Pandemic-Triggered Aggression is Real

There is no doubt that the year 2020 has been filled with chaos, uncertainty, tragedies, fear and anxiety. From natural disasters to the global pandemic, from a historically high unemployment rate to closed schools and the social justice movement, many feel that the world has constantly caught itself in a whirlpool of emotion-fueled events.

Worse still, the lockdowns and social distancing have prevented us from properly coping with these emotions the way we normally do or receiving timely social support from friends and families. Such increases in stress and corresponding decreases in coping options have led to another less-talked-about pandemic — the mental-health pandemic.

According to CDC, ever since the pandemic broke out in America, U.S. adults have reported considerably elevated adverse mental health conditions associated with COVID-19. From April to June, symptoms of anxiety disorder and depressive disorder were reportedly three to four times higher compared to the same period in 2019.^[1] Meanwhile, data reveals that cases of domestic violence and abuse are climbing.[2]

These increases in numbers are not surprising. When caught up in stressful situations, humans have a built-in coping mechanism called “fight or flight.” In modern societies, other than throwing fists or fleeing the scene, the “fight” reaction is frequently exhibited as anger and aggression toward others, while the “flight” reaction often manifests itself as withdrawing.  

If prolonged, these stress reactions can lead to burnout, anxiety disorder, depressive disorder, intermittent explosive disorder and other mental health problems (which can further result in physical health issues; read this to learn more).

When these issues start showing up in the workplace, they frequently present themselves as cynical, aggressive or angry criticisms, messages, emails or verbal exchanges from customers, clients or coworkers.

Even worse, with most people working from home, such aggressions often remain hidden if not talked about. This can cause more damage to those affected.

As I’m writing this article, many of my coworkers are receiving an unprecedented number of aggressive or degenerating emails, comments or other forms of feedback from people we are trying to help or reach out to. Meanwhile, both the CDC and SHRM (Society of Human Resource Management) have issued warnings of workplace aggression caused by COVID-19 and offered coping suggestions.[3] [4]

What can we do if we fall victim to such aggression?

The best approach is to reappraise the situation. By understanding the negative impacts of the pandemic on people’s mental states, we can think these people as having fallen ill due to the unfortunate situation — as opposed to taking aggressive episodes personally. By knowing that such problems are affecting more people than we can imagine, we should not hesitate to bring them up and seek support from others (family, friends, coworkers and even professionals) — it happens to everyone.

The more awareness we can raise of the situation, the more easily we can work to deal with it.

Let’s focus less on the negativities in this world by taking a mindfulness approach to regulating stress and exhaustion. Focus on the little things that make you feel happy and relaxed; live in the moment instead of ruminating what happened in the past; pick up a hobby or two that you can practice indoors (I recently start teaching myself how to play a guitar) or take a walk when possible to appreciate the colors and the beauty of the fall weather.

Furthermore, if you pay attention to your emotions and your emotional changes, try to catch these fleeting traces of anger and anxiety in yourself and figure out where they truly come from. For example, is it really the endless Zoom meetings that frustrate you or it is the fact that you feel less connected to your coworkers? Is it the email on a diversity and inclusion workshop that makes you feel annoyed, or you are just lashing out your negative emotions caused by undealt-with stressors in life?

The pandemic-triggered aggression is real and is prevailing. It’s time we give it a proper look and work together to minimize its damage.