Many people suffered from traumatic stress and anxiety in the days, weeks, months, and years that followed the pandemic. Post-pandemic trauma typically includes anxiety, helplessness, fear, stress, anger, sadness, depression, and grief. It can be very damaging if we experience trauma and cannot cope with it. We may feel emotionally numb and even shut down emotionally or physically. Therefore, it’s vital to our mental and physical health to learn how to cope with post-pandemic trauma.
What Is Post-Pandemic Trauma
Post-pandemic trauma is a form of traumatic stress that follows any type of sudden, unexpected, and widespread emergency and disaster. It is often defined by anxiety, depression, and/or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms.
Symptoms of post-pandemic trauma can include:
- Strong feelings of fear, especially fear of contracting the disease, getting sick, dying, and fearing the end of the world.
- Thought and memory problems due to the stress of the event.
- Emotions such as feeling anger, shame, and sadness.
- Physical symptoms include coughing, headaches, trembling, fatigue, loss of appetite, and more.
- Thoughts of the event happening again.
- Anxiety and panic are triggered by things that remind us of the events, such as similar news stories or even the sight of someone wearing a mask.
Here are five things we can do to cope with post-pandemic trauma
1. Recognize and Acknowledge the Feelings
We have all suffered stress, anxiety, and fear from the global coronavirus pandemic. Some people were directly affected by the virus, some had loved ones who got the virus, some people feared for the lives of their loved ones, and a lucky few had nothing to worry about other than the daily turmoil caused by the pandemic.
Everyone coped with the pandemic differently. Some people coped without much effort. Others may have had difficulty coping with the terror of the outbreak, while others may have been affected so severely that they suffered from post-pandemic trauma.
The key to battling the signs of post-pandemic trauma is to recognize the symptoms and feelings that we are having.
2. Get Moving
Getting active is a relatively easy way to cope with post-pandemic trauma. During this time, the body and mind need a distraction. There are so many ways to get active, such as taking a walk, running, swimming, doing some yoga, going for a hike, going for a bike ride, or dancing. There are also videos to watch at home or exercises like yoga or pilates.
3. Be Kind to Yourself
When people have been through a traumatic event, we must listen to our bodies and be kind to ourselves. Chances are we’ve had a tough time with the outbreak, meaning we may need to take care of ourselves, our bodies, and our minds. Allow yourself to have time to think and cry. If it’s challenging to keep the negative thoughts away, don’t be afraid to talk to a professional to help with these thoughts.
4. Learn from the pandemic
There are a lot of things we have learned from this awful outbreak. We’ve learned how to better respond to, prepare for, and survive viral outbreaks in the future.
5. Have a Support Group
Having a support network is vital. Talking about the feelings one is having is a great way to cope with trauma. Writing them down and journaling are also great ways to express emotions and not have them bottled up.
Conclusion
Coping with post-pandemic trauma can be challenging and frustrating, but the key is to take one small step at a time and choose the right support system.
Coping from any trauma can be difficult, but it can be done. Therapy24x7 offers coping therapy for post-pandemic trauma. We have a network of trained counselors ready to help. Schedule an appointment with us now! Let us go through this journey together.