Bella Hadid Shares Message of Self-Love for Those Struggling With Mental Health During the Covid Pandemic

Model Bella Hadid shared an uplifting message about taking care of your mental health as people around the world continue to struggle amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. This time of anxiety and isolation has been particularly hard on cancer survivors, as many have had to be extra cautious to avoid exposure to the virus, have had to deal with changes to treatment plans due to safety protocols or have had trouble finding open vaccine appointments — even with compromised immune systems.

As Hadid shared, paying special attention to mental health needs is particularly important for many of us right now — even as the recent approval of two Covid-19 vaccines provides some semblance of a light at the end of the tunnel.

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The 24-year-old model took to Instagram to share “5 things you should hear today,” with her 38.4 million followers.

The post included advice like, “There is still so much time to be all that you want to be,” and, “Don’t forget how far you’ve come. Don’t forget how brave you’ve been.”

She captioned the post, “…And if today, all you've done is hold yourself together , I am proud of you….”

 

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Handling Anxiety During the Pandemic

Many people who have been through cancer are already familiar with strategies to manage anxiety — and those strategies can be adjusted to help cope with the stress from these difficult times as well.

“If you have been diagnosed with cancer, you are far more resilient than you believe,” Dr. Marianna Strongin, a clinical psychologist, told SurvivorNet in a previous conversation about coping during the Covid pandemic.

Dr. Marianna Strongin explains how cancer survivors can cope with the stress of the Covid pandemic.

“Dealing with something like Covid-19 … that’s something that you have already developed skills for. You have lived through the unknown, and you now have skills to live through it again.”

Dr. Strongin pointed out that constantly watching the news or searching online for answers to health questions we are stressing about might be contributing to the problem.

She also mentioned that it can be helpful to acknowledge your anxieties, rather than try to deny them or push them away.

“Anxiety is a part of all of us,” Dr. Strongin said. “It’s important to have a healthy relationship with your anxiety and get to know it rather than fear it, avoid it or push it away.”

“Anxious thoughts are most often questions. For example: ‘Am I going to be OK?’ The problem is that people who are extremely anxious are not in the habit of answering them (i.e. soothing themselves and creating hope).”

“By learning more about your anxious thoughts and tendencies, one can begin to answer their anxious thoughts even in moments when there aren’t any answers.”

Many survivors have also found meditation very helpful. Breathing exercises can have a profound effect on the mind when we are stressed or having trouble calming down. Check out the video below for a quick and easy guided meditation.

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