23 May How to cope with confinement and coexistence?
All our free time during the period of social, preventive and mandatory isolation is spent at home.
The following are some useful tips from our team of psychologists for these days.
Given the situation we are living in, feelings of fear, anxiety and sadness are normal and to be expected. Routines have changed abruptly and we have to adapt to a new way of living together as a family and to new forms of social interaction.
These situations can produce greater anxiety and affect our mood. However, it is up to us to transform them into a reasonable experience that will allow us to get through these days as smoothly as possible.
Some recommendations:
- Avoid excessive information and resort to reliable sources.
- Create a healthy routine (respect sleep hours, follow a balanced diet and be physically active; relaxation and meditation techniques can be implemented).
- Avoid overexposure to conflictive situations.
- Allow space for different emotions. It is important to be connected with what is happening to you.
- Let go of excessive demands (consider real vs. ideal scenarios).
- Create your own space that promotes positive emotions.
- Keep emotional support networks (stay in touch with friends, family and people you trust).
- If necessary, seek help from a healthcare professional by requesting psychological support by phone.
With regard to children:
- It is important to create a routine that organizes them (stay involved in school routines, leave them a space for free play and encourage shared activities).
- Provide them with information that is understandable for each age group and give them answers. It is not helpful to avoid these types of conversations.
- Regardless of what they can learn from the school syllabus, it is a good time to offer them essential tools for life (learning to cooperate, to wait, to develop autonomy, to self-regulate, among others).
Avoid excessive exposure to information (not spending too much time watching television, not witnessing adults watching the news or conversations among themselves).