COVID-19 on Mental Health
Fear, worry, stress, and anxiety are normal responses to perceived or real threats, and when we face uncertainty or the unknown. So, it is very normal and understandable that people are experiencing fear in the COVID-19 pandemic.
In addition to the fear of contracting the virus in a pandemic such as COVID-19, there are significant changes in our daily lives as our movements are restricted to slow down the spread of the virus. Faced with new realities of working from home, temporary unemployment, home-schooling of children, and lack of physical contact with other family members, friends, and colleagues, it is important that we look after our mental, as well as our physical health.
Too much exposure to the media can contribute to greater fear and worry and poorer mental health in a health crisis.
Importance of Yoga for Mental Health
Poor mental health conditions, including stress, anxiety and depression, are known to increase the risk of acute respiratory infections. Rising numbers of COVID-19 cases and deaths raise stress and anxiety, while loneliness and depressive feelings are likely due to mandatory social distancing measures.
The upper respiratory tract being the portal of entry for the SARS-CoV-2 virus infection, the health of the respiratory system is especially important in preventing fatality. There are several reports of clinical trials that suggest an overall effect of yoga training towards improved pulmonary function in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
All yoga practices use different Deep Relaxation Techniques which release all tensions and stresses to prevent immune suppression. That would otherwise have weakened the responses to the infectious bacteria and viruses.
Consideration of the Mind is another distinction of Yoga. Yoga gives a lot of emphasis on Mindfulness and increasing the Internal Awareness. Several measures for mental health are practiced in Yoga, including Pranayama and Meditation. Pranayama is known to improve lung function. Meditation is found to reduce inflammation markers and influence markers of virus-specific immune response. Yoga including Meditation could be a simple and useful home-based practice for the prevention and post-recovery management of COVID-19.
References:
1. Dr. HR Nagendra in International Journal of Yoga
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