To wonder what this stress is doing to us

[Iamsocold888]

There are some people who have probably been in a permanent state of panic and anxiety now since March 2020. The new variant, the talk of lockdown in other countries, people dying despite being vaccinated, and so on.
I know of some people who are still being very careful, only meet up outside etc.
The constant state of anxiety is what’s going to make us ill, I know first hand what stress-related illness can do.
Living in fear every day is horrible, it really affects your physical and mental well-being.
The media does not help this at all with constant articles, 24/7 Covid coverage, every time you ring your medical practice, 111, and so on it’s all about Covid for the first few questions, there’s no escape.
Why are we expected to live with this stress? Until when ?

@Hellokittyninja

People survived and lived with over 5 years of the build up to, the war and the aftermath of WW2 so I would imagine most people will cope. My grandparents were definitely affected by it and my grandad in particular didn’t have good mental health afterwards until he died in the 1980’s but they survived. They had also both lived through WW1 and Spanish flu as kids (both born before 1910). We just have to buckle down and get used to it all and remember how lucky we actually are.

It's not about survival

It's about good mental health! My physical health isn't good but good mental health helps a lot.

My grandparents also had differing reactions to war, as humans do

I think a big difference in London is that you were literally being bombed

Now, if you turn off the media, you can remove a lot of stress, not an option in the bombing raids. There is literally no need for many people to go through what they are going through.

As for the panicking people - in my circle, they're fully vaccinated and still panicking, were a bit miffed that I got my booster earlier, and will carry on panicking after their booster.

I'm sure we all have stuff that sets us off. But I can feel sympathetic and still not indulge it.

It is so weird to hear best friend talking about reinfection when she had it five minutes ago and was bloody fine.

Sorry to say, it's not clear to me who is anxious and who is enjoying the drama.

I think most people have gone back to normal more or less. I also still wear a face covering in crowded places and shops etc but I think that’s sensible anyway and doesn’t stress me out at all.

@MMMarmite

For me it's the lack of ability to plan anything. I've got so used to plans being suddenly banned, that I've developed a kind of learned helplessness that there's not much point trying to arrange anything. I was just getting past that and starting to plan a trip abroad, and now I'm worried that it will be skewered by this new variant.

This is me. I’m not scared of Covid but I feel like my life has been put on hold. I’m trying to move jobs and makes some changes there but no luck with that yet either.

I don't understand - who is mandating that you feel stress? Your question is posed as though this is something being done to you which the government can choose to stop, like a lockdown or mask wearing.

What are you wanting to be done?

I don't think it's fair for PP to say you can choose to be stressed or not. It shows a lack of understanding of anxiety and obsessive/intrusive thoughts, if people could choose not to be anxious they would.

OP, unfortunately living with stressful situations is part of life. People have had to cope with war, famine, illness, poverty and all the other horrible things for the whole of human history. I agree the media is making things worse. All you can do is look after yourself and try to avoid too many triggers. Things will get better over time, people will get used to this, healthcare will hopefully become more accessible again. I just don't know when.

Stress from the constant fear-mongering and threats. From not seeing family and loved ones. From not being able to discuss what's going on.

At some point in the future we'll get the true numbers of deaths this is causing.

Would you rather the media didn’t report the news and we all lived in blissful ignorance? That’s a pretty dangerous thing to wish for.

@BrickingIt44

Until there's no risk of anyone catching covid anymore. So not for a good while yet.

Not forever.

Why do people have this idea that at some point in the future, we are going to get to a stage when nobody gets Covid? NOT GOING TO HAPPEN and the sooner you start to adjust your thinking to "this is going nowhere, minimise risk if you wish but impossible to eliminate" the sooner life recommences.

I agree that the anxiety has been ramped up for many. I volunteer with a (otherwise healthy) woman in her 60s. She is constantly sanitising, wiping, insists on having all doors and windows open even when it's literally freezing outside, won't use public transport, won't meet a friend inside for coffee/meal, won't go to the cinema/theatre.

I'm not prepared to live like that.

I don’t know what people are waiting for.

Maybe it’s a lack of closure.

@Iamsocold888

I agree, I’m just sick of these headlines, the new Botswana variant or whatever it is, it’s supposed to be the worst yet, vaccines don’t work on it etc. It’s just going to make people panic even more and for what

We got through it when the UK variant was discovered. We’ll get through this too.

I wear a mask and I’m still cautious but I don’t overdo it. I don’t listen to the news on the numbers, etc

Personally, I have given up worrying about Covid now. It's here to stay for God knows how long. I mask wear, and will be triple vaccinated by tomorrow and just getting on with it. I stick to the rules, but have travelled abroad twice ( am just back actually), but my plans are last minute. I am seeing family and friends and going out for dinner etc. Am lucky enough that I can still work from home part of the time.

You don’t actually have to be anxious. Accept you have no control over certain things. You can do some things to help mitigate the risk but why let fear spoil your life?

