Since the COVID-19 pandemic hit globally about two years ago, 35-year-old clinical psychologist Hani Kumala from Satu Persen-Indonesian Life School in Jakarta noticed a significant increase in clients seeking mental health services. The number continued to increase to the point that even Hani herself had to take some measures to protect her own mental health.

“In the early months of the pandemic, I usually handled around 20 sessions in one month. Nowadays, I’m expected to handle six times that,” said Hani, adding that talking with fellow colleagues and having enough rest had helped her a lot.

Hani’s colleague, Muhammad Syibbli, 29, a psychologist based in Depok, West Java, said he now had twice as many patients as before the pandemic.

“But this might also be because most sessions are now online,” he said.

Online consultation: Muhammad Syibbli, considers online sessions could be one of the reasons why the number of his patients are increasing. (Courtesy of Muhammad Syibbli) (Muhammad Syibbli/Courtesy of Muhammad Syibbli)

The challenges

Many of Hani’s clients come to her after experiencing depression, anxiety and on top of it all: demotivation. She also said many of her patients expressed an inclination to end their lives while others ended up committing self-harm after experiencing burnouts.

“I have one patient who committed suicide at the age of 20. There was another who we managed to save after they attempted to consume cyanide and then another who wanted to commit suicide by getting hit by a train […] Thankfully we were able to convince this person to check in to a hospital and get further help,” said Hani.

Similarly, Adriana Dewi Riani, 32, a psychologist based in Bekasi, West Java, said patients at her practice at Grow with FAME Consultant (GROME) had increased 50 percent compared to pre-pandemic times, with most of them within the productive ages of 25 to 40.

“Many of them are scared of getting COVID-19 themselves while fearing for the lives of their loved ones who already got the virus. Others are anxious following income loss or unemployment. There are also patients who suffer from psychosomatic disorder after overthinking a lot due to increasing work demand,” said Adriana.

Acid reflux is the most common type of psychosomatic disorder that these clients experience, Adriana added, citing that after meeting their doctors, they were referred to psychologists for stress management.

Adriana’s colleague, Edwin Nathaniel, 32, a clinical psychologist with Klinik I Love My Psychologist in Tangerang, Banten, shared a similar experience, adding that acid reflux was getting more and more common among his patients.

“[These patients] compromised their physical needs such as eating, resting and sleeping because of their job demands,” said Edwin.

With the increasing demand for mental health services amid the pandemic and more and more Indonesians seeking professional help to maintain their psychological well-being, Hani, Muhammad, Adriana and Edwin decided to share several tips on how to take care of one’s mental health during these troubling times.

Edwin said that, while it was important for people to be able to manage stress, it should be noted that some level of pressure could contribute positively to one’s life because it could encourage people to develop strategies to handle it.

“[With pressures] we will be more apt in solving our problems,” he said, adding that understanding this should help people to cope with stress in addition to managing it.

Awareness: Since the COVID-19 hit the country two years ago, more and more Indonesians reach out to mental health services. (Unsplash/Priscilla Du Preez) (Unsplash/Priscilla Du Preez)

These are some of the top tips that these experts recommend for people to mentally get through the pandemic:

1. Rest and recharge

While it sounds simple, taking time to rest might be challenging for some, especially because there are many aspects that may require one’s full attention during the pandemic. Muhammad said it was very important to take some time to rest and be disciplined about it.

“We need to be very mindful about the importance of getting some rest. It’s essential to allocate some time to recharge and not think about work,” he said.

Edwin noted that people might find it challenging to get enough sleep due to work demands. However, he recommended that people be disciplined and take at least six hours of night sleep to make sure the body is recharged.

“If you have upcoming deadlines, you can strategize by taking a two-hour nap that you can divide into a couple of times between work, but please only do this when you really have to,” he said.

2. Journaling

For those who might want to express themselves without talking to others, Adriana recommended journaling as a way to write down day-to-day feelings. While using paper and ink will never be out of fashion, Adriana said using other means such as a laptop or even smartphone would just be as effective.

“The goal is to become aware of feelings that appear within us. After that, we can take action about these feelings. For example, if the feeling is anger, [journaling] can make us aware of it so that we can reduce the tension by using methods such as breathing techniques to clear our minds,” said Adriana.

Edwin added that journaling could also help in preparing for the future by mapping problems and solutions.

“Spend some time to make plans for the upcoming week,” he said.

Stress relief: Adriana Dewi Riani suggests journaling to connect with one’s emotions and do exercises to produce endorphins, “the hormone that makes us feel happy”. (Courtesy of Adriana Dewi Riani) (Adriana Dewi Riani/Courtesy of Adriana Dewi Riani)

3. Physical activity

“Without physical health, it will be very difficult to maintain mental health,” said Edwin, noting the importance of maintaining physical well-being.

There are plenty of physical activities that are in line with social distancing principles in order to avoid close contact with others. From biking to tennis to yoga at home, there are plenty of choices to keep the juices flowing.

“Research shows body movement can help us produce endorphins, which is the hormone that makes us feel happy,” said Adriana.

4. Self-care even when you’re busy

“It’s important to allocate self-care in our day-to-day activities. From physical and emotional, to social and spiritual self-care,” said Muhammad.

Planning ahead is important in order to manage stress. Edwin said we should be vigilant and, at the same time, flexible in order to fulfill self-care needs even when deadlines are close.

“You have to make sure that water is within reach from time to time. Prepare snacks such as biscuits if there’s not plenty of time to prepare food,” said Edwin, giving an example.

Increasing demand: Hani Kumala, a clinical psychologist at the Satu Persen-Indonesian Life School in Jakarta, sees a significant increase of clients due to COVID-19 pandemic. (Courtesy of Hani Kumala) (Hani Kumala/Courtesy of Hani Kumala)

5. Support system

“At the end of the day, we’re social beings,” said Hani.

Staying in touch with our loved ones who are supportive is the cardinal rule of protecting mental health. However, it is important to be mindful and selective when choosing the people to confide in.

“It’s important to keep in mind that those who are close to us have to be the supportive ones. Because there are people who are close to us but not necessarily supportive,” said Adriana, adding that a good support system helps increase one’s motivation and improve mood.

6. Seek professional help

“Sometimes people are confused as to when is the right time to seek professional help. The answer is simple: whenever you feel the need,” said Adriana.

Hani concurred with this, adding that with the number of mental health services online nowadays, people should not hesitate to get the help they need since confidentiality is strictly protected. She encouraged people to ignore any stigma that surrounded mental health services.

“Getting the help you need does not mean you’re crazy. Plus, you’re far more important than what other people think or say. Don’t wait until things get worse,” she said.