Homesickness… all part of the journey!
Homesickness is a normal and expected part of the journey of travelling abroad. Let’s discover how to approach this emotion together!
October 17, 2024
The COVID-19 Pandemic has affected all of us. Some of us may feel we have passed it, with Joe Biden recently stating that the Covid-19 pandemic is over. Whereas some of us may be struggling to get back to ‘normal’ – whatever that means. In this blog we will be discussing the effects COVID-19 had on our mental health, with the help of psychotherapist Marina Tricard. And why now might be the best time to create a new ‘normal’.
Author: Mabel Smith
Well, that was a weird 3 years.
There are moments when the COVID-19 pandemic feels like a blip in our history, but we must remember that we aren’t that far out of the major restrictions, and some still exist around this rock we call home. The news reports on the pandemic as something that has affected our economy, but very little time is spent talking about the effect it has had on our mental health.
At mindhamok, we are big believers in talking about mental health. It’s in our nature, as
humans, to survive. We have a knack for moving on and looking forward. And yes, moving on from past trauma is a positive thing. However, the only way to move past trauma is to deal with it. Marina Tricard, a psychotherapist who is part of the mindhamok network, recently wrote a paper called ‘PTSD as a Side Effect of Covid-19’*. Here Marina reports on the increase n mental health struggles reported during the pandemic and how some of us could have experienced PTSD.
* The American Magazine, PTSD as a Side Effect of Covid by Marina Tricard. May 2021. pg40
When we think of PTSD, we often think of war veterans or sexual assault survivors. However,PTSD can come about after any event that we find traumatic. And if we think about it; a world-wide lockdown resulting from a virus outbreak that we knew very little about, and lost loved ones to, is pretty scary and traumatic. Marina argues that “There are several factors why some people are coping better with it [the pandemic] than others. It all has to do with whether or not we have protective factors, previous stressors, and the types and number of stressors we have in our lives now.”** If you want to read more about stressors then take a look at Marina’s article.
** The American Magazine, PTSD as a Side Effect of Covid pg41
Perhaps some of us feel less motivated after the pandemic. We have adjusted to a new way of living, a new pace, and getting back to ‘normal’ is tough. But maybe the old ‘normal’ isn’t something we need to get back to completely. A lot of people during the pandemic developed new hobbies, we had an opportunity to set time aside for ourselves and be more mindful. That doesn’t have to end now that the pandemic is receding.
Marina names a few methods we can use to help us feel better: laughing, improving our diet, journaling, yoga or physical exercise, acupuncture, reiki, hypnotherapy, psychotherapy and medication. If some of these methods aren’t accessible to you then let’s starts with the simple one. Mindhamok’s blog post on nutrition has all the information we need to help us improve our diet. During the pandemic we recorded a podcast about the importance of mindfulness during the pandemic – just because the pandemic is receding doesn’t mean it’s any less important! And to engage in more exercise, let’s start by simply going outside and breathing in the fresh air.
The pandemic shook our world, but it also reminded us about the importance of our mental health. We must take care of our mind. A healthy mind is what allows us to work hard, socialise, study, and enjoy our time here. If you think that you need some extra help, perhaps by talking to a therapist, then our network of professionals, like Marina, are here for you.
Put your mind in a hammock and go easy on yourself.
More To Explore
Language Immersion: Fun Tips to Learn Quick
Are you a student currently or planning on travelling abroad? Awesome choice! To help you dive into the world of travelling – let’s get you prepped with these fresh Fun Tips to Learn Quick on language immersion.
September 20, 2024