RECOMMENDATIONS TO REDUCE STRESS AND ANXIETY DURING A QUARANTINE

RECOMMENDATIONS TO REDUCE STRESS AND ANXIETY DURING A QUARANTINE

We know how difficult it can be to stay calm while living in a confinement without an expiration date, spending day after day in isolation can lead to scenes of stress and anxiety that can take its toll on the personal well-being and the environment in which we live.

We are leading a fast pace of life in which there is time to reflect and enjoy the small pleasures of life, we just have to learn to manage and reduce stress and anxiety.

The World Health Organization (WHO) released a list of recommendations made by its Department of Mental Health to help different communities take care of their mental and psychological well-being during the COVID-19 outbreak.

  • Stay connected with your loved ones and try to continue with your daily routines, that is, try to take your work home, you can do it through video conferences and phone calls. In times of stress pay attention to your own needs and feelings.

  • Do activities that you like and that relax you.

  • Try to maintain some kind of routine, even waking up in a constant and reasonable time. It is good for your mood.

  • Make exercise your distraction, sleep in your normal hours and eat as healthy as possible.

  • Limit time to watch and read news to avoid spikes in stress and anxiety. Choose certain times of the day to stay informed about what your community's plans are during this crisis and thus be alert to different changes.

  • Exposure to bright light during the day can improve mood and performance, while dimming the light two to three hours before bed can help you sleep better.

  • Don't just focus on reading about how many people have not survived the Coronavirus. Find ways to also read stories and positive experiences of people who have had the disease and have fully recovered.

  • Be grateful. There are people who day after day are putting their lives at risk by saving ours, honoring those who work in the medical field.

Don't let anxiety and stress derail you from your goal, which is to stay healthy. Do not focus on restrictions and deprivations, let's see it as that time we always wanted to have to do what we love. We need optimism to face the situation calmly and to project ourselves into the future with calm.