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Psychological consequences of confinement in the face of COVID-19

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The first measure adopted by all the governments of the world as a result of the health alert by the expansion of the coronavirus has been to decree the confinement of people in their homes to stop contagion massive. But human beings are social beings, that is, we need contact with others for our survival.

So, Quarantine is an unpleasant experience for us because it is a mandatory social isolation that implies breaking with our day to day, our routines, our leisure, our relationships with friends, partner, family, our loss of freedom, the appearance of boredom, etc.

Suddenly, our life has come to a standstill and we have to temporarily adapt to a new unimaginable situation and to all the possible consequences generated by this: the loss of work, the reduction of monthly income or managing the fact of living 24 hours with our partner, children, relatives or colleagues flat.

Indeed, this situation has a powerful psychological burden on us that can lead us to feel great anguish and sadness. For this reason, certain emotional changes will be present in us while the confinement lasts, although it does not have to be always.

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Psychological consequences of confinement

It is possible that at certain times our mood remains stable, bordering on normality, but the longer the confinement lengthens, More unpleasant emotional disorders may appear such as sadness, loneliness, frustration, boredom, nervousness, fear or anger, but also irritability, uncertainty, anguish, worry, stress, depressive symptoms and / or sleep problems, among others.

At the very least, anxiety, fear and apathy can be the main protagonists of our state of mind in these days of confinement. These emotions are the consequence of uncertainty. Above all, due to ignorance.

Indeed, if there is something that generates this situation, it is uncertainty. We need to know what is going to happen next so that we can anticipate what is going to happen. Human beings constantly try to control everything around us. But this, as we well know, is sometimes not possible.

Thus, that failed attempt to control will generate more anxiety. This will determine that we feel that there is nothing we can do, just wait. This situation can lead to frustration. This uncertainty can lead us to constantly search for information, feeling these days one about information. Catastrophic and anticipatory thoughts can appear in the same way, putting us in the worst and most unlikely scenarios, which will cause us great discomfort.

As the days go by, these emotions can vary and even become more intense, but even so, we must be aware that all these emotions that we can feel are normal reactions to this exceptional situation that we are having to live, and for that reason, it is important to identify them, but not feed them or let ourselves be carried away by them.

Most experts agree in pointing out a series of negative psychological effects associated with quarantines, such as post-traumatic stress or irritability. These psychological effects can still be detected months or years later. Therefore, they suggest that authorities need to ensure that effective mitigation measures are implemented as part of the quarantine planning process.

The inactivity of these days, if you have not decided to do some type of exercise, can also lead to inappropriate eating behaviors, both in children and adults and, therefore, appearance of obesity, or at least a few extra kilos.

The most vulnerable groups

Psychological disorders also have a special impact on health workers, as they are one of the sectors of the population most exposed to the virus. Healthcare workers can experience more severe symptoms of PTSD than members of the general public. They may also experience emotions related to frustration, guilt, helplessness, loneliness, and sadness.

Another important risk group is that of citizens highly affected by the economic repercussions of the confinement, due to loss of employment and the inability to meet expenses such as a mortgage, rent or invoices. This financial loss creates serious socio-economic distress, and it is a risk factor for developing symptoms of mental and anxiety disorders even several months after quarantine.

Boys and girls should be highlighted among the groups most affected, since they may theoretically be more vulnerable to psychological disorders due to quarantine. The tense wait to go out is a longing that turns into a physical and emotional need for everyone, but especially for the little ones who wait confined to their homes. Although it is true that since April 27 they have been able to go out for a walk, which is very positive.

This does not mean that they do not have at times episodes of sadness, sensitivity, increased anxiety or greater irritability. What's more, it would be normal for greater disobedience or rebellion to appear before the norms imposed by the parents when doing homework or with schedules, for example.

Prolonged confinement and social isolation can also have more serious psychological consequences for children and adolescents. This stage of compulsory lack of freedom may be the antecedent of anxiety and mood disorders that would begin manifesting with regressions to previous stages of development, such as re-wetting the bed or fear of getting sick, outbursts of aggression or difficulties in reconciling dream. And this in children whose previous functioning was adequate.

Even so, having said all the above, a situation in which there is no room for movement, such as a curfew or a state of exception, is not the same. than the one that is currently being lived, since there are certain routines of daily life, such as going to do the basic shopping or to work as the case may be, which are followed doing. This somewhat limits the feeling of being overwhelmed and confined.

On the other hand, confinement will be more harmful to children from disadvantaged families, due to the simple fact that the slums make daily activity more difficult and, therefore, the coexistence.

What to do to minimize the effects of confinement?

Confinement, oddly enough, too generates a positive and calming effect that can alleviate these other negative effects. This positive effect is generated when it is thought that the quarantine is temporary and that by staying at home we are contributing to control the crisis and prevent the death of people, in addition to having a seemingly safe place like ours home. Feeling useful, even passively, helps us psychologically.

We live in a world of constant bustle, in a society of constant rush, demands and obligations. But confinement due to the coronavirus has allowed us to take a mandatory break.

