Mental Health

Tension and Trauma Release Exercises relax, activate and mobilise tense muscles.

It’s that time of the year when Seasonal Affective Disorder hits your mood, appetite, sleep and energy levels.

Two and a half years after Covid first erupted we have been left with a mess. We never went back to life as we knew it before the pandemic. This has had a major impact on our mental health.

The first step in managing stress is identifying the cause.

In 2015, 6,000 people, around 1.5% of the population of Malta had dementia. A forecast shows that by 2030, it will increase to 9,000, 2% of the population of Malta.

I’m sure we all agree that COVID-19, with all the social distancing and group number restrictions, has had a huge impact on the way we used to socialise. Nowadays we tend to leave our houses less, and connect online more often - just to fulfil the need to catch up with our close friends and family.

Our response to stress is quite complex. It all starts when our brain notices, or most times even imagines, a threat. It could be your flight response, like seeing something dangerous, or even having feedback from your boss, or the uncertainty of Covid. At this point the brain releases chemicals that change the mind and body into an alert mode.

At the moment the media all over the world is covered with stories about Oprah’s interview with Meghan Markle and Prince Harry. In the interview, Meghan said: “I just didn’t want to be alive anymore”.

Feeling anxious is normal in a situation like this, but, like anything else, it can be managed. To cope with the current crisis, limit the time you are exposed to news updates, do your part in preventing the virus from spreading, keep in touch with your family and friends, and consider the following advice.