Pandemic Blues

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Pandemic Blues
-Pahul Lalia

Since the day we found out about covid and the lockdown was initiated, all our lives turned upside down. We thought it was only a matter of few days and life would go back to normal… it has been one and a half years.

Initially, it just felt like an extended summer vacation, but then the reality and serenity of the situation dawned upon us. Thousands of people lost the only source of their livelihood. Many companies had a downfall and the economy of countries across the world deteriorated. India’s rate of development dropped down drastically. Economically, we’re at an all-time low.

Mentally, we all are exhausted. Daily life has become so monotonous. Wake up, get ready, sit in front of a screen for hours on a stretch, eat, sleep and repeat. Things have gotten so intense that at this point people have actually started developing ‘social-distancing disorder’. This means we have all become so used to being on our own that now when we are surrounded by people we feel anxious and nervous.

Most of us are battling with negative emotions that seem to take up a lot of our time. It is really important to take care of ourselves and ensure we don’t burn out but sometimes, more often than the rest, we feel exhausted. Daily tasks like going grocery shopping didn’t take up much of our energy but now we feel lethargic after doing so.

Death has become the new norm. Hearing news of the death of people on a daily makes my heartache. My heart goes out to those who have lost loved ones, it’s truly a difficult time and we all need to stick together.

There was a drastic shift from the physical world to the virtual world. We all had to learn to adjust to this new way of life in a short amount of time. Students felt a lot of stress as we weren’t given a lot of time to settle down comfortably. We were just burdened with immense amounts of work and no time. We also had to deal with our plethora of emotions but all we felt was stress and frustration from the amount of work.

People were suddenly taken aback as now the person we spent the most time with, was ourselves. This resulted in a lot of introspection. We took a break from our fast lives and finally questioned ourselves. Often we felt lost in our own thoughts while the work piled up and feelings of laziness and anxiety took over.

“pandemic blues” is a downplayed phrase because this lockdown has given people time to sit with themselves and face problems they ignored before or new problems because they haven’t had much social interaction. Many people are facing serious mental health issues and it’s the need of the hour for us to be there for each other and listen to each other. As a society, we all have to become more understanding and help each other through these trying times.

We were always told in English class that the colour blue denotes sadness. These past months have truly been blue.

We were always told in English class that the colour blue denotes sadness. These past months have truly been blue.

Headspace Is your brain more comfortable with change than you think? – Headspace

Death has become the new norm. Hearing news of the death of people on a daily makes my heartache. My heart goes out to those who have lost loved ones, it’s truly a difficult time and we all need to stick together.

There was a drastic shift from the physical world to the virtual world. We all had to learn to adjust to this new way of life in a short amount of time. Students felt a lot of stress as we weren’t given a lot of time to settle down comfortably. We were just burdened with immense amounts of work and no time. We also had to deal with our plethora of emotions but all we felt was stress and frustration from the amount of work.

People were suddenly taken aback as now the person we spent the most time with, was ourselves. This resulted in a lot of introspection. We took a break from our fast lives and finally questioned ourselves. Often we felt lost in our own thoughts while the work piled up and feelings of laziness and anxiety took over.

“pandemic blues” is a downplayed phrase because this lockdown has given people time to sit with themselves and face problems they ignored before or new problems because they haven’t had much social interaction. Many people are facing serious mental health issues and it’s the need of the hour for us to be there for each other and listen to each other. As a society, we all have to become more understanding and help each other through these trying times.

We were always told in English class that the colour blue denotes sadness. These past months have truly been blue.

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      Dass 21 Questionnaire

      Check your Depression / Anxiety and Stress Level

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      Question

      1 (s) I found it hard to wind down.

       

      0 - Did not apply to me at all.
      1 - Applied to me to some degree, or some of the time.
      2 - Applied to me to a considerable degree or a good part of time.
      3 - Applied to me very much or most of the time.

      2 (a) I was aware of dryness of my mouth.

      0 - Did not apply to me at all.
      1 - Applied to me to some degree, or some of the time.
      2 - Applied to me to a considerable degree or a good part of time.
      3 - Applied to me very much or most of the time.

