How to: Take Care of Your Mental Health During Natural Disaster.

Natural disasters such as floods expose people to several health-related problems from morbidity to mortality. Survivors can experience longer-term psychosocial effects such as distress, anxiety, pain, depression, and social dysfunctions. Severe distresses in the worst cases may become mental disorders or so-called psychopathologies. Distress may occur during the event itself or after the event. The latter is known as post-traumatic stress disorder.

Currently, some of the states in Malaysia have been hit with floods. This is heartbreaking, as there will be a lot of people losing their places to stay, cars, clothes, loved ones, you name it. I feel like it is my responsibility as a psychology student to share some of my knowledge on how take care of your mental health during natural disaster. Hopefully it will help the survivors to carry on with their lives.

Take a good care of your body

Try to keep your body and places around you clean. If there are muds or any dirt on your skin, don't let it dry on your skin. Instead, wash them with warm water. Also, try to eat healthy well-balanced meals. If they are hard to obtain, keep your tummy happy by not leaving yourself starve for so long. Exercise regularly, at least by doing some light stretches, and get enough sleep.

Stay informed

When you feel that you are missing information, you may become more stressed or nervous. Watch, listen to, or read the news for updates from officials. Be aware that there may be rumors during a crisis, especially on social media. Always check your sources and turn to reliable sources of information like your local government authorities.

Avoid too much exposure to news

Though being well informed is a good thing, being overly informed could spell disaster for us, too. Take breaks from watching, reading, or listening to news stories. It can be upsetting to hear about the crisis and see images repeatedly. Try to do enjoyable activities and return to normal life as much as possible and check for updates between breaks.

Connect with others

Share your concerns and how you are feeling with a friend or family member. Try to connect with them online, or through phone calls. Don't be afraid to borrow a phone from others if you have lost yours. Your loved ones must be worried about you, so might as well let them informed about your condition. It would also help you lighten up your mood, especially when talking to those who you trust the most :)

Take breaks

Make time to unwind and remind yourself that strong feelings will fade. Try taking in deep breaths, entertain yourself with some music & build yourself back up again. Do not overwhelm yourself with the strong feelings that you are feeling right now. But, if you feel like it, try to ease them by settling yourself a bit & clear your mind.

Seek help when needed

If distress impacts activities of your daily life for several days or weeks, consider talking to a counselor or doctor, or contact the Befrienders helpline at 03-7956 8145 (24 hours)

We are in this together. Don't give up <3