Socially distanced support: How to be there for friends and family from afar – The National

Socially distanced support: How to be there for friends and family from afar – The National

Socially distanced support: How to be there for friends and family from afar

Experts share the signs that suggest a loved one is going through a hard time

Mental health experts recommend making virtual communication a part of your daily routine. Courtesy Zoom

The coronavirus pandemic has put us all into a unique conundrum - we might be seeking human comfort to deal with uncertainty, but many of us are being told to stay physically distant for our health, or that of others.

Indeed, the World Economic Forum has, somewhat flippantly, called the global lockdown "the greatest psychological experiment in history".

"Due to the general anxiety that comes with the unknown, we are experiencing an elevated level of stress for a long period of time,“ says Michael Burich, the co-founder of Synctuition, a mindfulness app.

"Such chronic stress produces cortisol in our system, which constantly puts us in a 'ready to fight' mode. While this is great when there is danger, when it happens over a longer period of time, it depletes our adrenal glands.

"This causes fatigue, unhappiness, and lowers our immune system,“ says Burich, whose app has been made available for free until Friday, July 31 in 14 countries, including the UAE.

Dr Prateeksha Shetty, clinical psychologist