, and we can do something about it starting with these three steps and going further. It doesn't matter if 682 days have passed since the first lockdown or just one day. Taking care of our mental wellbeing should be a constant priority.