Why you may be feeling even more anxious in Malaysia this new year, and what you can do about it

By LIANI MK

A 44-year-old finance professional who returned home from living in the United States at the height of the pandemic, Gaithiri Devi already had to cope with a series of profound personal adversities over the past few years, including struggling to get citizenship for her overseas-born daughter and dealing with the death of her father from cancer.

"This year is definitely starting heavy," said Gaithiri. The ongoing conflict in Palestine and how it has affected the vulnerable, particularly children, is causing even more anxiety this year, she said.

"In the past, new years were a time of reset and welcoming newness. Setting new intentions, making plans for the year ahead, and letting go of what hadn't worked in the past," she said. Yet, it's hard to feel optimistic this January.

A lecturer in her forties, who wanted to be known as Anisha, also expressed that the start of 2024 feels more sombre, adding that for the first time ever, she did not write down any New Year reflections or resolutions. To make matters worse, she, like many others, is concerned about managing finances in the current economic downturn.

"I feel a bit morose because of conflicts happening around the world. Plus, the older you get, the more responsibilities you have. (And) being in the middle age group in a fragile economy, you wonder what's next," Anisha shared, adding that last year felt more hopeful because businesses and travel had opened up following the pandemic.

But is it really normal to feel morose at the start of a new year, or is 2024 unique given the concerns highlighted above as well as escalating living costs, the apparent return of COVID-19 and lingering economic, political and climate woes?

The beginning of anxiety; how do people become anxious?

Clinical psychologist Chong Joo Chien explained that many people find themselves worrying about everything from work and money to health and relationships when January rolls around. Additionally, New Year celebrations can remind people of their loneliness, intensify social anxiety and prompt panic attacks.

Very often, however, he says that anxiety over a new year is related to a low tolerance for uncertainty and a high need for control.

"This is particularly true for people with high perfectionism and expectations of themselves, where the new year is mostly about performing better and achieving more," Chong said. "It is, hence, not surprising to see how some experience anticipatory or performance anxiety during the new year."

Nonetheless, he noted that New Year anxieties this year have been compounded by global forces and systemic challenges.

"With the pandemic still impacting us economically and socially, the uncertainty is even higher than before," Chong said. "Some people still haven't recovered socially since the MCOs (Malaysia's COVID-19 Movement Control Orders) and WFH (work-from-home) arrangements. They still experience difficulty and anxiety meeting and interacting with people."

Furthermore, there is secondary traumatic stress, which is triggered by exposure to distressing events, as well as personal crises.

Take Li Li's case, for instance.

Currently based in Europe, the single mother says she has been raising her daughter on her own and wants to return to Malaysia.

However, the country's citizenship laws, which prevent Malaysian mothers with non-Malaysian spouses from passing their citizenship to children born overseas, have caused her much mental strain. And this year, like every year since 2017, when she began the process of applying for her child's citizenship, she fears that her daughter could end up being stateless.

"Getting my kid Malaysian citizenship is the most challenging thing in my life ever," Li Li said. "This incident (has) impacted my mental health a lot."

The question, then, is how does Li Li and someone like Gaithiri, who herself has struggled to enrol her United States-born daughter into school here in Malaysia, look forward with hope given their challenges.

Be gentle and mindful in the new year

For senior clinical psychologist Aishah Diyana Baharudin, the best way with a new year is to approach all emotions, including one's grief and stress, with mindfulness. Additionally, she advises making space and slowing down.

"It's okay not to always pay attention to your emotions, because sometimes there's just so much that you've already got on your plate and trying to make space for emotions can be overwhelming," Aishah said.

"But if you're able to make space for some of these emotions, and really be honest with where those emotions are coming from, it can give you really good insight on what your next step can be."

Chong concurred, and added that alongside self-care and mindfulness, it is imperative to seek support from family, friends and even co-workers.

"Social connectedness has always been helpful for mental resilience and well-being," he said. "The sense of belonging derived from social support is a protective factor that strengthens people's resilience, which will reduce feelings of isolation. Not only can these people offer practical or instrumental help in times of need, appropriate sharing with them can also help process our emotions."

Importantly, too, Chong believes that conversations surrounding mental health should be in the open.

Aishah, meanwhile, says that it is necessary to be gentle when setting resolutions to avoid getting burnt out.

"Be mindful about choosing to engage in ways that are consistent with your goal; consistent with what you want, rather than doing it intensely.

"You always have an opportunity to restart, reset, and retry again, at any point in the year. It doesn't have to be January. It can be February, March, or April," she said, adding that it is vital to have an honest relationship with one's goals.

"Appreciate your goals, not how far you have to go, but how far you have come from. That keeps you in mind about all the challenges that you've gone through, and (on why) you still continue with this journey," she said.

"There must be something that you care about, that keeps you going."

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