By CNBCTV18.com Contributor Oct 10, 2021 8:28:48 AM IST (Updated)
The most significant marker of well-being across the past year and a half has been people’s sense of connectedness. Those who were able to stay emotionally connected to friends, family, classmates or co-workers fared more positively.
The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a drastic toll, not just on physical health, but on our mental well-being as well. With the uncertainty and ever-shifting contours of the pandemic, people across the globe have also experienced a gamut of complex emotions.
Given the nature of this unprecedented situation, people have been experiencing increased anxiety – worry about their own health and those of our friends and family members, as well as worry about the economic impact of the pandemic. For many, social distancing led to a sense of emotional isolation and alienation. For those living alone or in different cities from their families, this sense of isolation was even deeper. Work from home led to disruptions in routine, impacting the sleep-awake cycle and reducing physical activity. For some, the constraints of working from home, and unavoidable distractions impacted focus and productivity. The excessive consumption of news stories regarding the pandemic has also taken a toll. The distress caused by the pandemic has both triggered mental health conditions and exacerbated existing ones. According to the World Health Organization, people may be facing an increased level of drug and alcohol use, insomnia and anxiety. In fact, those infected by COVID-19 also experienced an uptick in mental health symptoms such as delirium and agitation.
While the pandemic has affected us all in some way or the other, its impact has been even greater for some more than others – the elderly, workers in unorganized sectors, and those cut off from access to digital services. Race, gender and other socio-economic factors have also played a significant role in the way the pandemic has touched lives.