De-escalation: Why There Are Different Behaviors Regarding It

The current situation is unprecedented, so on a psychological level it represents a great challenge. We are facing, in Spain, the so-called de-escalation phase after having carried out a confinement in our homes with the aim of preventing the spread of the coronavirus.

This de-escalation phase implies greater freedom of movement, and, subsequently, being able to meet with family and friends, being able to go to bar terraces, shops, etc. Therefore, a priori, it is a more favorable situation for our mental health.

However, The de-escalation phase is being carried out in various ways that may surprise due to their differences For example, we find people who are afraid to go out, people who break the rules and seem not to be aware of the risks, those who are more responsible and try to follow the instructions, etc.

Why do these differences in attitude arise in de-escalation?

These are the factors that come into play when explaining this phenomenon.

Risk perception

A very important factor is the perception of risk. Human beings tend to think that misfortunes are not going to happen to them; It is a defense mechanism that makes our lives more bearable. Due to this bias, actions are taken such as not complying with health recommendations thinking that we are not going to get infected or that if we do, it will not have consequences.

However, There are people who have a greater perception of risk which can be very positive in situations like the ones we live in, since fear helps us protect ourselves, but if this probability begins to feel like a certainty, the person becomes very anxious and can develop psychological problems such as agoraphobia or fear anxiety. disease.

Therefore, the ideal is to try to keep this bias under control and think that there is a probability of getting infected (and getting infected) even if it is not something certain nor does it mean the worst outcome, and adopt the corresponding security measures

Responsibility

Another key factor is responsibility; who have this characteristic among their personality attributes. In this situation, you can act responsibly, that is, being aware that the consequences of the events are of utmost importance and acting accordingly. On the contrary, if you tend to be irresponsible, you are more likely to act thinking about what the person wants and not about the medium and long-term consequences.

Frustration tolerance

Frustration tolerance is another key when it comes to explaining interindividual differences. This is the characteristic that allows people to adapt to changes and, especially, to what has truncated their plans your wishes…

If the person has adequate frustration tolerance, it is more likely that they have adapted better to the current situation and can carry out behaviors with limitations.

Acceptance of standards

Closely linked to all this, we have the acceptance of standards. There are people who adequately tolerate having rules or limitations imposed on them, generally, because they have had to abide by them in various situations throughout their lives. For people who have followed guidelines, it is easier to maintain the measures that are being established in the de-escalation phase.

Degree of individualism

One aspect to highlight is If the person is governed more by individualism or by a vision of social good There are differences between people who behave thinking about themselves, for example, “nothing happens if I go out without a mask, it’s just a person”, or those who think about their role as a whole, for example, “if I go out without mask, another person can do the same and no one would comply with the recommendation.”

Social awareness is very important in the sense of no longer only worrying about our well-being and not getting sick, but also knowing that each individual action has an impact on society as a whole and even if we do not get sick, we can be the transmitters.

Patience

Another notable point is being aware that every action counts There are people who think, “For once I do…”, “for a person I visit…”, “for a while I sit in the park…” and it may be true that for that simple gesture it does not represent a high risk, but we must keep in mind that if all people took that attitude of minimizing the risks and consequences of our actions, the probabilities of infections increasing would increase enormously.

Conclusion

With all these aspects that we have mentioned, what we intend is to convey a balance in terms of how we manage this new situation. We must be aware of the danger to which we expose ourselves in the face of this new pandemic that has devastated us, but that does not mean that we have to act exclusively out of fear. If we are aware, take security measures and respect current regulations, we do not have to stop carrying out permitted activities.

If you feel that going outside is causing you anxiety, fear or anger when you see that not everyone complies with the rules, we recommend that you request professional help. At Mariva Psychologists, we will be happy to help you.