The 9 psychological guidelines to face the pandemic
The coronavirus pandemic has taken us out of our comfort zone and placed us in an environment of fear, uncertainty and chaos.
Time passes and the situation becomes more and more complicated, as if it were a nightmare. In some cases the life that we knew until recently falls apart at times and we feel lost, blocked, defenseless ...
Changes don't stop happening and they happen so quickly and unexpectedly that it is difficult for us to adapt to them. Faced with such an uncertain future, we have the desire to return to a past that no longer exists. We want to live in peace, recover our freedoms, customs, hobbies and relationships with others, but the current situation prevents us and we can do nothing to change it.
Therefore, we need to move on, survive this tsunami as well as possible. For it, we can't stop our life until the storm subsides, since we do not know its duration or how things will be at that time.
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Psychological guidelines to know how to face the pandemic and its consequences
It is convenient to be prepared for what may come and for this, we need not only to adapt to living under the storm, but to take advantage of the time that last to have the maximum resources when facing this unknown future as it arrives, to avoid being left behind or by the road.
1. Connect with your emotions
The way of life that we had before this happened, demanded a continuous overexertion and a level of self-demand that caused that, many times, we were so aware of the external that we did not allow ourselves to look inward. This made us live robbed, we let ourselves be carried away by a kind of inertia. Without wondering if that was the life we really wanted. This moment is good to reconnect with your interior, your essence.
2. Recycle
Take advantage of what is happening to do new things, reinvent yourself, study, read... become a new person starting by transforming your habits. Look for new hobbies and concerns, rethink your goals and priorities.
3. Take the opportunity to do what you normally don't have time to do
Many times we complained about not having time to do a lot of things, now you have the opportunity to do everything that you have always wanted, but for which you did not have time.
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4. Adapt your hobbies to the new situation
Although there are more and more restrictions when it comes to doing things, and there are even some that we can no longer do, it is important that we continue to dedicate time to leisure.
5. Take care of your health and emotions, practice mental hygiene
Try to carry out healthy habits, taking care of your diet and sleep, and practice physical exercise. When you talk to other people, try to talk about topics other than the pandemic or COVID-19. Avoid discussing or entering into conflict on political issues with some people, accepting that there is a disagreement and talking about other issues that you do have in common.
6. Maintain the relationship with others, do not isolate yourself
It is true that there is a virus that is transmitted from person to person, so social relationships have become a risk factor. But not having them is too.
7. Detoxify from the news and use critical judgment
The political situation we are experiencing is so unstable and changing that there is no other choice but to be up to date with the new regulations that are being established, but find out just enough, without obsessing over.
8. Stop seeing the other as an enemy
We are all in the same boat and we are all affected by this situation, although in different ways. Make sure that the fight is against the real enemy, that is, the virus, not against the rest of the people who, like you, do what they can to cope with the situation. Instead of keeping an eye on their behaviors and habits, focus more on your inner cultivation.
9. Seek professional help
If you see that the situation is overtaking you and you cannot handle it by yourself, consider the go to therapy in order to develop new resources and tools that help you to face the situation in the best possible way and avoid that it ends up "taking its toll" in the long run.