Recommendations on mental health to face these days of isolation by COVID-19 23-03-2020
By: César A. Fernández
Being confined to our homes given the current global COVID-19 crisis can have a major impact on people's mental health. In this context, individuals with prior mental health conditions are at increased risk for emotional dysregulation and behavioral problems, however, it is not limited to them; any human being in confinement and social isolation may present similar symptomatology.
Here are some recommendations to deal with these days of imprisonment that await us:
It is essential to make a clear schedule that you can follow during the week, where you indicate when you will do your work in case you are working from home, at what time you will take a break to exercise, at what time you will prepare the meal, at what time you will study if you are a student, at what time there will be a time to socialize with who also lives at home or in the distance by phone or from window to window with the neighbor. It is very easy to get unstructured, lose track of time, delay in your work, begin to feel a permanent fatigue when you are locked in.
It is essential that you do some physical activity to activate your body, raise your spirits and the body's natural defenses. Exercise is a “medicine” for anxiety, depression, and impulsiveness.
If your home allows it, it is important to have some contact with "the outside". That is, if they have a backyard, a rooftop, a balcony, make use of them. Go out at some time of the day, let the sun hit your face and body, breathe the air that is now sure to be much purer, with the city free of traffic and constructions.
Organize your feeding week, try to follow the same feeding pace you had before this crisis. It is easy to deregulate in this sense, to overeat because of "boredom" or "anxiety".
Make time to read, meditate, pray, practice mindfulness, do breathing exercises, do yoga, etc. Any activity of your preference that leads you to rest your mind, get in touch with your body and contemplate your environment. All this will help you regulate your emotions and decrease anxiety.
Manage the time you spend on social media and news channels that are frequently talking about the virus. Constantly watching information increases feelings of danger, stress and anxiety, fear and panic. The tendency to seek information in an obsessive way is triggered because it gives us a false sense of control, of being aware of everything in order to avoid harm. But it doesn't really bring us any extra benefit to incur this, and besides, what ends up happening is that they increase our anxiety about the issue. If you are already at home and are taking the necessary care measures, you don't have to be constantly looking for more information about it.
Practice the “radical acceptance” strategy. Reach out to the idea that right now you are experiencing a situation that you cannot change. But beware: radical acceptance is not defeat or resignation. Radical acceptance means that you are recognizing the reality of the moment, with all the challenges and negative emotions that the situation brings; but at the same time you are also wondering what you can do to face what you have in front of you. Radical acceptance is not to get stuck in phrases like "it's not fair", "this shouldn't happen now"; if not rather to tell you "this is what there is, what can I do to cope as best as possible?"
Let us try to practice being present in the here and now. Don't worry in advance about things that haven't happened and probably won't happen around you. Let's take a step. Take care of what's in front of you now. Don't go ahead and worry about what things will be like in a month. When the next month arrives you will have the opportunity to see how they will be, and there take care of what you have in front of you.
Let go of the little inconveniences of daily coexistence. We will all be more stressed, adapting to this new momentary reality that we have had to live. Be patient with your partner, be patient with your children, be patient with your mother. If your mother is disinfecting everything in the house five times, let her do it. If your partner is very anxious and despairs you, be patient with them and comfort them. If children are jumping around all day and breaking home ornaments, be patient and don't worry about excessive discipline right now.
Take the opportunity to do things you never have time for. Read the book you have on your bedside table a month ago, start organizing your files at home or on the computer, take an online course, start practicing some hobby, organize the closet.
It is time to exercise the muscle of creativity. Start thinking about new ways of working, new business strategies for when everything returns to normal, new ways of reinventing yourself and reinventing your relationships with others.
Don't get stuck thinking about everything you can't do and everything you wish you were doing right now. This only increases feelings of frustration, despair, impatience and hopelessness. Focus on what you CAN do right now, what you can do now that you didn't have the opportunity or time to do before. Live one day at a time and make the most of that day.
The arts are always an important source of emotional expression and inner regulation. Start singing, playing an instrument, painting, coloring, writing poems, learning a monologue, dramatizing a play with your brothers, dancing merengue in the room, doing a karaoke night, learning a family choreography, inventing a night of talents.
If you live alone, it is important that you have some kind of social interaction with your loved ones. Call your parents, text your friends, make a video conference in the evenings, talk to the neighbor on the front balcony. It is important for the mood to have interactions in some way.
If someone in the house tells you that they prefer to be alone, give them the space to be alone. If someone in the house is irritable, give them the opportunity to step away to regulate themselves. Just as it is important to maintain a certain closeness at this time, we must also understand that it is important to make room so that everyone in the house can continue to have their place of relief. Look at all costs not to let the fights escalate. Just let it go. Set a goal to talk about difficult topics when things get back to normal.
If you notice that your symptoms of anxiety, depression, impulsiveness, irritability, hyperactivity, or any other are getting out of your control, don't wait to get help from a mental health professional. Many of us will be available to continue attending to those who need it online. (CLICK HERE TO SCHEDULE YOUR APPOINTMENT)
Finally, it is time to show solidarity with the community. Take the time to make a donation to a neighbor you know you need, pay your employees the salary of the month, look for a website for which you can donate money or food for those who need it. Stay home and protect others!
