The ever increasing hustle and bustle of the world came to a standstill with the advent of the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2. The World Health Organization (WHO) termed the disease caused by the virus, COVID-19. Following the devastating effects of the virus, most places observed a lockdown in an attempt to contain the rapid spread of the contagion. The uncertainty of the current situation has affected the mental health of the global population and Nepal is no exception to it. According to the World Economic Forum. psychologists have discovered a major jump in searches related to anxiety, panic attacks, and their treatments, through the Google Trends analysis. The data acquired may be a window to a much larger problem with more people facing health issues beyond physical ones.

Although numerous vaccines are in the making across the globe, the unavailability of an accurate remedy and an uncertainty of how things will unfold also contributes to the psychological well-being of individuals. The “new-normal,” as it has been cited, has introduced the notion of physical and social distancing that has affected lifestyles of many, with decreased human contact and reduced activity. With soaring unemployment rates, the pandemic has had numerous people facing unstable financial situations. With a decrease in the general economic activity, financial hardship has been more rampant.

In these times, mental health issues are almost impossible to avoid but can be allayed through a variety of measures. Foremost of them all is to understand the gravity of the scenario the whole world is in. It is imperative to understand the global nature of the situation and the crucial contribution each can make by simply avoiding physical contact with people unless absolutely necessary. The rapid spread has overburdened the health service system with people facing COVID-19 and the problems that stem from it. Hence, it is important to take appropriate measures in order to remain healthy and only visit hospitals under unavoidable circumstances. One can avoid constant news updates relating to COVID-19 but get updated once or twice a day learning of newer developments, adhering to a reliable source for information, and try to be aware of false news.

Previously, excess screen time on our electronic gadgets was considered to be harmful and people were constantly encouraged to engage in non-virtual connections. With the table turned, ways must be found to make the most of it and utilize the available digital spaces to connect with friends and family or even acquire new skills and/or knowledge. The time could be used to focus on calming activities such as, painting, learning a new language and so on. Coursera, Edx, Udemy, Khan Academy and many other platforms provide classes with options of either paid or free lessons.

To further help oneself from not succumbing to the pitfalls of the situation, one should restrain from alcohol and substance use but rather engage in activities such as meditation, exercise or yoga to relieve stress and anxiety. A significant part of this is to recognize that an individual is the central agent in this and, therefore, a person can uplift themselves by choosing to make a conscious effort to remain optimistic and emerge healthy, both physically and mentally, on the other side of the pandemic.

Another vital knowledge to have is to understand that keeping away from the infected patients alone is not the answer to end this situation. It is important to understand that those who tested positive are only the ones who were identified and to consciously maintain distance when stepping out in public spaces, keeping in mind that individuals may not have gotten tested but may be carrying the virus. Given that it is unknown of who may or may not be transporting the virus, quarantining helps to avoid the unwanted circumstance of acquiring the virus and spreading it amongst one’s close counterparts.

Nepal imposed its first lockdown in March, renewing it several times. With six months into bleak obscurity, the situation appears to have invited certain unprecedented scenarios. With more than 1 Lakh cases and 600 deaths in the country  (as of October 9, 2020), the impact of the coronavirus pandemic has been clear in the rapid spread of the infection, and the physical stagnancy of people further impacting economic factors.

According to Dr. Basudev Karki, who is a neuropsychiatrist at the Mental Hospital Lagankhel, in Lalitpur, mental health problems arise when changes in a person’s feelings, emotions, thoughts and behaviors have a negative impact on a person’s professional and social life, affecting themselves or the people around them. The pandemic has undoubtedly agitated the psychological well being of many, as the fear of virus contraction appears to be one of the major causes, alongside concern for the infected loved ones, and the worrying mortality rates. Problems arising from these factors could have a massive impact on one’s mental health. Therefore, it becomes crucial to mitigate them as early as one possibly can. People, who are struggling to find stability in their own headspace must be aware that the foremost responsibility is to recognize the situation. COVID-19 has had a multi-dimensional impact on our lives, but personal efforts can be made to lessen its effect.

Dr. Karki mentions that one of the primary attempts to ease the mental discomfort can be by understanding that this is an unprecedented time. The aftermath of the spread of the virus is fairly natural and what must be clearly held is that the situation cannot be reversed but can be controlled if people choose to accept it and stay cautious of the current environment. In the early months of 2020, the virus spread rapidly. The infections are increasing more than ever, however, people seem to have normalized the rise and grown indifferent towards the devastating repercussions it is yet to bring along. If each individual saw it as their own responsibility, there could be a hope of containing the virus.

Since this is an unparalleled situation, it is fairly obvious to wonder what may follow this. However, in order to lessen the impact of the virus, there exists a multiplicity of available platforms to reach out to for help. An inevitable thing may be that someone would have to take the lead in formulating adequate measures to create widespread awareness about the various impacts of COVID-19 and the ways that they can be effectively tackled.