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On the 15^th of March 2020, President Cyril Ramaphosa, addressing the nation and declaring Covid-19 “a national disaster and the world’s gravest emergency”, said: “We must appreciate the extent of the threat that this disease presents, we must accept the anxiety that it causes, but we cannot allow ourselves to be overwhelmed by fear and panic”.

As the Inter-Agency Standing Committee for Mental Health and Psychological Support in Emergency Settings (IASC MHPSS) noted: “In any epidemic, it is common for individuals to feel stressed and worried”.

A brief history of stress

Give me the back story. In 1936, a Hungarian-Canadian endocrinologist, Hans Selye, uses a term commonly applied to physics to label a “syndrome produced by diverse nocuous agents” – stress.

Nocuous agents? Yes, harmful stuff. Experimenting on rats, he noticed that “if the organism is severely damaged by acute non-specific nocuous agents such as exposure to cold, surgical injury, production of spinal shock … a typical syndrome appears … a response to damage as such”.

Hectic! Especially for the laboratory rats. His study, which eventually found that rats wouldn’t die of illness but from stress, was groundbreaking but received a lot of backlash.

Tell me why? Because his methods bordered on torture.

A nice man. Yep. And because evil has no limit, Selye didn’t stop there.   According to Lila MacLellan in Quartz, “in the late 1960s and early ’70s, Selye was one of many scientists globally who made covert contributions to the tobacco industry’s ‘Project Whitecoat’, a co-ordinated, well-funded effort to recruit scientists who would characterise tobacco as benign”.

Oh great. But I digress. Still, “Selye pioneered the field of stress research and provided convincing arguments that stress impacted health,” according to the Centre for Studies on Human Stress. He also developed the concept of bad and good stress (which he called eustress).

And? Fast-forward to the 21^st century, and “toxic stress” is linked to an array of health concerns, like lowering the immune system or higher blood pressure.

That’s it? Dr Kerry Ressler, chief scientific officer at McLean Hospital and professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, adds that there is evidence that “chronic (persistent) stress may actually rewire [our] brains”.

Oy. And US pediatrician Dr Nadine Burke Harris explains that, in the case of childhood stress, it can be “as toxic and detrimental to the development of the brain and body as eating lead paint chips off the wall”.

Holy moly! Exactly. But, as we learn more about stress and its impact on health, we also find new ways to cope with what has often been called “a disease of modern societies”. There is hope.

Explain: the difference between stress, anxiety, worry

The New York Times’ Emma Pattee explains that, “Worry is what happens when your mind dwells on negative thoughts, uncertain outcomes or things that could go wrong.” It often happens in (and sticks to) the head.

Stress, on the other hand, is “a physiological response connected to an external event”. Selye found that stress couldn’t exist without “stressors” – what he called nocuous agents, but which could be biological or psychological stressors. Stress can be good or bad depending on the reaction it induces.

As for anxiety, Pattee explains: “Remember how stress is a natural response to a threat? Well, anxiety is the same thing … except there is no threat.” It also often happens in both mind and body.

We’re in this together. For real. 

The IASC MHPSS explains that, “the constant fear, worry and stressors in the population during the COVID-19 outbreak can lead to long-term consequences within communities and families”. Here are a few things we can do to avoid stigmas and broken networks:

• Avoid speculating about rumours or unverified information.
• Maintain social contact with people who might be isolated through phone calls, WhatsApp or text messages.
• Avoid frantically piling up on goods – you’re not alone. By that we mean, think of others too.
• But do pile on good books – some local bookshops are organising deliveries so you don’t have to go out.

Few tips to help us through stressful times

Sleep. Sleep well. “Decades of research confirm the importance of sleep to health and daily functioning, with a recommendation of seven to nine hours of sleep a day for adults,” says Maverick Life’s Malibongwe Tyilo.

Slow down on sugar, alcohol and caffeine. “Because anxiety is physiological, stimulants may have a significant impact,” advises Harvard Health Publishing.

Keep your routines. Studies have found that routines may help with mental health conditions, including bipolar disorders. Daily journaling or keeping a ‘thought diary’ can be a great way to schedule what you need to do, like exercise or calling a friend.

Unplug. Try to identify what makes you feel stressed and see if and how you can avoid those stressors (social media anxiety? Listening to the news 24/7?) – take some time to unplug from your phone, TV, streaming services and opt for reading or meditating instead.

Meditation. Practicing mindfulness means being “in the moment”, with no specific intentions or judgment; it means being aware, focused, observant and accepting things as they are (and letting them go). According to a few researchers, the practice – which helps in taking a step back and getting some perspective – is said to reduce stress levels. There are some great apps to help you meditate like Headspace, Calm, Insight Timer.

Exercise. You don’t need to go out to do so – the IASC MHPSS recommends yoga, tai chi, stretching and there are plenty apps you can download to help you train at home. The Nike Training Club app even has some exercise routines like, “Just You and 1 sq Meter” or “Keep it Quiet – Don’t Wake Your Neighbours” for indoor solo training.

Connect. We mean ‘safe-distance connect’ via digital networks. This might be the time when social networks could bring some magic home. Look up for these hashtags to find some inspiration: #isolationbaking #isolationfilmclub #isolationcreation 

In numbers

62: The number of times – in millions – that the meditation app Headspace had been downloaded in 190 countries

5: The number of major types of anxiety disorders, as explained by the WHO, including Generalised Anxiety Disorder and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Mighty words

“Borrow trouble for yourself, if that’s your nature, but don’t lend it to your neighbors.” – Rudyard Kipling

“Do not anticipate trouble, or worry about what may never happen. Keep in the sunlight.” – Benjamin Franklin

If you would like to share your ideas or suggestions with us, please leave a comment below or email us at [email protected] and [email protected].