We are over 18 months into the Covid-19 pandemic, and we are all ready for it to be over! Unfortunately, we may have many more months until the virus is managed or fades away like pandemics of the past. What does not mean for us? Well, it means more stress.

In looking back over the last year and half, how did you do with staying mentally and physically healthy? Were you an A+ or more like a C-? How are you doing now? Do you find yourself easily irritated? Maybe a little more moody than usual? Maybe you are tempted to eat more junk food or watch too much tv to help you get by. If you said yes to one of these questions, you may be struggling with managing stress.

“Stress?! This pandemic doesn’t bother me,” you say. But can you sit out another 18 months? Yikes… We all cringe at the thought! We may not recognize that we are stressed after a nice, warm summer, but it is Fall and soon to be Winter. With less sunlight, rain and snow, and more time indoors, our bodies and our brains may be triggered by the memories of last year’s winter—YUCK! Even if you did well in managing isolation last year, your body says (before your brain realizes it): “Uh oh…not this again!” Even on a nice day, you may find yourself frowning. What is going on?

A curse of being a grown up is that we tend to internalize stress—this can result in all that moodiness that is exhibited by adults, as well as some substance use issues as an unhealthy way to manage that stress. You think we would know better but we don’t. Why not? Stress sneaks up on you! Think of a cake with lots of layers: a few layers are not too bad to manage, but if too many layers are added, the cake will fall over. After 18 months, no matter how well you did, we will all be adding more layers of stress. This winter it will not take as many layers before everyone gets a little more cranky, moody, or in a funk because we still have layers of stress leftover from last year! So, what do we do to stay healthy?

As compared to last year, we can incorporate some healthy coping skills to help us manage and reduce stress. Here are some fun ideas that people have shared for relieving stress: board game nights with close friends and family; writing letters or sending care packages to the ones you love; call family via Facetime, Zoom, or other video apps; participating in a workout challenge and share your progress; learn a new recipe as part of a cooking group; join an online book club; and volunteering at a local organization.

Covid may have temporarily hit the pause button on what we normally do, but we can manage the stress it has on all of us and our communities. Be creative with staying connected to others. Be aware that a little stress can become a lot of stress if not managed properly. Focus on the long-term benefits of healthy coping to keep your stress levels as low as possible. After 18 months of the pandemic, we got this!

Written by:
Maraiah Wenn Esslinger, ATR, LMHC, SUDP
Art Therapist and Mental Health Counselor