Stress Management During Immersion during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Going through an immersive programming course is a taxing experience. You’re working 12 hours a day, 6 days a week. Emotions run high and low, and sleep and free time are considered a luxury. Incoming cash flow may be low for those who put careers on pause indefinitely in order to become a student. Students that are in Operation Spark signed up for and expected this lifestyle, mentally prepared to make sacrifices. However, currently the entire world is subject to an added layer of unexpected stress: the stress that comes with the threat of becoming ill as well as the myriad of snowballing economic and social effects of COVID-19.
Stress is the silent killer, as the effects of cortisol(a hormone released during times of stress)on the body are no joke: glucose levels are elevated, metabolism functionality is lowered, the body’s ability to heal, reduce inflammation, and regulate blood pressure is lessened, and even memory formulation is hampered. According to the CDC, along with the physiological effects of stress, stress, particularly during an infectious disease outbreak, can have effects not only on your body, but your behavior, including
“Fear and worry about your own health and the health of your loved ones
Changes in sleep or eating patterns
Difficulty sleeping or concentrating
Worsening of chronic health problems
Worsening of mental health conditions
Increased use of alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs”
What then, are some ways to help reduce and manage stress to keep our bodies and minds healthy during a trying time wrapped in another trying time? Let’s explore.
Physical Health
The first step towards helping your body be resilient against stress is to take care of the body — the heap of bones and flesh in which we exist. The first step to taking care of your body is to get adequate sleep, exercise, and nutrition. This is certainly easier said than done.
First, let’s talk about sleep. You may be thinking: who has the time? Simply said, you have to make time. Instead of pulling an all-nighter, consider getting some rest at a decent hour and getting up early to approach the problem you are working on with fresh eyes and a mind rejuvenated by access to rest. Take a nap during half of lunch or the work out period. Personally, I invested in a weighted blanket right at the beginning of the global pandemic. Just laying under the weighted blanket during a break melts stress away and makes you feel secure and safe.
How can you exercise if your gym is closed and you’re wary of being around people outside? The necessary restriction on normally-crowded places may be getting in the way of your per usual exercise regimen. A 12-hour work day will get in the way of exercising as well. You may not feel like you have time, but during one of the breaks suggested above, just move. Any exercise is better than no exercise, and there are plenty of 5 minute yoga sessions as well as more rigorous exercises on Youtube that may fit your schedule.
Many people have lost their jobs due to the effects of COVID-19, and compounded with the fact that you’re in school right now, you might be under economic stress. If your access to food is currently being limited by your finances, reach out to the following resources if you are in the New Orleans area:
Mental Health
One of the first steps towards maintaining a healthy psyche, at least in my experience, is to maintain a daily routine/schedule. This helps your mental state because, even in uncertain times, maintaining control over your you’re immediate environment and actions will give you a sense of control over your life. Luckily, immersion has a pretty strict schedule to adhere to.
However, even during a strict and demanding schedule, it is important to take breaks from work. Even a 5 minute break can be significant in relieving stress and allowing your mind to reset. Additionally, sitting all day is BAD for your circulation. Getting up and taking a walk around your house or just getting up and doing something simple yet useful like checking the mail or taking out the trash will be positive for your body and mental state.
Another way to reduce stress is to be mindful of unproductive or irrational negative thoughts and consciously avoid them/challenge them in favor of positive thoughts. With a global pandemic and a stressful school program happening concurrently, this may seem daunting, but giving this a try is the first step towards being successful at banishing negative thoughts. In addition, it is important to be able to stave off strong emotions in order to maintain a balanced mental state. Recognizing triggers for strong emotions will help reduce stress and keep you from hitting lows.
Another key factor in a healthy mental state during stressful times is maintaining human connection. Though the current pandemic prevents us from connecting in our usual patterns, contacting a friend or family member can be done over the phone or on a platform such as Zoom or Google Duo. Humans are social animals, and while social isolation is easy to do when you are busy, scared, and stressed, isolation is deleterious to your mental state. On the note of human connection, it is important in times like these to ask for help when you need help. Some people avoid assistance due to pride, but it is better to ask for help when you need it than to wait until you are overwhelmed and behind.
Although you may already be doing this due to time constraints, please keep in mind that there is such a thing as too much in terms of news consumption during any crisis, especially one of this magnitude. I learned this in part due to the negative effects of my constant news consumption after Hurricane Katrina, but when I had a week break between boot camp and precourse sessions, I fell into negative habits and was monitoring the news whenever I was awake. Sure enough, I became anxious, as my sense of my locus of control was shifted seemingly far out of my reach. Staying informed is a good thing, but fixating on things outside of your control, especially in a time when you don’t even know for certain what information concerning COVID-19 is true due to the fact that we are still learning about the virus and how it behaves, is not productive and not good for mental health.
Conclusion
Even during a rigorous program, and especially during a global pandemic, your health is important. Take time for yourself, take care of yourself, and most importantly, ask for help when you need it.
References
