Watch your health

By LULU MARK
THE Covid-19 situation will cause stress and anxiety which can be managed, a doctor says.
Dr Uma Ambi, the acting director of the Social Change and Mental Health Service directorate, said stressful and anxious feelings were common responses to such a situation.
“Stress is your reaction to demands in your body, mind and feelings,” she said.
“Managed stress can become useful and healthy such as viewing events as challenges. Unmanaged stress can become unhelpful and unhealthy which lead to viewing events as threats.”
She said anxiety was more than just feeling stress or worry. “Normal anxiety” usually goes away once a stressful situation has passed.
“Anxiety is an unpleasant state of inner turmoil, often accompanied by nervous behaviour such as extreme worrying, being fearful and unsure about things like health, money, or family problems,” she said.
She said anxiety might occur even when there seemed little or no reason to worry. She stressed that it was important to take note of the following signs and symptoms of stress and anxiety.
Signs and symptoms relating to how you think (cognitive)

• memory problems;
• can’t relax, have a hard time concentrating;
• poor judgment;
• constant worrying;
• seeing only negatives;
• Having trouble falling asleep or staying asleep.

Signs and symptoms relating to how you feel (emotional)

• moody;
• irritable or short tempered;
• unable to relax;
• feeling stunned;
• sense of loneliness;
• depressed/unhappy.

Signs and symptoms that affect you physically

• feeling tired for no reason;
• headaches; muscle tension and aches;
• trembling or twitching; sweating, nausea, dizziness;
• feeling out of breath;
• diarrhea or constipation or frequent urination;
• frequent colds.

Signs and symptoms relating to your behaviour

• eating more or less;
• lack of or too much sleep;
• wanting to be alone;
• neglecting responsibilities;
• using cigarettes or alcohol or other drugs to relax.