The situation related to the coronavirus pandemic and its associated restrictions is a psychological problem not only for the people directly affected by the disease, their families and the people responsible for containing and controlling the disease.
The situation affects virtually everyone. The coronavirus has affected such an important foundation necessary for our psychological functioning, such as a sense of security, freedom of movement, social connections, and the satisfaction of daily needs. This situation is virtually unknown to modern man. In addition, it appeared almost overnight. Anything that is unknown, and yet new and rapidly arriving, takes away a sense of security, undermines faith in the known and proven factors that provide a sense of mental resilience, and induces fear.
What are the dangers to all of us in relation to the pandemic?
I have to say, very clearly–what is happening to all of us in this situation is fear. As much as we would like to deny its existence, as much as we might make a good face about a bad game, the problem of anxiety affects us all in one way or another.
Regardless of education, training, training in the field, one’s own psychotherapy, etc. Regardless of financial status, gender, age. One can argue about the degree of psychological resilience to a stressful situation. Of course – some will tolerate better, some worse, but pretend. This is the first and most serious mistake we can make in this situation. There is fear. It applies to various aspects of our lives (some fear for their health and the health of their loved ones, others fear for their economic future, etc.), but none of us will escape it. The situation is likely to change. Some restrictions will disappear or be relaxed, but all indications are that the crisis associated with the emergence of the virus, with the awareness of an invisible but very real threat, will remain with us for a long time.
Concerns about the coronavirus, how to deal with it?
As we know, when a crisis situation drags on, stress and tension increase. Even people who are well prepared for crisis and stressful situations have their own immune threshold and reserves that are inexhaustible. Mental crisis can occur at different times and with different intensity for each of us.
To deal with anxiety, the first step is what I mentioned above-we have to acknowledge that we are experiencing it, that it is there. If we ignore it and pretend that there is no problem, the symptoms (heart palpitations, worsening physical well-being, headaches, other body parts for no particular reason, sleep problems) will not be forgotten. The body and emotions cannot be fooled. At least, to fool it in the long run and without painful consequences – emotional, for health, etc. You can’t.
So admit that you have gloomy thoughts about your health, about your future. Don’t kid yourself that you’re good with them. Share them. Preferably with tried and trusted people – those who have proven to be good support in difficult, crisis situations in the past. First, verbalizing your fears brings psychological relief and relieves tension. Secondly, it allows you to see them with the help of other people in the right light and in the right proportions. By talking about our fears with others, we can see how many of them have no rational basis (or how their rational basis is very slight). If our fears have rational underpinnings (e.g., the job loss that causes our fear may be very real), talking to others, brainstorming, and different perspectives can help correct and prevent an impending disaster. Thanks to others, we can find solutions we don’t see ourselves, find new ideas, activate deeply hidden resources we didn’t even know existed.
In the case of fears and anxieties related to the professional sphere, a good solution may be to consult a specialist in this field. We may need to retrain, upgrade our skills, etc. Tell him or her about your concerns. There is a chance that together we can find a good solution. Let’s take action. Not nervously, feverishly, but let’s act. One of the most important cures for anxiety is action. It gives us a sense of free will, adds energy, and strengthens our faith in our own strength and skills. Inactivity and an excess of poorly managed free time causes anxiety. It’s the perfect soil on which anxiety, depression and a sense of danger thrive.