Building Resilience in Stressful Times

Photo courtesy of PCORI

SHASHIKA BANDARA AND ANANDA GALAPPATTI-03/30/2022

These are difficult times for many of us in Sri Lanka. After two years of a pandemic that disrupted nearly every aspect of daily living, we are now going through a serious economic crisis with widening consequences. Many of the challenges from rising cost of basics, failing public utilities and the impending uncertainty are starting to feel very close, if they are not affecting our lives already.

Mental health professionals, public health specialists and social workers anticipate significant impacts of the current socio-economic situation on individuals and families across all economic strata and communities. They recognize that these additional stressors do not only present difficulties in themselves, but they will add to the challenges that many people are already dealing with in their lives such as chronic illness or disability, relationship problems, COVID-19 infections, precarious finances, grief and loss, domestic violence, evictions, issues at work or pre-existing mental health issues. Some groups or individuals are already in particularly vulnerable positions but even for people who don’t already have specific problems, added stress can make it harder to cope with the day to day. It is not only the current conditions that can place us under stress but also the sense of insecurity and worry about possible risks and other hardships down the road.

Building Resilience in Stre... by Thavam Ratna