Virtual Series of National Talks : Stress Management during Pandemic
Date : 02 June 2021 - Fit India Club, Manipur University

The fifth talk of the Virtul Series of National Talks, organised by Fit India Campaign Committee and Fit India Club, Manipur University as a part of Fit India Movement, has been conducted today with Dr. R.K. Lenin Singh, Professor & Head, Department of Psychiatry, Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), Manipur, Imphal who is also psychiatrist by profession who has passion to serve community, to facilitate healthy and happy life style amongst the common population, speaking on “Stress Management during Pandemic”.

The session has been moderated by Dr. Laimayum Bishwanath Sharma, Dean, Students’ Welfare, Manipur University and Chairman, Fit India Club, M.U. and co-moderated by Dr. Salam Shantikumar Singh, Assistant Professor, Department of Statistics, M.U. Dr. Laishram Santosh Singh, Convener, Fit India Campaign Committee and Fit India Club, Manipur University, Assistant Professor in the Department of Physical Education and Sports Science, M.U. has welcomed to all the panellists, Dr. R.K. Lenin Singh as speaker, Moderator, Co-moderator and participants of the fifth session. Co-moderator, Dr. Salam Shantikumar Singh, Assistant Professor, Department of Statistics, M.U. has introduced the speaker of the day to the participants and session has been handed over to the Moderator.

At the very outset, Dr. R.K. Lenin Singh mentioned that the modern world is a world of stress. Though we have been coping well with the stress during the normal time before pandemic, with the coming up of this sudden pandemic, it becomes difficult to cope and creating more stress among the people. It is said that there is no life without challenges, but we need to do something to overcome such challenges.

Similarly, there are no people without stress, but management is required. It’s not good to keep holding the stress, as fast as possible, it is better to ventilate the stress. He has explained different kinds of stressors, types of stress and different indicators of stress in our body, mind, emotions and behavior. Response of our brain towards an acute stress leads to decrease in digestive system activity, increase in blood pressure and increase in heart rate.

A chronic stress may leads to skin problems, stomach problems, problems relating to Pancreas, Immune System, Head problems, Heart problems, Intestine problems, problems in reproductive system and problems in joints and muscles.

He has express, Stress as any type of change that causes physical, emotional, or psychological strain. Stress is the body's response to anything that requires attention. stress is not always easy to recognize, but there are some ways to identify some signs that it might be experiencing too much pressure, there are a few signs that is Psychological signs such as difficulty concentrating, worrying, anxiety, and trouble remembering, Emotional signs such as being angry, irritated, moody, or frustrated, Physical signs such as high blood pressure, changes in weight, frequent colds or infections, and changes in the menstrual cycle and libido, Behavioural signs such as poor self-care, not having time for the things you enjoy, or relying on drugs and alcohol to cope.

Further, in his lecture, Laughter is a great form of stress management, and that's no joke. A good laugh has great short term and long term positive effects. Exercise is one of the best strategies for managing stress. Physical exercise can help lower overall stress levels and improve the quality of life, both mentally and physically. Exercising regularly can have a positive effect on mood by relieving the tension, anxiety, anger, and mild depression that often go hand-in-hand with stress. It can improve the quality of sleep, which can be negatively impacted by stress, depression, and anxiety. It can also help boost confidence levels.

Talking about Covid-19 Pandemic and mental health, he has mentioned that this pandemic is creating various problems in mental health of the people like fear and apprehension, sleep disturbance, change in appetite, difficulty in adaptability, irritability, boredom and frustration, domestic violence, substance abuse and even worried well also. He also mentioned that lack of knowledge of Covid-19, lack of healthy behaviors, news of lack in effective treatment, economic problems, impact of social media and Quarantine/Lockdown/Curfew itself are some of the major factors worsening fear and panic among the people. He has advised all the people with co-morbidities to take vaccine at the earliest possible after consultation.

Sharing about how to manage stress, along with hacking of Happiness Chemicals like Dopamine, Serotonin, Oxytocin and Endorphin, daily physical exercises, laughter, performing hobbies, meditation, mindfulness in breathing, in eating, in yoga exercise, positive thinking, imagery relaxation and joyful de-cluttering will keep us away from stressors. He has also shared various guidelines of WHO in coping with stress during this Covid-19 pandemic.

He is of the opinion that if we want to survive this pandemic, we have to accept the fact of the Covid-19 disease, we should keep our hope alive, have self confidence that you can overcome this, love yourself, help others, take responsibility to prevent and protect from this pandemic and develop spirituality in our souls. As concluding remark, he has told that it is the time for all of us to held high our heads and overcome this Covid-19 pandemic. Forget the past, don’t worry for the future, but live in the present. Rewiring is important.

In the discussion session, he has answered various questions from, Kangujam Ronald, Thangjam Medha Devi, Budhachandra, Thoungamba, Okram Palin, Mayanglambam Banita and others. The fifth Virtual Series of National Talks has been concluded with the speaker answering satisfactorily the questions put up by the participants and thanking Dr. R.K. Lenin Singh for sharing his in-depth knowledge and information on the topic by the Moderator and Convenor. Convenor, Dr. Laishram Santosh Singh also requested all the participants to take part in the next session to be held on 4th June, 2021 at 11 am., on the topic “Nutrition Self Management during Pandemic” by EKKTA KUNDU, QUA Nutritionist, Bangalore.

(Dr. L. Santosh Singh)
Convenor
Fit India Campaign Committee
&
Fit India Club
Manipur University
(A Central University)
Canchipur, Imphal – 795003