Article updated in May 2025
Knowledge about mental health is not a passing trend caused by the pandemic.
COVID-19 has affected many aspects of our daily lives, not least our mental health. While mental health is certainly of value to society, it is also of great importance to each and every one of us.
The pandemic has forced us out of our comfort zones and many of us have had to face challenges we never had before. This has led to increased stress levels and, in some cases, overwhelming emotions. We had no choice but to cope with the consequences as best we could. For many of us, our mental health has deteriorated and requires treatment.
It is important to learn how to deal with stress, depression and anxiety while we are going through such challenging times and the associated strain on our mental health. In this article, we want to try to raise awareness of mental health and give you tips to help strengthen your resilience.
How do I recognise depression?
How the pandemic has affected us
Although feeling overwhelmed, stressed, worried and even depressed is a normal part of life, it is fair to say that the coronavirus has hit us particularly hard.
The outbreak of the virus has caused us to rethink our lives in more ways than one. Our fears have been heightened, there has been widespread panic, and our imaginations have run wild with every piece of information about the course of the pandemic. All of this has been accompanied by a complete disruption of our daily lives.
For some of us, isolation has provided an opportunity to reflect, change and grow in many areas of our lives. But what about the rest of us who have started to struggle with our own sense of identity? What about those whose ability to deal with their emotions has been drastically reduced or even lost? How are those who have had to deal with unemployment, the death of a loved one or home schooling?
In these very difficult times, it has been more important than ever to focus on our mental health and find ways to strengthen and protect it.
Ways to manage your mental health during difficult times
Being mentally healthy means being aware of the stresses that the ‘new normal’ is putting on our daily lives and not just sitting back but doing something about it.
Here are some tips that have proven useful in managing our mental health:
1. Prioritise sleep
Prioritising sleep is crucial for human well-being – it’s as simple as it sounds. This is especially true for people who struggle with depression and anxiety on a daily basis – establishing a bedtime routine followed by a relaxing activity, such as reading or listening to podcasts/music, is sometimes all you need to help you unwind before bed.
2. Stress management through routine
This refers to any daily routine that works well for you. A good morning and evening routine, at work and when eating, can help you manage stress and cope better.
3. Seek support from those around you
During the outbreak of the disease, many of us were (and still are) faced with more “lonely” time due to social distancing measures. Staying connected with your loved ones will help you feel less isolated. However, if this is not enough, you can always seek help in the form of a support group, either in person or online.
4. Invite gratitude into your life
Even though it may seem cliché or particularly challenging, practising gratitude can help bring positive feelings and mindfulness into your life, enabling you to cope better with bad news. How does it work? As soon as you start thinking about the good things in your life, the feel-good hormones dopamine and serotonin are released, which you desperately need.
Learn how you can promote mental health awareness and help others
Educating others about mental health and eliminating stigma is just as important as taking care of your own mental health.
1. Educate yourself so you can give sound advice
Mental illness is not something to be taken lightly, and no one is immune to it.
Often misunderstood and stigmatised, mental illness must be taken seriously in order to be treated successfully. The first thing you can do is educate yourself and then share what you learn. You can find endless information in books or online – but please make sure that this knowledge comes from a reputable source and is well-founded. If you are more of a “hands-on” type, you may prefer to gain knowledge through experience and get involved in one of the countless fields of voluntary work.
2. Talk to others and let them know you are listening
There is not a single person around you who is not struggling with problems in some way. By listening and noticing signs that someone is not doing well, you can take the first step towards recovery. Point them towards sources of help, as most people do not even know who to turn to.
3. Share your story
If you have struggled with or are still struggling with any form of mental illness, we encourage you to open up and share your experiences. This often brings a great sense of relief to someone affected, as they know they are not alone in their experience. It can also inspire those affected to seek treatment.
You can also help people understand that physical health can greatly affect mental health and vice versa. For example, by making sure we eat a balanced diet and get enough sleep, we are already positively influencing our mental well-being. Take your mental health seriously and empower yourself to help others.
The pandemic years have been hard and long.
We must always remember that the experiences of the past few years have not been the same for everyone. Some have had a harder time. Some have had an easier time. Some of us may continue to struggle for years to come. This will take an even greater toll on our mental health.
Any one of us can experience a mental health issue, lose a loved one or our job, go through a break-up or experience financial insecurity. The least we can do is be kind and compassionate and, most importantly, be aware of the needs of others as well as our own.
If you are struggling with an emotional or mental health issue, or if you suspect that you may be suffering from depression, please take the self-test on our website.
Self-test: Do I have depression?