A Rocky Climb to ‘Normal’: Did the pandemic affect us in unimaginable ways?

Though most of the world is starting to revert back to normal, it doesn’t mean the effects of the pandemic are going to be set aside and diminished. In fact, what is the possibility that the pandemic changed the way we think itself?

A few of the major changes which could have possibly altered the way individuals think and react to their environment would be the constant exposure to screens  all the way to a lack of socialization, which means that the actual way the pandemic affected the vast majority of the population’s mental health might as well be much broader with a wider range of outcomes compared to one’s physical health. 

Quality of life

What really enhances the consequences of one’s mental health deteriorating is the fact that there is no physical psychiatric medicine which can cure mental illnesses, instead it all comes down to self control and improving the quality of life, which is subjective for each individual depending on their financial and even their access to basic healthcare. This is no easy feat to do, since in order to improve quality of life, it is vital to be able to reflect and then alter daily habits which prove to have a negative impact on any aspect of your health. 

As stated by the WHO, quality of life is “an individual's perception of their position in life in the context of the culture and value systems in which they live and in relation to their goals, expectations, standards and concerns.”

Due to all the extremities in basic livelihood which came alongside the pandemic, a study in Egypt said that 76% out 500 individuals believed that their quality of life (QoL) had lowered during the length of the pandemic. Another test conducted in the same region stated that over the course of the pandemic, 50% of the participants felt as though they were far more depressed compared to pre pandemic. Since depression is one of the few direct consequences of a deteriorating mental health, this study proves that the pandemic impacted the quality of life in masses.

Social Isolation

Though the lowered quality of life plays a major role in how tons of people’s mental health went downhill, it isn’t the only explanation. In particular when the virus became a rising issue, it meant people were required to socially distance themselves from each other. As a consequence of this, most individuals were told to continue their normal activities on an online platform, rather than in person. Though this action decreased the rapid spread of the virus, it came with larger problems which couldn’t have been forecasted. When doing so, it is unlikely that people would interact with each other as they would have previously done so pre pandemic. As stated by the author of The Track to Happiness, Emma Seppala, “ social interaction boosts one’s self esteem and brings out positive qualities in a person.” 

Self esteem is a fairly important aspect in someone’s life since it  directly affects someone’s self confidence and self image. Having a positive mindset of yourself would allow one to take opportunities both in a workplace or school. In other words, having high self esteem allows one to think more openly and positively about both themselves and the world around them.

Additionally, social isolation has a definitive link to an excess amount of aggression in a person. This link isn’t only prominent in humans, but has also been discovered in rats. In a research conducted in 2018, long term social isolation from others, created a protein called tachykinin, which sets off aggression towards others. When scientists artificially created it within the brains of rats, they resolved to aggression just as expected.  The same sort of system is believed to be functional within humans. Which means that no matter how bright someone’s personality 

is, they are still vulnerable to sparks of aggression as a consequence of long term social isolation. 

Lack of Exercise 

Another noteworthy effect on the majority of people due to the pandemic is the fact that the pandemic brought a lack of motivation for individuals to exercise, as researchers at Frontiers.com.  As we all know, exercise is mostly perceived as an activity which builds on your strength and keeps you physically healthy, but what if I were to tell you that exercise is so much more than that, that it helps keep one happy and even contributes to living a positive life, even in terms of mental health. So what if one were to avoid exercise, much like what happened during the pandemic?

Of course, it is well known that one’s physical health would face many consequences, but there is also a high likelihood that one’s mental health would also take a toll, especially during times where stress is inevitable. The link between exercise and mental health is the fact that exercise burns stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol, as expressed by Harvard Medical School. Furthermore, it releases hormones to help boost one’s mood like endorphins. Endorphins can be described as “natural painkillers”. As per J. Kip Matthews, Ph.D endorphins trigger “opioid receptors in the brain that help minimize discomfort”. Which indicates that though exercise can be perceived as tiring or of some sort of a burden it actually improves one’s mood, and therefore over a long period of time, one’s mental health. 

To sum it up, exercise burns stress hormones, which in large amounts are unhealthy. Not only that it also produces endorphins that help boost positive emotions. 

Constant Exposure to Screen

As the exposure to screen time skyrocketed as a consequence of the pandemic, it brought its own set of negative effects which can lead to severe consequences if not handled properly. 

A study conducted in 2017 helps to prove that high exposure to screens is a direct factor for depression. It proves that adults in the US who are using a screen for over 6 hours per day, are more likely to face moderate to severe depression compared to people who use it for shorter periods of time. 

Though countless believe that screens give them opportunities to connect with people who might as well be in a whole different continent, this constant connectivity can lead people to feel disconnected from their surroundings, as expressed by Dr. Gail Saltz, a clinical associate professor of psychiatry at the NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill-Cornell Medical College and a psychoanalyst with the New York Psychoanalytic Institute. Saltz expresses that loneliness could sprout over long periods of screen since “Loneliness has to do with more connected intimate relationships that feel real and close, and screens don’t really provide that”.

Another reason why an over exposure to screens could really affect one’s mental health on a large scale could be due to the blue light which is now almost everywhere in today’s modern world, seeing that devices are constantly growing in popularity. 

Simply put, blue light is part of the light spectrum and is visible to the human eye. Since the color has short wavelengths, it produces more energy. Since the sun also emits these kinds of colors, using constant screens, especially at night, can fool your brain into thinking it’s daytime. 

As a consequence of this, it prevents the release of melatonin, which helps keep your circadian rhythm (body clock) in time and therefore helps create sleeping patterns. If it isn’t being secreted within your body, it can result in the occurrence of insomnia.