Unveiling the Path to Resilience: Prioritizing Mental Health, Sleep, and Nutrition in the Post-COVID Era

Healthcare (Basel). 2023 Sep 4;11(17):2463. doi: 10.3390/healthcare11172463.

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted daily life, impacting relationships, work, and education. This has led to increased stress, anxiety, and depression, along with altered sleep patterns and eating behaviors. Quarantine and isolation have worsened mental health, especially in children and the elderly, due to the loss of activities and physical contact. Sleep disorders and negative dreams perpetuate poor sleep quality, increasing the risk of health issues. Sedentary lifestyles and emotional effects contribute to unhealthy eating patterns and obesity, exacerbated by disrupted routines and limited outdoor activities. Addressing these challenges requires prioritizing mental health, promoting healthy sleep habits, and addressing obesity factors. The pandemic has profoundly affected human well-being, but resilience, mental health, sleep, and nutrition can enhance overall well-being and adaptability in the post-COVID era. This comprehensive opinion aims to raise awareness of the wide-ranging impacts of this pandemic on various aspects of human well-being and to emphasize the importance of implementing strategies that prioritize mental health, improve sleep habits, address eating behaviors, and foster resilience to navigate and thrive in the face of future challenges.

Keywords: COVID-19 pandemic; mental health; nutrition; obesity; resilience; sleep patterns; well-being.

Grants and funding

The research was funded by Rúben Fernandes and Pilar Baylina, who acknowledge on behalf of the authors the support of FCT (Strategic Project Reference: UID/BIM/04293/2013. RF and PB were also supported by FEDER/02/SAICT/2020/072560. Susana Ramalho acknowledges LaBMI for the PhD grant LABMI/BI/2021/01 (NEURO4COVID).