      3 (d) I couldn’t seem to experience any positive feeling at all.

      0 - Did not apply to me at all.
      1 - Applied to me to some degree, or some of the time.
      2 - Applied to me to a considerable degree or a good part of time.
      3 - Applied to me very much or most of the time.

      4 (a) I experienced breathing difficulty (e.g. excessively rapid breathing,
      breathlessness in the absence of physical exertion).

      0 - Did not apply to me at all.
      1 - Applied to me to some degree, or some of the time.
      2 - Applied to me to a considerable degree or a good part of time.
      3 - Applied to me very much or most of the time.

      5 (d) I found it difficult to work up the initiative to do things.

      0 - Did not apply to me at all.
      1 - Applied to me to some degree, or some of the time.
      2 - Applied to me to a considerable degree or a good part of time.
      3 - Applied to me very much or most of the time.

      6 (s) I tended to over-react to situations.

      0 - Did not apply to me at all.
      1 - Applied to me to some degree, or some of the time.
      2 - Applied to me to a considerable degree or a good part of time.
      3 - Applied to me very much or most of the time.

      7 (a) I experienced trembling (e.g. in the hands).

      0 - Did not apply to me at all.
      1 - Applied to me to some degree, or some of the time.
      2 - Applied to me to a considerable degree or a good part of time.
      3 - Applied to me very much or most of the time.

      8 (s) I felt that I was using a lot of nervous energy.

      0 - Did not apply to me at all.
      1 - Applied to me to some degree, or some of the time.
      2 - Applied to me to a considerable degree or a good part of time.
      3 - Applied to me very much or most of the time.

      9 (a) I was worried about situations in which I might panic and make a fool
      of myself.

      0 - Did not apply to me at all.
      1 - Applied to me to some degree, or some of the time.
      2 - Applied to me to a considerable degree or a good part of time.
      3 - Applied to me very much or most of the time.

      10 (d) I felt that I had nothing to look forward to.

      0 - Did not apply to me at all.
      1 - Applied to me to some degree, or some of the time.
      2 - Applied to me to a considerable degree or a good part of time.
      3 - Applied to me very much or most of the time.

      11 (s) I found myself getting agitated.

      0 - Did not apply to me at all.
      1 - Applied to me to some degree, or some of the time.
      2 - Applied to me to a considerable degree or a good part of time.
      3 - Applied to me very much or most of the time.

      12 (s) I found it difficult to relax.

      0 - Did not apply to me at all.
      1 - Applied to me to some degree, or some of the time.
      2 - Applied to me to a considerable degree or a good part of time.
      3 - Applied to me very much or most of the time.

      13 (d) I felt down-hearted and blue.

      0 - Did not apply to me at all.
      1 - Applied to me to some degree, or some of the time.
      2 - Applied to me to a considerable degree or a good part of time.
      3 - Applied to me very much or most of the time.

      14 (s) I was intolerant of anything that kept me from getting on with what I
      was doing.

      0 - Did not apply to me at all.
      1 - Applied to me to some degree, or some of the time.
      2 - Applied to me to a considerable degree or a good part of time.
      3 - Applied to me very much or most of the time.

      15 (a) I felt I was close to panic.

      0 - Did not apply to me at all.
      1 - Applied to me to some degree, or some of the time.
      2 - Applied to me to a considerable degree or a good part of time.
      3 - Applied to me very much or most of the time.

      16 (d) I was unable to become enthusiastic about anything.

      0 - Did not apply to me at all.
      1 - Applied to me to some degree, or some of the time.
      2 - Applied to me to a considerable degree or a good part of time.
      3 - Applied to me very much or most of the time.

      17 (d) I felt I wasn’t worth much as a person.

      0 - Did not apply to me at all.
      1 - Applied to me to some degree, or some of the time.
      2 - Applied to me to a considerable degree or a good part of time.
      3 - Applied to me very much or most of the time.

      18 (s) I felt that I was rather touchy.

      0 - Did not apply to me at all.
      1 - Applied to me to some degree, or some of the time.
      2 - Applied to me to a considerable degree or a good part of time.
      3 - Applied to me very much or most of the time.

