Teenagers’ Mental Health During The COVID-19 Quarantine Period

A different kind of “School Holiday” is here, and slightly earlier & unplanned this time round. Ordinarily, it would mean longer sleeping hours, a rest from heavy backpacks, hanging out with friends and, simply, fun! But this is a different kind of “holiday” – it comes with a new twist and a name – Quarantine!

You are probably experiencing or hearing this for the first time, but it simply means you are grounded. However, it’s not your fault and there’s no call for punitive action. It is a responsible attempt to protect you from contracting the Corona Virus (Covid-19), the pandemic that is affecting people across the globe.

You have to stay at home. You can’t visit or host your friends. Most of your favorite outdoor activities are now out of the question and schools are closed indefinitely. Does it feel like a prison? Yes, it does.

If you are not constantly looking out for your mental wellness, you could end up in an emotional or mental breakdown due to the psychological torture during this quarantine period.

Here are some of the challenges you may experience along the way.

Anxiety: You have become apprehensive of how the situation will turn out and whether you or your loved ones will be diagnosed with the virus? You also have exams coming up later in the year yet everything seems uncertain. Will all this will affect your grades if at all you get to sit for your exams or will you have to re-sit your current class next year?

Fear for your loved ones: You are worried about the state of your loved ones; Family and friends who still have to report to work and run businesses, especially those living in areas which are reported to be highly affected by the virus. Will they catch the virus and maybe transmit it to you? Will you see them again when all this is over?

Lack of tutor/parental guidance: You are used to studying while being guided by your teachers. Your parents/guardians and elder siblings who could step in to fill the role of the tutor might still be physically reporting to work or are already working from home but very engrossed in their work.

Loneliness: Social distancing and the fear of catching the virus have you withdrawn as a survival instinct and this leads to feeling lonely.

Changes in eating/sleeping patterns: In the state of anxiety, you could end up binge-eating or entirely avoid sufficient food intake due to the loss of appetite. You may also develop sleeping disorders: difficulty in falling or staying asleep, fatigue and lack of concentration during the day.

Here are tips on how you can ensure you maintain maximum mental wellness throughout the quarantine period:

Seek adult explanation.

Looking for explanations across the media especially social media will leave you more confused. There’s a myriad of false information (Fake News) about Covid-19 and you may not be in a position to decipher the sources. Direct your questions to your parents/guardians or adults around you to help you with explanations or advice on sources with reliable information.

Develop a time table.

You can do this on your own or guided by your parents/guardians. Generally maintaining focus on a particular activity without the guidance of your teacher or parents/guardians may be challenging especially if you get easily distracted. There is a need to program yourself to maintain focus. Draw up a time table that works for you depending on your capabilities and exercise fidelity towards it.

Get help with your studies.

Make use of your textbooks and past exam papers to revise and read ahead. Many schools are currently mailing assignments to parents/guardians to engage their children and help them study in a guided and more focused manner. Confirm with your parents/guardians if your school has this arrangement. If not, there are apps and sites offering e-learning services that you and your parents/guardians can utilize for your daily assignments and revision.

Sublimation.

Utilize sublimation, a psychological skill that requires you to train your mind to flip things on negative emotions or thoughts, as a coping mechanism during this time. The feelings you may have of anxiety, helplessness, and stress during the Covid-19 outbreak create negative energy within you.

However, you can direct this energy towards a positive outlet. Have you watched those movies where a bullied kid learns boxing, trains very hard, and goes ahead to be a champion? That, right there, is sublimation. Use the negative energy building inside you and flip it to work to your advantage. Work on your bodyweight exercises, callisthenic skills, musical skills, art skills, writing skills, etc.