Tips To Avoid Falling Into Despair With The Pandemic
Every major crisis produces both a material impact and a psychological impact on the population, and the coronavirus pandemic is no exception.
In this sense, there are many people who notice that the situation is beyond them, and emotional imbalances appear linked to a feeling of despair and anguish.
Of course, feeling anguish and stress in such a context is not a bad thing or necessarily problematic, but rather a natural reaction to what happens when many things we took for granted stop being so. But many times this psychological state becomes part of the problem, because they keep us in a state of hopelessness that paralyzes us and prevents us from finding solutions and applying them. In this article we will see what to do in those cases.
How do problems of despair arise in the face of the pandemic?
The sources of stress and anguish in times of coronavirus are many, but the following stand out:
• Fear of losing your job or income • Fear of contagion • Fear of losing your health or losing loved ones • Uncertainty about the social, political and economic transformation of the country • Discomfort at the mandatory measures applied to avoid contagion • Social isolation
Among all these elements, the fact of not knowing what will happen stands out (since the lack of information on relevant issues associated with crises is usually interpreted from a pessimistic point of view), the stress of having to adapt to a more adverse economic reality, and experiences of fear or loss generated by the effect of the virus itself. These are problems that no one counted on a few months ago, and that force us to “position ourselves” both from our personal and professional lives, making efforts to adapt to a new, very complex reality.
Given the idea that in situations like this, mistakes can be expensive, It is easy for psychological rumination to appear, which is the tendency to think about the same thing over and over again even though it makes us uncomfortable. This phenomenon goes hand in hand with anxiety, which keeps us in an almost constant state of alert even though this does not necessarily make us more efficient in addressing our problems (in fact, it usually has the opposite effect, paralyzing us with indecision).
To do?
The most efficient and effective way to manage negative emotions derived from the COVID-19 crisis is to go to the psychologist, something that is possible even with mobility restrictions thanks to the online therapy format via video call. However, beyond psychotherapy there are also a series of habits and small routines that you can incorporate into your daily life to prevent or mitigate anxiety problems associated with the pandemic. These are the most important ones.
1. Set a schedule and print it
Have a schedule that includes the main blocks of activities for every day of the week It is very important to structure your habits and do good time management..
In addition, it is recommended that you do not limit yourself to having it saved on a computer, but that you print it one or several times so that you can put it in places in your house or in your workplace that are visible. This will act as a reminder of what you need to do and will also help you keep your short and medium-term goals in mind, so you will focus more on them.
2. Establish a separation between work life and private life
Knowing how to clearly define the times and places to dedicate to work and those made up of leisure time and domestic and family responsibilities is essential to maintaining a good emotional balance.
The key idea from the previous section, having a schedule, helps a lot in this, but that is not enough. We must be actively involved in preventing professional dynamics from “infiltrating” the hours of the day that we should be dedicating to anything else. Otherwise, you will be more exposed to obsessive thoughts linked to your work.
3. Practice Mindfulness
Mindfulness exercises help keep anxiety and intrusive thoughts at bay, and they are also very easy to learn. You can incorporate these practices into your daily life both as a break during your work day and before going to sleep.for example, to bring you to calm, goal-oriented states at points in the day when staying in a state of paralysis and looped thinking could bring you more problems.
4. Exercise at moderate intensity to disconnect
Regular exercise sessions will not only help you stay in shape, but at the same time will make you more resistant to anxiety and help you release tension. It is best to schedule at least two aerobic exercise sessions a week, lasting between 40 and 60 minutes.
5. Practice relaxation techniques before going to sleep
These techniques They will help you go to bed having disconnected from possible recurring thoughts that usually lead you to a state of anguish or worry.. For example, you can spend about 5 or 10 minutes on controlled diaphragmatic breathing or Jacobson’s progressive muscle relaxation.
6. Establish preparation rituals for when you go to sleep
It is very important to sleep well and get enough hoursand to do this it is best to adopt habits that do not expose us to the temptation of “a few more minutes” states doing something else when it is time to get into bed and turn off the light.
Therefore, keep in mind that before that part of your day you must have approximately 20 or 30 minutes of preparation in which you will carry out actions whose sole purpose is to allow you to go to sleep with everything done: brush your teeth, change the sheets, turn off the computer, closing the patio door, etc. Of course, it is recommended that these activities not include those associated with your work life, because if not, you will probably start thinking about work at the least appropriate time for it.
7. Keep your agenda up to date
It is important that you write down in your agenda all those tasks that, no matter how small or seemingly banal they may seem, are part of your responsibilities.
From that moment, you will always have clear goals for the next few hours. Keep in mind that thinking above all about what you can and/or should do in the short term will help you avoid falling into the despair of thinking only about the big tasks that must be done in the medium and long term, which can lead to paralyze due to the intimidating power of these responsibilities seen as a whole. You have to try to “break them down” into small elements to go slowly but surely.
Do you want to have professional psychological assistance?
If you are going through bad times and notice that it is difficult for you to maintain a good emotional balance, contact our team of psychotherapy professionals.
In Cribecca Psychology We work serving people of all ages both through psychotherapy for individual patients and through couples therapy and family therapy, as well as neuropsychology. You can get our help at our psychology center located in Seville, or through our online therapy service.
