New Zealand’s third week in lockdown was it's most deadly, but as new case numbers continue to fall, NZ remains optimistic that Level 4 restrictions may be lifted on schedule.
More than three weeks into lockdown, many people are noticing how staying inside for extended periods can alter their behaviour.
But how is the lockdown affecting our brains?
As a senior lecturer in psychological medicine as well as a clinical psychologist, University of Auckland's Dr Liesje Donkin is one ofthe few people in New Zealand qualified to comment on how stress originating from the lockdown can impact our brains and behaviour.
University of Auckland senior psychology lecturer Dr Liesje Donkin. Photo / Supplied
When we become stressed, Donkin explained how we experience an emotional reaction in the part of our brain called the amygdala, which will "sound the alarm" and prepare the body's flight-or-fight response.
"The hypothalamus [our brain's command centre] stimulates the pituitary gland, which then secretes the adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)," Donkin said.
"This then activates the adrenal glands which then secrete corticosteroids, which cause a number of changes in the body such as increased blood sugars by releasing sugar from the liver, but it also suppresses the immune system."
At the same time, the sympathomedullary (SAM) pathway is activated - releasing adrenaline, which speeds up our heart rate, blood pressure and breathing. Once the danger is over, the parasympathetic nervous system takes control and calms the body down.
Have you wondered what's going on in your brain after more than two weeks of lockdown? Photo / 123rf
However, with stress from the lockdown or Covid-19 a constant for some, Donkin said the continuation of the body's response could lead to long-term health implications like poor sleep or digestive issues.
"If there is no clear end to the threat or a person is chronically-stressed or worried, these systems remain active and there are long-term consequences."
Similarly, Donkin said some long-term health consequences could be caused by loneliness - something which was prevalent in situations similar to lockdowns.
"If people are feeling socially isolated and your support networks are not your family but you're in a house full of family, you can still feel very lonely and isolated."
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Donkin was quick to reassure people they should not notice immediate impacts on their health and there was no specific timeline for the long-term effect of stress and loneliness on someone's health.
"We wouldn't necessarily expect people to turn around in a month and have more people die."
Donkin said much of a person's physiological and behavioural response to lockdown and the wider Covid-19 pandemic would come down to perception.
"Someone perceiving it as, 'I'm doing the best that I can to keep my family safe and I'm safe at home', their stress response is obviously going to be lower than somebody who is thinking, 'I feel trapped, I'm stuck at home'.
"People who have high expectations of themselves during this time and a low tolerance for uncertainty are going to struggle a lot more, they are going to have more of that activated stress response and they'd be more likely to have things like difficulty sleeping at night."
Lots of people will be stressed in today's social climate. Photo / 123rf
Donkin pointed to exercise as a key method for reducing stress.
"When we exercise - even if we struggle to exercise - the body also releases endorphins which help with pain but also boost mood and help us feel more relaxed," she said.
"This helps to combat the stress response ... it often removes us from our stressors temporarily - so it also gives us a break and a chance for our body and brain to reduce our stress responses."
For those suffering from anxiety, Donkin recommended reducing their intake of information relating to Covid-19 and setting aside time in their day to think about the stresses in their lives.
"It sounds really weird but often people don't remember the things they are worrying about and what you're trying to do is restrict the amount of time they are investing in worrying," she said.
"If you can restrict the amount of time you're doing it, it is actually going to be more helpful for you."
