Mental Wellbeing During a Pandemic

A pandemic is an outbreak of disease that spreads quickly and affects many individuals at the same time. 

Practical advice for staying at home

• Eat well and drink plenty of water
• Keep taking your medication – ask for a supply
• Continue accessing treatment and support if possible – ask teams to phone you
• Keep your home as clean and tidy as you can
• Find ways to work or study at home, if possible

Taking care of your mental health

Hand washing and anxiety – tips if your feeling stressed or anxious

• Don't keep re-reading the same advice if this is unhelpful for you.
• Let other people know you're struggling e.g. you could ask them not to remind you to wash your hands.
• Breathing exercises can help you cope and feel more in control.
• Set limits, like washing your hands for the recommended 20 seconds.
• Plan something to do after washing your hands. This could help distract you and change your focus.

Connect with people

• Try the MeHUCA support group – details below
• Phone people you would normal see in person

Decide on your routine

• Plan how you'll spend your time. It might help to write this down on paper and put it on the wall.
• Try to follow your ordinary routine as much as possible. Get up at the same time as normal, follow your usual morning routines, and go to bed at your usual time.

Try to keep active

• cleaning your home
• dancing to music
• sitting less or doing seated exercises if you can’t stand

Get as much sunlight, fresh air and nature as you can

• Spend time with the windows open to let in fresh air.
• Arrange a comfortable space to sit, for example by a window

Find ways to spend your time

• Maybe writing a letter to a loved one
• Sort through your possessions

Find ways to relax and be creative

• Arts and crafts
• DIY
• Playing musical instruments

Take care with news and information

• If news stories or social media make you feel anxious or confused, think about switching off or limiting what you look at for a while

Advice for MeHUCA group members

From an April 2019 mental health leaflet (with permission):

In the event of regular meetings for peer support groups being suspended, group members can:

• Check in on group members via phone to provide peer support and maintain contact
• Maintain contact with service providers at district hospitals or Health centre working directly with the support group to access credible information on the virus, medication, and psychosocial support.
• If you feel overwhelmed, talk to a health worker or counsellor.
• Do not use stigmatizing and discriminatory language and actions in the event a support group member is diagnosed with a highly communicable disease.

Kodi mliri ndi chani?

Mliri ndi kuchulukitsa kwa matenda amene akufala mwamsanga kwambiri ndipo akukhudza anthu ambiri kwa nthawi imodzi. 

Malangizo oti tingawakwanilitse pokhala kunyumba

• Idyani chakudya chopatsa thanzi ndiponso imwani madzi ambiri.
• Pitilizani kumwa mankhwala anu omwe mwapatsidwa kuchipatala mwandondomeko.
• Pitilizani kulandira thandizo- yimbani ma numbala omwe unduna wa zaumoyo unapeleka.
• Onetsetsani kuti pakhomo panu ndi paukhondo komanso posamalika nthawi ndi nthawi.
• Pezani njira zogwilira ntchito kapena zophunzilira muli kunyumba komweko.

Kusamalira maganizo anu kuti akhale angwiro.

kusamba mmanja komanso nkhawa-zoyenera kuchita ngati mukupezana ndi mavuto kapena muli ndi nkhawa.

• Osamawerenga kawirikawiri malangizo omwe mukuona kuti sakukuthandizani.
• Adziwitseni anthu ena za mavuto anu-mwachitsanzo, mutha kuwakumbutsa kuti azikukumbutsani kusamba mmanja.
• Phunzirani mapumidwe abwino omwe agathe kukuthandidzani kupilira komanso kudzilamulira panokha
• Yikani milingo, monga kusamba mmanja pakatha ma sekondi makumi awiri.
• Lingalirani kupanga china chake mukatha kusamba m’manja. zimenezi zingathe kukuthandizani kukwanilitsa zolinga zanu.

Lumikizanani ndi anthu

• Yesetsani kulumikizana ndi gulu la MeHUCA- Zambiri muzipeza pansipa.
• Yimbirani lamya anthu amene mumakumana nawo tsiku ndi tsiku.

Pangani ziganizo pa zomwe mumachita nthawi ndi nthawi

• Lingalirani m’mene mugwilitsire ntchito nthawi yanu. Zingathe kuthandiza kulemba papepala ndi kumata pakhoma.
• Yesetsani kutsatira mwandondomeko zinthu zomwe mumachita nthawi ndi nthawi. Dzukani mmene mumadzukira nthawi zonse, gwirani ntchito zonse zomwe mumagwira mwandondomeko, ndipo madzulo kukada, kagoneni nthawi imene mumagona nthawi zonse.

Khalani otanganidwa

• Konzani pakhomo panu.
• Vinani nyimbo zomwe mumakonda.
• Onetsetsani kuti mukukhala pansi kwa kanthawi kochepa kapena pangani masewera olimbitsa thupi muli chikhalire ngati simungathe kuyimilira.

Landirani dzuwa lokwanira, kamphepo kabwino, komanso chilengedwe

• Onetsetsani kuti mazenera a nyumba yanu ndiotsegula bwino kuti mpweya wabwino udzilowa
• Onetsetsani kuti mukukhala pa malo abwino monga pafupi ndi zenera.

Pezani njira zotayitsira nthawi yanu

• Mwina kulemba kalata kwa okondedwa wanu.
• Longezani bwinobwino katundu wanu.

Pezani nthawi yoti mumasuke komanso kupuma

• Zojambulajambula zingathe kuthandiza.
• Kuyimba zida zosiyanasiyananso kumathandiza kumasuka m’maganizo.

Samalirani ndi nkhani komanso mphekesera

• Ngati nkhani kapena mauthenga a mmatsamba a michezo akukupangisani kukhala ndi nkhawa kapena kukusokonezani mutu, zimitsani kapena chepetsani kumawerenga kwa kanthawi ndithu.

Langizo kwa mamembala a gulu la MeHUCA

Kuchokera mkapepala ka maganizo angwiro kosindikizidwa mu mumwezi wa epulo mchaka cha 2019 (atiloleza). Mu nthawi yoti kukumana kokhazikika kwa mmagulu kwayimitsidwa kapena kulesedwa, ma membala agululi atha:

• Kugwiritsa ntchito lamya polumikizana ndi cholinga chothandizana komanso kukumana.
• Kukumana ndi opeleka thandizo la maganizo angwiro mu zipatala za m’maboma kapena zipatala zing’onong’ono zimene zimagwira ntchito ndi ma gulu othandizanawa ndi cholinga choti mamembala apeze uthenga woyenera okhudzana ndi matenda a corona, mankhwala komanso uphungu.
• Ngati mukuona kuti zinthu zakukuchulukirani, afotokozereni adokotala anu kapena opeleka uphungu.

Osapanga zinthu komanso kugwiritsa ntchito mawu obweretsa tsankho komanso kutsalana