We were installed in a comfortably happy world, in general, and now we see that we are vulnerable and fragile. This is beyond us from an emotional, health and social point of view. But for our sake we must be able to learn from this situation and cope with it using key instruments that we all have at hand: affection for our most important relationships and the meaning of life as essential priorities to be happy and share it.

Now, in these moments and more than ever, our house is not only our home, but it is our place of work, leisure, sports and rest. But far from seeing it as a negative thing, we can turn it around and use it to our advantage.

Since the quarantine began, psychologists have been continually releasing positive advice and strategies to use to manage confinement. The priority and essential is that do not let the days go by arbitrarily, because that way you can greatly enhance and increase the feeling of internal chaos.

The first proposal they put forward is to face this confinement situation by creating daily routines. That is, they would be routines such as setting schedules, not neglecting hygiene habits (neither personal nor at home), not being all day in pajamas, organize household chores as a family, take care of food and do some physical activity.

This routine is especially important for families with children. You have to keep your waking hours, meals, cleaning, homework and family leisure activities.

Children must be made to understand that confinement is not a punishment but an emergency. Explain to them, to make sense of this lack of freedom, that this is being done for the common good, that it is beneficial for all. But also that positive things can be derived from this, such as being together or having more time to play and talk.

In addition to routines, psychologists emphasize that it is also convenient to establish leisure activities individual or shared such as reading, board games, painting, sewing or crafts, depending on the tastes of each person.

Coexistence

Another aspect that can be positive and very useful is use the possibilities offered by new technologies. We can use these to keep in touch with family and / or friends through phone calls, video calls, voice messages or WhatsApp. For many people, especially those who live alone, telecommunications will be the best therapy.

On the other hand, we can also take advantage of new technologies to carry out virtual activities that offer us a multitude of institutions, companies and spaces such as visits to museums, access to theater, concerts, films, series, exhibitions etc. Quite a great opportunity.

However, we must not neglect the best coexistence with the people around us. For this, it may be important to establish clear rules for the proper functioning of the house and the spaces. Nor should we neglect to also have time for ourselves. As in most occasions it is difficult for us to spend time with family or people with whom we live, the Confinement can provide an excellent time to get closer, bond more, and take an interest in the things of the others.

We can take advantage of these moments to dedicate some time to doing all those things that we always leave pending due to lack of time, but that we have ever wanted to do. Not only that, it can be a great opportunity to use creativity or even open up to options other than the usual ones to be used in the future or for personal satisfaction.

Sharing household chores among all members of the family, or those who are living together at the time of confinement, is also beneficial. It can relax tension and be distracting. In the case, for example, that we are caring for young children, it is important to take turns in this care and generate individual “moments” for oneself.

If possible, it is preferable to use different rooms for each activity that we carry out each day, both individually and as a couple or group. Thus, the room in which we work or study should be different from the room we use for rest or in which we have leisure time. It is important that there is a physical difference for each activity because this will allow us to better disconnect at each moment from the activity that we have just carried out from which we want to start.

Nevertheless, We should not be too demanding of ourselves because it might be counterproductive. That is, it is very important to consider routines and activities, but that these are simple, pleasurable (in most cases) and that have continuity, that is, to propose a task to be able to fulfill it. For example, read a chapter of a book every day or do a simple table of exercises. If we manage to achieve our goals, we will feel more secure and calm.

However, there is no doubt, living together for so many hours a day and for so many days in a row can also be a double-edged sword and a source of complicated situations. There are frictions and fights both with the partner and with the children and many times having to telework at the same time.

Recommended habits

What psychologists in no way recommend us during this period of confinement is overinformation regarding the coronavirus pandemic. This excess of information through its different channels (television, radio, internet, chats, WhatsApp, etc.) can generate negative consequences on our state of physical and emotional health.

This overinformation can lead us to a state of permanent alertness, stress, anguish, anxiety or worry, since this consumption leads us to carry out continuous and different checks on the media and look for constant updates of new information.

On the other hand, this desire to be informed and inform can also lead us to consume and spread hoaxes that benefit no one. In the same way, this excess of data can lead us to carry out constant checks about our physical health (taking our temperature continuously, for example).

These checks increase our anxiety levels, appearing in us different symptoms that can be confused with the symptoms caused by COVID-19, thus generating certain hypochondria, understood as a certain irrational fear and concern to suffer the contagion.

Another advice that psychologists give us about confinement and the pandemic is to try to avoid catastrophic thoughts as much as possible, trying to always stay in the present and taking care of what is happening day by day without anticipating what may happen tomorrow because that promotes anxiety.

In this sense, it can help us and come in handy to find a time each day to do a little meditation, yoga, Mindfulness or relaxation strategies, because that will help us to place ourselves in the present and calm down.

Probably, by following all these guidelines and advice, we will be able to get rid of those feelings of sadness, anxiety, fear of difficulties falling asleep to which confinement has led us to COVID-19.

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