It’s been a lot: let’s talk about COVID stress

Written by Francesca Carpenter, Psychologist and Director of Excel Psychology

A lot has been written about the impact of Covid-19 on our lives, with health mandates, changes to where and how we can get together and vaccines.  Covid has also had an impact on our mental health.  At this point, it’s hard to remember what life was like before covid, but we used to have a sense of wellbeing, that the world was a safe place in general.  We knew we could make plans for the future with some certainty.  

For a while, at the start of 2020, there seemed to be some hope that we would be able to return to that lifestyle once the covid crisis was over.  We hoped that the crisis wouldn’t last very long (remember the 12 weeks to flatten the curve?) and that our plans could be postponed and revised to a time in the not too distant future.  There was even a hope that we could keep the pandemic contained at the start, but of course, that was not possible.

Covid proved to be a global crisis that opened cracks in the systems that we all rely on.  There have been effects and knock on effects that have lingered.  The global supply chain has been interrupted and delayed, meaning that things from toilet paper to home appliances and cars have been hard to obtain.  Unemployment is at an all time low, but inflation is at an all time high.  The ripples are still being felt through the network of systems that underpin modern life.  

One thing that is also affecting us is covid stress.  Covid stress is the added pressure of living through covid, including lockdowns and unstable support systems, as well as adapting to the post-covid world.  A recent study by Flinders University found that “COVID-19 can be understood as a traumatic stressor event capable of eliciting PTSD-like responses and exacerbating other related mental health problems (e.g., anxiety, depression, psychosocial functioning, etc.)”¹.   

There is less certainty in the future, less trust that our plans will materialise and less optimism in general. 

Prior to covid, people sought therapy in Australia for a variety of reasons such as depression, anxiety, PTSD, domestic violence, work stress, etc.  Currently, those issues still exist, but they are made worse by covid stress.  In addition to living through the uncertainty of the past 2 years, many people lost the sense of safety and security that we had prior to the pandemic.  There is less certainty in the future, less trust that our plans will materialise and less optimism in general.  Added to this, the recent floods and unseasonably cold weather are affecting people more than in years past.

Stress can manifest in a variety of ways, but you might notice some of the following signs of stress:

• Feeling overwhelmed, tired or unmotivated

• Feeling emotional, easily upset or teary

• Feeling irritable, snappy or grumpy

• Feeling out of sorts, not your usual self

• Tight muscles or tooth grinding

• Poor sleep or too much sleep

• Changes in diet and exercise

• Withdrawing socially

• Feeling unproductive

• Being less compassionate, especially less self compassionate, being more impatient

• Headaches

• Loss of interest in things you usually enjoy

• Indecisiveness, confusion

• Feeling restless, agitated, keyed up

Over the past 2 years, there has been a shift in the field of psychology also.  Overall, there has been a decrease in the number of psychologists who are able to begin to see new clients.  Pre pandemic, most psychologists were able to see new clients fairly promptly, but in 2022, most have closed their books.  Many psychologists are seeing fewer clients and trying to manage their own stress levels by balancing their work with other activities.  This is at a time when more people need therapeutic support.

Fortunately, Medicare has provided the additional 10 covid sessions to help clients who have been affected by covid stress access psychological services this year.  We have also been fortunate to be able to move to telehealth when needed.  It has been a good demonstration of how Australia has responded to the crisis with care and compassion.  The hardship we have experienced is made more bearable knowing that supports are there to help people in distress navigate the new post-covid world.  Psychologists are very helpful with a variety of coping strategies.

At Excel Psychology, we have been striving throughout the pandemic to maintain a positive balance between responding to the needs of new clients and maintaining positive connections and support for existing and returning clients.  We have a guiding principle of ensuring that everyone who has contact with our organisation, whether they are clients, GP’s, referrers, or our own staff and psychologists, have a positive and beneficial experience.  We strive to ensure that everyone is supported and gets what they need, especially during this difficult time.  While we can’t control things such as covid or the climate, we can do our best to make Excel Psychology a good place to be for everyone who comes here.  That is what is important to us.  That is what we aim to do every day.

¹ Why the COVID-19 pandemic is a traumatic stressor

Victoria M. E. Bridgland, Ella K. Moeck, Deanne M. Green, Taylor L. Swain, Diane M. Nayda, Lucy A. Matson, Nadine P. Hutchison, Melanie K. T. Takarangi. January 11, 2021 https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0240146