      19 (a) I was aware of the action of my heart in the absence of physical
      exertion (e.g. sense of heart rate increase, heart missing a beat).

      0 - Did not apply to me at all.
      1 - Applied to me to some degree, or some of the time.
      2 - Applied to me to a considerable degree or a good part of time.
      3 - Applied to me very much or most of the time.

      20 (a) I felt scared without any good reason.

      0 - Did not apply to me at all.
      1 - Applied to me to some degree, or some of the time.
      2 - Applied to me to a considerable degree or a good part of time.
      3 - Applied to me very much or most of the time.

      21 (d) I felt that life was meaningless.

      0 - Did not apply to me at all.
      1 - Applied to me to some degree, or some of the time.
      2 - Applied to me to a considerable degree or a good part of time.
      3 - Applied to me very much or most of the time.

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      Locus of control

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      This test helps you ascertain the degree of control that you believe  you have over your life and the events that occur. This belief plays a huge role in the satisfaction levels that we feel.

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      Is there some bad habit, such as smoking, that you would like to break but can’t?

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      If something goes wrong, do usually reckon it’s your own fault rather than just bad luck?

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      Are most of the things you do designed to please other people?

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      Do you often feel you are the victim of outside forces you cannot control?

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          How do You Cope with Anger?

          (The Behavioural Anger Response Questionnaire, BARQ)

          What do you most likely to do when you experience anger? This 34-item measure assesses your anger responses for children and adolescents – and may tell you which response you tend to favour when experiencing this strong, unpleasant emotion. A list of statements are provided below. State whether each of the statements are not true, sometimes true, or often true. This measure was developed specifically for children and young adolescents.

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          1 / 34

          I say something nasty to the person who made me angry.

          2 / 34

          I use strong gestures (for example, make a fist, wave my arms, or give a hand sign).

          3 / 34

          I swear or curse, at the person who made me angry.

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          I hit or push the person who made me angry.

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          I express my anger by slamming a door, or hitting something.

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          I shout.

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          I wait until I am calm again and then talk to the person who made me angry. 

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          I carefully think it over and then tell the person who made me angry how I feel.

          9 / 34

          In a calm voice, I tell the person who made me angry how I honestly feel.

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          I try to understand what happened, so I can explain things to the person who made me angry.

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          I stay calm, and I try to talk about the problem and the person who made me angry. 

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          I leave the situation in order to calm down, and then try to solve the problem.

          13 / 34

          I do not show my anger but I talk about what happened with someone afterwards.

          14 / 34

          I leave the situation and look for someone who will agree with me.

          15 / 34

          I leave the situation, find someone to listen to my story, and ask for advice. 

          16 / 34

          I think about the problem first and then talk about it with someone.

          17 / 34

          I leave the situation and call a friend or family member to tell him/her how I feel. 

          18 / 34

          Even without planning it, I usually end up talking about my feelings with someone.

          19 / 34

          I get rid of my anger by playing music, writing, or painting. 

          20 / 34

          I just keep busy, until I stop feeling angry.

          21 / 34

          I work off my anger by doing some sport. 

          22 / 34

          I stay on my own to get rid of my anger.

          23 / 34

          I simply get very busy with other things to get rid of my anger.

          24 / 34

          I work off my anger by doing something else, like playing on the computer.

          25 / 34

          I tell myself that what happened is not important.

          26 / 34

          I try to forget what happened.

          27 / 34

          I put what happened out of my mind.

          28 / 34

          I do not want to have to cause trouble, so I keep my feelings to myself.

          29 / 34

          I just wait to feel better.

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          I try to keep busy so I can forget about what happened.

          31 / 34

          I keep thinking about what I wish I had done, but didn’t do.

          32 / 34

          I find it hard to stop thinking about what happened.

          33 / 34

          I am upset for a long time after this kind of situation.

          34 / 34

          In my mind, I go over the situation that made me angry again and again.

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          I’m intolerant and impatient towards those aspects of my personality I don’t like.

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          When I’m feeling down I tend to obsess and fixate on everything that’s wrong.

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          When I fail at something that’s important to me, I tend to feel alone in my failure.

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          When something upsets me I try to keep my emotions in balance.

