How to pass the quarantine? 6 psychological aspects to consider

The situation of confinement at home that we are going through due to the virus pandemic is being difficult for many to cope with.

It is not just that the economy and the ability to make money and save are being negatively affected; In addition, we must take into account the concern we feel for our loved ones or for ourselves, the change in habits that means going out much less, the feeling of having our freedoms very restricted, etc.

Fortunately, the mental health lessons from the science of psychology are still available, and these days are becoming more relevant than ever. Therefore, in this article you will find several tips on how to pass quarantine from simple psychological tricks.

• Related article: "The 7 types of anxiety (characteristics, causes and symptoms)"

How to pass the quarantine before the epidemic?

To better cope with this season of confinement at home during the virus pandemic, take a look at these key ideas and adapt them to your case.

1. Get used to disconnecting

We must not forget that, although we do not notice it, some of the stimuli to which we expose ourselves during the day to day can be contributing so that the psychological problem that persecutes us not only does not go away, but also gains strength with the passage of weather. In the case of quarantine this is even more likely, because

it is easy for each of our days to look a lot like the one before, when just leaving home.

One of these sources of discomfort that may be affecting you if you feel especially bad throughout these days of confinement is to limit your exposure to the news and rumors circulating about the pandemic. In this way, you will be encouraging that you do not spend the day always thinking about the same thing, keeping at bay the obsessive thoughts or even the tendency to hypochondria that can arise in such situations. Read, watch movies, study, start projects, etc.

2. Learn relaxation techniques

How quarantine caused by a pandemic can make us more vulnerable to anxiety and stress, it is important to learn at least some basic tools to enhance our state of Calm down. For it, there are a variety of relaxation exercises that you can learn from home, such as the Body Scan or other Minfulness techniques, inspired by meditation.

• You may be interested: "6 easy relaxation techniques to combat stress"

3. Try to get sunlight

Exposing ourselves to sunlight is important in periods when we rarely go out of the house. This type of exposure has been scientifically proven to help us regulate our emotions better and make us less vulnerable to depressive symptoms.

4. Sleep well

Do not let your day lack structure, because this can lead to little or bad sleep. This is important, because having quality sleep habits protects us in a very significant way against practically all psychological disorders and it also prevents our mental performance from declining, something important at times when we must adapt to new and complex situations (as is the case).

So, set schedules and make a point of following them in a disciplined way to go to bed when I play.

5. Close ties with your loved ones

In this crisis situation, we must not forget that psychological well-being is not something that we live individually, but also arises collectively. Therefore, try to strengthen your emotional ties with others, and be interested in how they are. If you look after the well-being of your loved ones, you will also be looking after yours indirectly. Social distancing doesn't mean you shouldn't be there to help yourself on the things that really matter.

6. Remember that you have the option of online psychotherapy

Sometimes the situation generates such psychological distress that it is necessary to have professional support from the hand of psychotherapists. Fortunately, in a context of pandemic quarantine, there is still the possibility of using the online psychotherapy services that many psychologists offer.

This is not a semi-improvised method of psychotherapy that tries to compensate for the fact of not being able to go to the psychologist's office due to the virus pandemic, Rather, many professionals have been offering it for a long time and over the years it has become a more and more modality. popular. In addition, the effectiveness of online therapy is the same as that of face-to-face therapy, only the medium through which the patient and psychologist communicate changes: the video call.

Do you want to have professional psychological support?

If you think it would be good for you to have the help of psychologists giving you support in real time by video call, you can contact our team of professionals from the Majadahonda Psychologists Center. We will inform you about our online psychotherapy service and we will guide you so that you know how to use it, in a that you can learn to overcome the situation in which you find yourself and better regulate your emotions and your behaviors. To see our contact details, click click here.

Bibliographic references:

• Gratzer, D. and Khalid-Khan, F. (2016). Internet-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy in the treatment of psychiatric illness. CMAJ, 188 (4) pp. 263 - 272.
• Öhman A (2000). "Fear and anxiety: Evolutionary, cognitive, and clinical perspectives". In Lewis M, Haviland-Jones JM (eds.). Handbook of emotions. New York: The Guilford Press. pp. 573 - 593.
• Sylvers, P.; Lilienfeld, S.O.; LaPrairie, J.L. (2011). "Differences between trait fear and trait anxiety: implications for psychopathology". Clinical Psychology Review. 31 (1): 122 - 137.