Coronavirus has caused many problems to people’s physical and mental health. Stress, fear and anxiety have taken over the population in recent days, but how to deal with these feelings in times of pandemic ? That is what we will explain in this article.
The Coronavirus outbreak that took over the world and, in addition to being very serious in itself, has also aggravated many psychological problems . The most prevalent emotions are fear and anxiety, but dealing with them has been increasingly difficult. However, the way in which we react to them is what makes us well out of this and other crises.
Index
- Who suffers the most
- How to face fear and reduce stress
- How parents can calm children
- What are the feelings of those who leave the quarantine?
Who suffers the most
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has published some interesting tips on how to deal with the negative emotions caused by COVID-19 .
The stress caused by the new Coronavirus, affects more broadly, people like:
- Elderly and people with chronic diseases, because they are at higher risk of contracting COVID-19;
- Children and adolescents;
- People who are helping to respond to the disease, such as doctors and other health professionals or first responders;
- People with mental health problems, including substance use problems.
In addition to the physical symptoms caused by the new Coronavirus, stressful feelings and emotions such as:
- Fear and concern for your own health and the health of your loved ones;
- Changes in sleep or eating patterns;
- Difficulty sleeping or concentrating;
- Worsening of chronic health problems;
- Greater use of alcohol, tobacco or other drugs.
In general, the recommendation is that people who do psychological treatments do not stop doing them, much less stop taking the drugs, otherwise the situation may get worse.
How to face fear and reduce stress
Taking care of yourself , your friends and your family can help you deal with stress. However, some tips are important for us to get out of this situation:
- Take breakswhen watching, reading or listening to news, including social media. Hearing about the pandemic repeatedly can be disturbing.
- Be careful with your body. Take a deep breath, stretch or meditate. Try to eat healthy and balanced meals, exercise regularly, get plenty of sleep and avoid alcohol and drugs.
- Make time to relax. Try to do other activities that you enjoy.
- Connect with other people. Talk to people you trust about your concerns and how you are feeling.
If the stress does not go away and prevents you from performing common activities, call your doctor for help. Look for reliable information about the new Coronavirus and share only what is really true. Avoid spreading too much news or even talking about it if you are not sure of anything.
How parents can calm children
Most children and adolescents react according to the behavior of adults. So try to deal calmly and confidently about the new Coronavirus, so that they can provide the best support for your children. Not everyone reacts the same way, but some behaviors need to be observed:
- Excessive crying or irritation in young children;
- Returning to behaviors that they have overcome;
- Excessive worry or sadness;
- Unhealthy eating or sleeping habits;
- Irritability and strange behavior in adolescents;
- Poor school performance or school avoidance;
- Difficulty with attention and concentration;
- Avoid activities that they liked to do;
- Unexplained headaches or body aches;
- Use of alcohol, tobacco or other drugs by adolescents.
To deal with these situations, experts recommend that they talk to their children more , talk about Covid-19, try to share real facts with them and preserve them from sensational or false news.
We know how difficult it is for ourselves to maintain calm and tranquility at a time like this, but passing it on to children will only make their situation worse. So try to stay calm while talking about the seriousness of the moment. After all, they also need to be aware of why it is so important to be confined for a period.
To make this task less arduous and cumbersome, look for activities that hold their attention, create schedules with schedules, so they don’t run out of routine. Our body needs a routine, even if many don’t like it.
If you feel overwhelmed or concerned that Covid-19 is affecting your ability to care for your family, ask for help!
What are the feelings of those who leave the quarantine?
One of the measures adopted for those who contracted the new Coronavirus is to be in isolation so as not to transmit the disease to other people. This measure is somewhat drastic, but it helps a lot to stop the spread of this disease. However, at the time the person is released from quarantine, he may demonstrate some feelings such as:
- Contradictory emotions, including relief after quarantine;
- Fear and concern for your own health and the health of your loved ones;
- Stress caused by the experience of monitoring or being monitored by other people for signs and symptoms of Covid-19;
- Sadness, anger or frustration because friends or loved ones have unfounded fears of contracting the disease by contacting you, even if you have been determined not to be contagious;
- Guilt for not being able to perform normal work or parenting tasks during quarantine;
- Other changes in emotional or mental health.
In addition, there has been a lot of people who contracted the virus or even those who are already free of it, go through situations such as discrimination or prejudice . We must avoid this type of behavior, as this makes the individual’s mental health even worse.
Think it could be with you or someone in your family. Do not discriminate against anyone, let alone who is suspected of having Coronavirus. No one is at fault for contracting this type of disease. Let us have more compassion and empathy for each other.
