Schools, institutes and universities close; they send you home to work; you have to act as a teacher for your children; people rampage in supermarkets; the news does not stop proclaiming the advance of the disease … The situation is not the most conducive to being relaxed. So much social alarm can influence your emotional state and lead to alert behaviors that are not very effective on a personal and social level. Still, you should try not to lose control. You must follow the recommendations of the experts to maintain your composure. Otherwise, panic, stress and anxiety will prevent you from going about your daily life and will end up taking a toll on your physical and mental health.
Different specialists offer guidelines to avoid obsessing and assuming any problem from objectivity and calm. These are some of his recommendations for adequate psychological coping:
Keep an optimistic and objective attitude
Experts call for calm. These types of situations cause great uncertainty, but should not be alarmed. You simply have to strictly follow all the indications of the different institutions to avoid more infections. The COPM (Official College of Psychology of Madrid) recommends maintaining an optimistic and objective attitude. How can you get it? Carrying out the hygiene and prevention habits recommended by the health authorities and trying to lead a normal life and modify your daily routines as little as possible.
Be cautious and prudent
This same body recommends not obsessing over COVID-19 or magnifying the situation. Don't put yourself at the worst in advance. To achieve this, try not to constantly talk about the subject or spend the day looking for information on the Internet or in different media about the disease. It is essential to be well informed, but overinformation can backfire, increasing your nervousness and discomfort. Very important: go to official sources and look for information verified by experts: Ministry of Health, Professional Health Associations, Official Bodies, WHO, etc.
Don't lose contact with your friends and family
Limiting social life does not mean isolating yourself socially. Fortunately we have a lot of resources to keep in touch with our people. The telephone, videoconferences and WhatsApp messages will allow us to continue to know each other and support each other if we need it. To avoid feeling lonely, you can organize virtual meetings.
Avoid broadcasting news without contrast
We live in the information age and all the videos and news about the coronavirus that we share can go viral in record time. Contrast each message you receive and do not contribute to spreading hoaxes and false news. You will be feeding fear and increasing the chaos that we are experiencing. You have to be extremely careful at these times.
Beware of rejection and discrimination
The fear can cause us to behave in an impulsive way, rejecting or discriminating against certain people. If you feel like you let go of this type of behavior at some point, stop for a bit, step back, and try to be objective. Criticizing or being afraid of others is not going to help you; on the contrary, it will only increase your discomfort and that of everyone around you.
Try meditation
Practicing mindfulness can help you stay calm in this stressful situation. It won't take you more than 15 minutes a day and it can help you make more rational decisions by focusing on the present moment without getting your thoughts and emotions in the way.
Benjamín Blasco, CEO of the Petit BamBou meditation app, warns that "it is important to stop to be able to analyze the situation and the real risk from the calm, and thus take the appropriate preventive measures in the event of a potential contagion, avoiding exaggerated or wrong measures" .
This professional offers 5 guidelines to reduce fear and anxiety to the coronavirus:
- Regulate breathing.
- Visualize a positive image.
- Focus on an activity that you like and requires attention to do.
- Remember what you are capable of controlling.
- Meditate and think in the present moment.
