Tossing and turning in bed at night? You’re not alone. More than 10,000 of you voiced your reasons for being stressed on the daily and we’re hoping this guide will give you, and others who are in a similar situation, some reprieve.
We surveyed more than 10,000 of Pedestrian Group readers across Lifehacker, Kotaku Gizmodo, Business Insider, PopSugar and Pedestrian.tv to determine how they’re adapting to the ‘new normal’ that’s been a result of the coronavirus outbreak.
They listed their top five concerns that have been keeping them up at night, and we’re going to share these with you (and give some useful tips) because there’s nothing worse than feeling like you’re all alone with your problems.
The potential of my family being infected with Covid-19
Of our respondents, 30.21% shared they are concerned about their family contracting COVID-19. That’s not surprising given older people such as our parents and grandparents are at higher risk of contracting the virus and falling seriously ill. If you don’t live with your family and you can’t stop worrying about them, it’s a good idea to have a quick check-in video call each day or every alternate day to find out how they’re doing. Keep reminding them of all the precautions they should be taking to keep themselves safe.
If you haven’t already, help them download some easy-to-use video chat apps so that connecting is never a problem.
The impact of Covid-19 on my financial and job security
The economic fallout from the pandemic has hit us like a ton of bricks and 29.78% of our surveyed readers are feeling the impact — 19% have unfortunately been unemployed as a direct result.
It’s easier said than done to ‘stop worrying and start doing’ but there’s never been a better time than the present (when we’re all stuck at home) to upskill and work on your resume. There are some amazing online learning platforms offering you the option of learning something new and exciting at really good prices or even for free. In fact, TAFE NSW has 21 short online courses available at zero cost.
You could even play around with the idea of a career change. In fact, we asked a couple of career counsellors for their tips to making the transition – check it out here.
My mental health during Covid-19
It’s only natural to feel depressed, anxious, stressed, concerned, bored, sad and everything in between even if you’ve never had to deal with mental health concerns in the past. From the readers we surveyed, 17.5% have raised concern over their state of well-being.
Head to Health, the Australian Government Department of Health website is a handy resource to browse through. It covers where to get the facts about Covid-19 (misinformation is a big evil during these times), tips for maintaining good mental health, information on how to access mental health services, information for parents, and how to keep older Australians safe and connected.
Here’s a positive and inspiring story of a ‘highly active extrovert who feared a coronavirus lockdown would lead to a psychological tailspin’ but instead, it took away her FOMO.
The impact of Covid-19 on my ability to go out and enjoy life
13.95% of our readers say COVD-19 has had an impact on their ability to enjoy life, which makes sense since our lives have essentially been turned upside down. What they miss most about their ‘old lives’ is meeting family, friends, colleagues and socialising. While there’s little we can do about this right now, it’s still important to stay connected via phone calls and video chats.
Conversation topics might go stale after the first few calls but you can always turn it up a notch with some fun online games that can keep the entire group entertained. Also, there’s no better time to come up with a game of your own or even get onboard with the TikTok craze.
Anxiety around the possibility that I contract Covid-19
Although only 4.24% of our readers are worried about the possibility of contracting COVID-19, it brings to mind just how big of an invisible enemy the virus really is, especially when the initial symptoms are similar to the common cold or flu.
Perhaps this free workbook on anxiety and the coronavirus can help you feel more in control if this is a fear that’s been stressing you out.
There will be a lot of trial and error as you deal with the ongoing impact of COVID-19 but do what you can to get a good night’s sleep so that you can effectively work on solving your problems.
Source: Pedestrian Group reader survey, April 2020, 18-34 (n=5,611)
[referenced url=”https://www.lifehacker.com.au/2020/04/the-governments-jobkeeper-and-jobseeker-coronavirus-payments-explained/” thumb=”https://www.lifehacker.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2020/04/closedcoronavirus-410×231.jpg” title=”The Government’s JobKeeper And Jobseeker Coronavirus Payments Explained” excerpt=”In light of the economic ramifications of the coronavirus outbreak in Australia, the government announced a new suite of welfare packages back in March to help Australians who’ve found themselves out of work with the new shutdown restrictions or economic downturn. Among them are the JobKeeper and Jobseeker payments, which are a little confusing at first. Here’s what you need to know and some common questions you might have.”]
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