I agree with those previous posters who point out that a person has agency over their own reactions. Even if you can't avoid hearing the news, you can choose how to react.

I'm not sure what you expect to be done about this.

The media have a job as part of the role they play in our democracy to report what is happening. They don't always do this well in fact they often do it pretty badly but it is not their job to calm nerves, help people avoid stress and make them happy.

It has been a horrifically stressful two years for a lot of people -- no controversy there.

But in a pan-historical and geographical context its not the worst by a long chalk. I daresay people who remember World War II or god forbid people who have lived through forced migration or genocide, would have suffered more.

Well being locked out of my country of birth since early 2020 and therefore not being able to see family during that time is pretty darn stressful and there is nothing I can do to change that. I can't just "live life like normal" when the borders are closed and I'm not allowed in! I can try and manage my stress but it is also useful for me to keep up with the news to keep a realistic grip on the situation e.g. scary new variant = borders slamming shut.

I hear you OP - having read your post I wanted to share what helps me.

Covid is definitely very stressful but the media operates in part by ramping up the stress because it sells papers/gets clicks. So if you can remember that and step away from all the fear that's being whipped up on a daily basis, that helps. As individuals, the vast majority of us are not at risk from this virus (thankfully). So it's not sensible to get very sucked into worrying about it intensely overall - it is possible to focus on the good bits of your life whilst occasionally acknowledging its a global crisis and is causing big issues. And even when Covid is less of a threat, there will be other things to worry about. That's life isn't it - in the last 100 years, there have been catastrophic wars, climate change, terrorism. There is no future where everything will be ok for all of us, all of the time. There is so much you can do to manage stress, nonetheless. Mindfulness has helped me drastically. Walking helps too and other exercise. Watching comforting food or listening to nice music. You have to have a deliberate strategy to calm yourself down because stress can make you really ill. It really does help. The virus is going to do its thing whether you're scared or calm, as individuals, we don't have much control, so you might as well work on being calm.

I find it strange that so many people are still so anxious and watching out for variants and obsessing over risk. Just live your life, unless you're extremely vulnerable.

@LiquidSodaCrystal

Yeah I have been constantly stressed because I live with two people who work for the NHS and every day when they get home and I ask how they are, they shake their heads and it’s a fucking mess. I’d love to “get on with life” but I’d have to shove my head in the sand because the reality is shit.

The nhs was a fucking mess before covid, especially in the winter months.

@Iamsocold888

Well why should I or others live with constant stress and anxiety until what could be a good few years away? What sort of life is that

Which is why a lot of people think sod it and refuse to worry about it at all, treating the questions as just more pointless beauracracy to wade through.

@Iamsocold888

Well why should I or others live with constant stress and anxiety until what could be a good few years away? What sort of life is that

What do you think the right solution would be @Iamsocold888 ?

I'm also stressed out - but stressed by the endless doom and gloom by "conspiracy theory" family members spouts about how f*cked we all are with his New World Order and how I am going to lose my house, electric will be cut off soon, we won't be able to eat. Even when my logic brain tells me its all insanity, it seeps in. With every gas hike, food rise, mandatory vaccines article I read my stomach knot tightens and I worry that maybe they are right after all.

Add to that the stressing about their mental health. My folks are all consumed by the control theories, are non vaxxed and not happy with me being vaxxed at all. One sibling does not speak to another as they got vaccinated. There is no joy in their lives at all - it is all misery. This really upsets me a it is their twilight years.

I am having physical reactions to the stress now. Not one bit worried about covid, never have been.

I definitely think denial is the way forward. Of course we should all be getting jabbed, and taking sensible precautions, but beyond that I think it is time to just get on with life. Humans are very good at ignoring their own mortality generally, which is why so many of us drink too much, smoke, eat the wrong things and don't exercise enough even though we know ultimately those things will shorten our lives. The big issue with Covid at the moment is that we are all focussing on it too much in a way that we don't focus on all the other things that can kill us. Once we can stop doing that then hopefully the anxiety levels will drop.

Here's a really interesting article which explains something about the psychology of what's happening to us right now.

<a class="break-all" href="//.articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2021/11/27/mass-formation-totalitarianism.aspx?ui=12def4282d6949b365367db26226f7d960570bc044c21e197b48d8c744e5d06a&sd=20110717&cid_source=dnl&cid_medium=email&cid_content=art1HL&cid=20211127_HL2&mid=DM1042413&rid=1333806908" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Why Do People Willingly Sacrifice Their Freedom?

I wouldn't say I was permanently anxious or avoiding doing things - but I do get the 'here we go again' feeling when new variants are reported and wondering what this will mean and what I will need to cancel this time.

I think that media reporting has a big impact - and that includes social media, Twitter, even stuff like MN. When I was growing up there were
Newspapers and TV bulletins at 6 and 9/10 pm but there was no constant bombardment and outside of this would just be local gossip.

You’re letting yourself be stressed and anxious though. Most people I know have relaxed & are just getting on with life. This is not going away for a long time, so you need to work on your anxiety & get use to it.