Srinagar: Psychiatry Expert, Dr Yasir Rather, Professor, Department of Psychiatry, GMC Srinagar stressed on Psychological Appropriate Behavior to mitigate influence of Covid pandemic on mental health of a person.
“The pandemic and the second wave spike of positive cases and deaths created fear, panic, distress and anxiety among the people which takes a toll on their mental health,” said the expert while highlighting the consequences of Covid-19 pandemic.
He said it is equally important to take care of mental health as well as the rest of the respiratory system.
Dr Yasir stated that due to the panic, people keep hoarding essential items, oxygen which affects others who are in need of oxygen and essential items. This practice aggravates the situation and creates further panic in the society. He appealed to people not to resort to such unethical practices to subvert the fight against pandemic.
He reiterated that the government and doctors are giving their best but the common people should demonstrate civil sense and social responsibility and said that hoarding practice is unbecoming of our society.
Moreover, the Psychiatrist said, “In lockdown, people feel frustrated and sullen at home which also affects their mental health”, and advised “People should not focus on the issues which are beyond their reach and capacity because focusing on such things is detrimental to mental health”.
During this phase, while being at home “people should create a setup and schedule of activities to develop a new life style including spending time with family and children, create innovative ways and hobbies for interaction with them to keep the family environment flamboyant because it will keep mind stimulated and healthy,” the doctor advised.
Those living or feeling lonely at home should connect with family, friends, relatives and neighbours though virtual medium only.
Besides, he stressed on the routine of physical exercises and brisk walk because he said, “Exercises and brisk walk release endorphins and keep the mood of a person elevated and helps to overcome and alleviate anxiety.” He also suggested proper sleep and diet to maintain sustainable mental health during lockdown and pandemic.
While sharing a concern regarding negative impact of covid related news, Dr Yasir Rather appealed to people that they should not become obsessed with covid related news and impressed on obtaining covid related information from government websites and World Health Organization. He also asked youth to use Social Media responsibly and restrain from sharing negative videos and images of Covid pandemic.
Covid psychological appropriate behavior is pivotal, the doctor maintained and asked people to show compassion for the patients and reach out to people whose relatives have become victims of pandemic.
