As we begin to adjust to a post-pandemic world, many people are experiencing symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress (PTS).
This could be from having an encounter with Covid-19, experiencing durations of social isolation, or retaining fears about the virus even after vaccinations. With this reality in mind please consider the following tips to maintaining your mental health throughout this time:
- Identify your triggers: PTS or anxiety may emerge when you least expect it. For example, you are in line at the grocery store and someone behind you coughs. This triggers racing thoughts, blurred visions, sporadic breathing, and reliving past experiences. Identifying triggers is the first step to relieving them.
- Try new coping skills: After identifying triggers, it is helpful to have a few tools readily available to cope with PTS. A great strategy to implement are breathing exercises, such as taking deep breaths in through your nose holding them for three seconds and then exhaling slowly. This will help to control your heart rate and clear your mind.
- Seek aid: If you find that you are continuing to experience symptoms of PTS that are debilitating to your daily life, it could be helpful to take a next step and speak to a clinical psychologist. Managing your mental health during times of transition and societal turmoil is extremely difficult, and you don’t have to go through it alone.
We hope you find these strategies helpful in navigating relationships during these uncertain times. Additionally, please consider referring residents to your faculty psychologist if this process becomes overwhelming.