The anxiety provoked by threats to our health and finances will be aggravated by social distancing. Getting outdoors may be a safe way to help preserve our mental health.
Developments with covid-19
Data from March 20, 2020 indicate the US now has 22,000 confirmed cases of covid-19 and 2600 deaths from the disease. Both numbers are still increasing exponentially, prompting several states (California, New York, and Illinois) to issue “stay at home” orders for their inhabitants. Together, these restrictions currently affect approximately 70 million people, or 20% of the US population.
Mounting stresses on individuals
Stresses on people are mounting. The routines of daily life are being disrupted. Many employers are asking their employees to work from home, if they can. Other people are being asked to not come to work as businesses are pausing or closing. At the time of this writing, 45 US States have closed their public schools, putting additional pressures on families to care for and feed their children instead of going to work. Many Americans will not be receiving a paycheck for a while and others will lose their jobs permanently. Those in retirement have seen their investments lose more than 1/3 of their value in less than a month, and they may drop further.
Social distancing and the potential impact on our mental health
Mandated social isolation will only add to the already-severe economic and physical health worries. People are social beings whose health, happiness, and ability to cope with stress is improved with human interaction. In times of great uncertainty, depriving people of person-to-person contact increases the risk of psychological distress, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety and depression. A recent opinion piece by the Philadelphia Enquirer sums it up nicely. https://www.inquirer.com/opinion/commentary/coronavirus-outside-nature-safety-philadelphia-20200320.html?__vfz=medium%3Dsharebar
In these stressful times, no one is immune—not from the virus and not from existential fears. Guidelines for preventing the spread of the coronavirus are readily available online, but what can you do about mitigating the anxiety and mental health risks?
Getting outdoors—a safe mitigation strategy?
We suggest spending time outdoors, if you can. Nature provides a number of physical and mental health benefits that may be especially important today. Outdoor spaces make it much easier to keep a distance from others. Furthermore, while the virus can survive up to 3 days on certain indoor surfaces, there are fewer man-made surfaces outdoors and the virus appears to not be transmissible in open air away from people.
Of course, to protect others, you should not go outdoors if you are ill or a known or suspected carrier of the virus. Wash your hands thoroughly before going outside, wash them again whenever touching any man-made objects, avoid touching your face, and wash your hands again before returning.
Clearly, it will be easier for some Americans than for others to safely access treed or open natural spaces and parks—not to mention forests and wild spaces. There may not be safe outdoor places available for many inner-city dwellers who often live in very stressful environments.
If you can safely get to natural outdoor spaces, maintain a safe distance from other people and wander around. Take a breath of fresh air, use all of your senses to experience the natural world, and let yourself be distracted—you need the break!
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