The Corona Virus pandemic is leading us to experience many changes not only in our behavior to combat it, but also in our emotional aspect. Therefore, it is possible that we experience sadness, as well as feelings of emptiness when we feel “isolated” because we are unable to go out and move freely.
Before the beginning of the cycle, the following guidelines you must take into account in order to establish healthy habits:
- Acknowledge and accept the unpleasant state or emotion that you are experiencing: only by feeling it will you be able to channel it.
- Remember that it is normal for isolation to generate stress, anxiety, loneliness, frustration, boredom, and anger, along with feelings of fear and hopelessness.
- To prevent fear from invading you, do not anticipate “what may happen.” Focus your thoughts on the present: live the here and now.
- Talk and share with your family environment about what distresses you as something natural. Validating what we feel and taking it out makes others help us, understand and comfort us.
- Keep in mind that you are facing a change in your lifestyle and that it is a great opportunity to adapt by fighting boredom and demotivation.
- Don’t resist change; on the contrary, advance with it.
- Establish a daily routine and organize your time in a way that reigns responsibility and tranquility. Some may take minutes, others a few hours and other days, but the important thing is to establish the routine and stick with it.
- Keep in mind that you are starting a new academic cycle. This thought will allow you to feel more productive as long as you maintain good motivation.
- Face fear and uncertainty by adopting changes in the way you learn and study your subjects from home.
- Consider that studying at home will save you time: you will no longer use it for transport and you will not have to get up so early, so you will have more free time for you and your family.
- Free time is an opportunity to encourage creativity, reflect and develop our skills, such as reading, writing, learning a language, playing an instrument, painting, drawing, watching movies … You have many options.
- Find a way to share positive stories and experiences with your friends as well. You can stay in touch with them through social media, video conferencing, and phone calls.
- In times of stress, pay attention to your own needs and feelings. To relax, do activities that you enjoy.
- Get some type of physical activity or exercise regularly. Also rest, eat healthy without skipping meals, and sleep on your regular schedule.
- It is also important to look for “corners” of the house for those moments and situations in which we need to be alone, have a moment to breathe, establish our space and connect with ourselves.
- The key is to adapt well to changes.
- Learn to be patient with yourself: in the beginning, do not demand or pretend to perform in the same way you were used to. Remember that it is a process that requires discipline, as well as recognizing that you are doing your best.
- Organize your time to know when to read the latest information from the news about the coronavirus so that it does not cause you stress or anxiety, and avoid overinformation that generates these feelings.
Remember that this isolation allows us to be participating actors, since we are actively collaborating to stop the spread of the disease. Staying at home now will make everything end in less time and you are helping the good development of this crisis.