The New Normal, Cabin Syndrome, Symptoms And Advice
Given the pandemic we are experiencing, social isolation was adopted to a greater or lesser extent as the most effective measure to avoid continuing to infect ourselves.
We stayed locked up at home, as it was our best way to take care of ourselves, but after a long period of time and with very little limitation on going out, We became accustomed to a greater or lesser extent to that “new way of life.”.
They say it takes a person 21 days to acquire a habit; At first, acquiring it requires a lot of physical and mental effort, causing anxiety as one of the most important symptoms. Then, as the days go by, we begin to get used to this new habit.
But… how do we go back? How do we start going out without fear? How do we adapt to the new hygiene and social security measures? How do we acquire it again?
Now we are in Spain in the de-escalation phase; That means that little by little we will begin to go out, with new limitations and customs that we will have to acquire little by little.
Something that I am seeing in many people is that now that we can go out little by little, a situation of fear and fear begins to generate which means that it is difficult for us to leave our house and the confinement that we have been experiencing for two months.
We are talking about the cabin syndrome, which is the fear of going outside, fear of contacting other people, fear of carrying out activities that were previously daily in our lives. We are aware of the real risk involved in exposing ourselves to going out.
That is why it is totally normal that feelings of insecurity and fear may arise, since we perceive our home as the only safe place to be. It has been difficult for us to understand that we should not leave the house, but now that we can do so, it is difficult for us to face this new way of life, since After weeks of confinement our minds have become accustomed to the safety of our home. This is due to a natural consequence of spending so much time at home confined.
Symptoms that we may have if we are going through cabin syndrome
These are the different ways in which this problem manifests itself.
How do I get back to the new normal?
The first thing I advise is make our exits gradual that we ourselves are the ones who regulate what we need and how we do it.
It is important to gradually graduate our contact with the outside world, and see how we feel, what emotions it generates in us. It is essential that we listen to ourselves and reflect on what is happening to us , and that we can express it. I recommend doing it little by little, since that way we will make contact with our life gradually and not suddenly.
It is also important that during the time they let us go out we do something we like, such as enjoying the sun, the smells, and nature. If we like to do sports, gradually connect with it. It is much easier if we concentrate on these small things to be able to have motivation so that the next day we can repeat the outing. Before confinement, we probably didn’t stop to see many things because we always had them.
But now, After the wave of infections due to the pandemic, we should put more emphasis on the little things that we previously took for granted and now we can’t do them.
To alleviate the symptoms of cabin syndrome, you must take into account respecting and following safety protocols. Faced with the fear that going out into the street can generate, Social distancing, use of a mask, hand washing is essential, where everyone together will provide us with more security both individually and in our society.
It is normal to be afraid at these times, but it is also normal to want to overcome it little by little and leave feeling more confident about ourselves and the outside world.
Being able to practice, if possible, relaxation and breathing techniques, will make us feel calmer, and above all connect with our greatest fears to be able to overcome them little by little.
In conclusion
In these weeks ahead of us, I advise being able to evaluate ourselves and pay close attention to how we feel day by day, especially if the feeling of fear continues to exist as the days go by, to be able to consult with a professional about what we are feeling. Many times it happens to us that we do not know how to get out of a situation, and we need psychological help to be able to do it.
We encourage everyone to start being a little more positive, and that together we will be able to get out of this situation. It is normal that it may cost some of us more effort, but that does not mean that we will not achieve it. We do not all have the same times or the same tools, and none of us ever experienced this confinement. It is a totally new situation for everyone.
