Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and surge in the number of active cases, several Indian cities are under lockdown. After a year of severe to moderate isolation, we are back to square one except it’s much worse this time. So, in light of the new circumstances, we asked several women how the current situation has affected their mental health and how they are coping with it.
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“I live with my parents and they are still to get their second dose of the vaccine. So news about the shortage of vaccines and medicine, is all that our household talks about. Anybody with elderly parents would know the dread that it causes. I have Covid-news fatigue, so now I actively seek to not engage with the bad news.”
-Kripa Krishnan, Assistant Editor at iDiva
“Unlike last year, where deaths were a statistic, and it was someone from outside your friends circle, this time around it is affecting everyone I know. I’ve lost a close family friend’s mother, my cousins have it and so do a few friends. It feels like a ticking time bomb which, at some point, will affect my husband and me. I am constantly stressing about how we, a family of three that includes a toddler, will manage if we get infected. Different scenarios keep playing in my head, and it is taking a toll.”
-Karen Alfonso, Beauty Editor at iDiva
“More than anything, there is a very strong feeling of constant anxiety and burnout. Since I have very strong comorbidities (currently suffering from a kidney disorder) and living with really old parents, I often find myself becoming super pessimistic and wondering what would happen if we were to get the disease. Even social media, which is supposed to be a distraction, is a further reminder of how terrible the current situation is and how many people are affected and helpless. Times are tough but my mind isn’t cooperating.”
-Srijoni Roy, Senior Fashion Writer at iDiva
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“I have come to a point where I can no longer work up the courage to go through the news, my Twitter and Instagram feed. I’m well aware how privileged I am to be able to say this. When my mother reads out her WhatsApp forwards on oxygen shortage and death tolls, I usually pick up my stuff and head to the other room. But once I start reading up on the current situation, I go on for hours, not knowing when to stop. While I want to look at Insta reels and pretty vacation pictures to feel ‘normal’, it also fills me with scorn for people who’re living it up like nothing happened.”
-Tanya Kundu, Fashion Writer at iDiva
“The current Covid situation is much worse than last year’s. Way more people are getting infected, across the board — young, old, vaccinated, unvaccinated, people moving out or staying in. It’s like it’s in the air this time, and it’s got a vengeance.
Working in the news at a time like this is like a double death sentence. Not only are people in my personal life getting affected, I also have to closely see how people in the country are being affected. And this, too, for 10-12 hours a day. The level of overexposure is enough to cause anyone extreme anxiety and depression. It takes everything for me to switch on my computer in the mornings and tune in on what’s happening online. Within a couple of hours, I am exhausted, anxious, and extremely tense. I have to remind myself to keep calm and distance myself from what’s happening just so that I can function and look after myself.
After work, too, it takes a while to disengage as family and friends are constantly talking about it. The feeling of alarm and despair don’t leave.
But therapy and self-care practices help a lot. I actively try and log out of social media for a while, talk to friends about everyday things, read and watch movies to help my mind escape. While I do help in any way I can (contribute to charities, amplifying SOS messages, and connecting people in need), I also end up feeling very helpless and dejected because the moment you help one person, you see 10 others crying for help.”
-Madhavi Pothukuchi, Media Professional
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“Lockdowns cause two issues: you’re either very lonely because you’re alone, or you constantly have people in your space and nowhere to go to escape that. I’ve had to find ways to be alone, such as by working in a different room, so that I don’t constantly have to interact with people– a task my introvert brain really struggles with. As for my mental health, I’ve been running on autopilot for over a year and actively avoided thinking about what is going on because I unravel when I imagine everything that could go wrong, given that I have family members who are healthcare workers. I haven’t really processed getting COVID myself either. So far I’m just keeping my head down and distracting myself with work and TV shows.”
-Anonymous
“I didn’t meet my partner, who lives overseas, for more than a year. So, when they came home, I was thankful and elated, only to find out that they had to go back sooner than expected because otherwise they would be stuck here. Now, all I can do is wait for Covid-19 to go away and hope that it won’t be another year before I meet my partner.”
-Anonymous
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“Despite all the terrible things happening all around me, this is the first time in a long time that I could spend time doing nothing. I have the privilege of living at home and thus being able to focus on myself. I’m eating better, exercising, and consuming the content I want, because after a long time–I can.”
-Anonymous
“I left home when I was 17, and after many years of living alone, I am back to living with my family. While it is a great support system, it is not necessarily the best thing for my mental health. I feel stifled, but I’m trying to see the light in the dark.”
-Anonymous
How have you been dealing with your mental health? Let us know in the comments below.
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