Almost half (48 percent ) of people in Ireland feel nervous socialising, 38% are exercising less and 43 percent are eating more since the Covid-19 pandemic, according to new research commissioned by Maxol, which looked at the impact of the pandemic on physical and mental wellbeing.
The research of 1,000 adults also examined how we view kindness, with two in every five (41 percent ) of those surveyed agreeing that people were kinder during than before the pandemic.
The findings were released to coincide with the launch of the 12 Days of Kindness, which is part of Maxol’s annual Christmas campaign to raise much needed funds for mental health charity Aware.
During December, 10c from every cup of ROSA Coffee and hot beverage purchased in a Maxol service station is donated to Aware by Maxol. And, in a bid to blast this year’s €70,000 fundraising target and help spread some extra kindness, Maxol is inviting customers to buy a ROSA Coffee for a stranger in the 12 Days of Kindness.
How it works
Until December 12, customers simply buy two coffees at participating Maxol service stations, one for themselves and one for a stranger. The customer can also write a message of kindness on a little card to let another person know that there’s a free coffee waiting for them. All cards will be hung from the service station’s Kindness Christmas Tree.
The card can be used by another customer to pay for their hot drink and brighten up their day or it might inspire them to pay it forward and buy a coffee for someone else. Any cards of kindness not redeemed will be donated to local charities.
Most people (87 percent ) feel good when they perform an act of kindness and there is widespread agreement (89 percent ) that we need to be kinder to one another, according to the Maxol research.
Covid toll – 45% more anxious more often
According to Dr Murphy a stress response is the body’s way of reacting to a threat, a challenge, or a barrier and this manifested in different ways for different people during the pandemic. Many of those surveyed agreed that they had noticed changes in themselves since the Covid-19 pandemic including:
• 45 percent feel more anxious more often
• One third are having difficulty concentrating
• 43 percent are more lethargic and 22 percent are sleeping a lot more
• 39 percent say they have lost interest in things they once enjoyed
• More than one quarter (27 percent ) are losing their temper more often
• 23 percent are finding it difficult to hold a conversation
• 42 percent say their mental wellbeing has disimproved since Covid-19
1M accessed Aware’s website & social media channels in 2020
Aware, which provides free support, education and information services to people impacted by depression, bipolar disorder, and other mood-related disorders has reported consistently high levels of demand for its services since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“It is clear that the pandemic has resulted in more people experiencing anxiety or low mood, and we are hearing from people who are experiencing mental health difficulties for the first time. Last year more than one million people accessed our website and social media channels to avail of information and support, and we answered over 27,000 calls on our Support Line.
“Despite our best efforts, one in five calls to our Support Line still goes unanswered. Maxol has been a valued partner for many years, and its on-going support helps to ensure that we can be there for people when they need us,” Stephen McBride, Director of Services, Aware, stated.
Almost 34,000 people were supported by Aware’s services last year via its free to access Support Line, Support Mail and Support & Self Care Groups. The charity also equipped over 5,000 teenagers with resilience building skills through its school-based education programmes.