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          When I’m going through a very hard time, I give myself the caring and tenderness I need.

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          I try to see my failings as part of the human condition.

          9 / 12

          When I’m feeling down, I tend to feel like most other people are probably happier than I am.

          10 / 12

          When something painful happens I try to take a balanced view of the situation.

          11 / 12

          I try to be understanding and patient towards those aspects of my personality I don’t like.

          12 / 12

          When I fail at something important to me I become consumed by feelings of inadequacy.

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          How Mindfully Aware and Attentive are You?

          (Mindful Attempt Awareness Scale; MAAS)

          Being mindful means being consciously, deliberately attentive towards your present circumstances and environment, and being curious and non- judgmental towards the thoughts and emotions that arise as a result of one’s situation. This 15-item measure of mindfulness, called the Mindful Attempt Awareness Scale (MAAS) is designed to assess how mindful you generally are.

          /15

          1 / 15

          I could be experiencing some emotion and not be conscious of it until sometime later.

          2 / 15

          I break or spill things because of carelessness, not paying attention, or thinking of something else.

          3 / 15

          I find it difficult to stay focused on what’s happening in the present.

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          I tend to walk quickly to get where I’m going without paying attention to what I experience along the way.

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          I tend not to notice feelings of physical tension or discomfort until they really grab my attention.

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          I forget a person’s name almost as soon as I’ve been told it for the first time.

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          It seems I am “running on automatic” without much awareness of what I’m doing.

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          I rush through activities without being really attentive to them.

          9 / 15

          I get so focused on the goal I want to achieve that I lose touch of what I’m doing.

          10 / 15

          I do jobs or tasks automatically, without being aware of what I’m doing.

          11 / 15

          I find myself listening to someone with one ear, doing something else at the same time.

          12 / 15

          I drive places on “automatic pilot” and then wonder why I went there.

          13 / 15

          I find myself preoccupied with the future or the past.

          14 / 15

          I find myself doing things without paying attention.

          15 / 15

          I snack without being aware that I’m eating.

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          The brief resilience scale

          (Brief Resilience Scale, BRS)

          The Brief Resilience Scale was created to assess the perceived ability to bounce back or recover from stress. The scale was developed to assess a unitary construct of resilience, including both positively and negatively worded items.

          The possible score range on the BRS is from 1 (low resilience) to 5 (high resilience).

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          1 / 6

          I tend to bounce back quickly after hard times.

          2 / 6

          I have a hard time making it through stressful events. 

          3 / 6

          It does not take me long to recover from a stressful event. 

          4 / 6

          It is hard for me to snap back when something bad happens.

          5 / 6

          I usually come through difficult times with little trouble. 

          6 / 6

           I tend to take a long time to get over setbacks in my life.

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          The Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale

          (WEMWBS)

          The WEMWBS was developed and tested by a group of researchers at the Universities of Edinburgh and Warwick.
          The WEMWBS is used to measure subjective well-being in adults ≥16 years.

          As defined by the developers, mental well-being relates to a person’s psychological functioning, life-satisfaction and ability to develop and maintain mutually benefiting relationships. Psychological wellbeing includes the ability to maintain a sense of autonomy, self acceptance, personal growth, purpose in life and self esteem. Staying mentally healthy is more than treating or preventing mental illness.

          Below are some statements about feelings and thoughts. Please tick the box that best describes your experience of each over the last 2 weeks

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          1 / 14

          I’ve been feeling optimistic about the future

          2 / 14

          I’ve been feeling useful

          3 / 14

          I’ve been feeling relaxed

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          I’ve been feeling interested in other people

          5 / 14

          I’ve had energy to spare

          6 / 14

          I’ve been dealing with problems well

          7 / 14

          I’ve been thinking clearly

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          I’ve been feeling good about myself

          9 / 14

          I’ve been feeling close to other people

          10 / 14

          I’ve been feeling confident

          11 / 14

          I’ve been able to make up my own mind about things

          12 / 14

          I’ve been feeling loved

          13 / 14

          I’ve been interested in new things

          14 / 14

          I’ve been feeling cheerful

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          The Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (WEMWBS)

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