MACON, Ga. — We've been dealing with the global pandemic for about half a year, and COVID-19 doesn't appear to be leaving us any time soon. For its victims, the virus can have mild to deadly physical effects, but it can take a toll on everyone's mental health.
Coliseum Health Therapist Bruce Conn explains one of the ways that it can impact us is increased irritability.
Stressed, frustrated, drained -- you're probably dealing with a whole bunch of complicated emotions during this time. The important thing to know is you're not alone.
"Irritability is kind of a key thing everybody is feeling and it's a reasonable response to everything being interrupted -- vacations, weddings, surgeries, just any little thing, a concert -- and these are all things that frustrating," Conn said.
He continued, "Like if you lost a job, lost a loved one, or lost a relationship, there's a grief response. We need to pay attention and we need to work through this new reality in our life."
"We complain about adolescents and how how they digitally connect. They've been doing it well and adults need to do that better, but we can intentionally, together with friends, if we do it safely," Conn explained.
Conn says exercising, eating healthy, and getting enough sleep can help when you're feeling stressed out.