We are now some weeks into the lockdown in the U.A.E and many people have been self-isolating, quarantining, or social distancing for much longer than this. The internet, media and social media are all full of information about the current pandemic, some helpful and some not so helpful. This blog gives some quick reference coping tips divided into cognitive (thinking), emotional and behavioural categories.
Cognitive
- Balanced thinking – this means acknowledging the negative things that are happening around the world due to this pandemic but also trying to find and focus on some positive aspects. Some positive news articles recently have included the wildlife returning to the clean waters in the city of Venice, the tireless working of hospital staff and the recognition around the world given by balcony clapping, and the reduced pollution rates globally.
- Challenging thinking – the way we think about aspects of our self-isolation can have a major impact on our response to it. Some examples of negative thinking
may be ‘I am so bored/there is nothing to do’, ‘I have the kids all day’, ‘Its so lonely’, ‘I’ll never get through this’ ‘I can’t cope with the isolation’. Instead, we might try to think, ‘I have so much time and I can now do things I have always meant to do’, ‘I have a unique opportunity to spend all this time with the kids (even though it might be tough at times)’, ‘I can get used to a new way of communicating, there are so many resources available to me to talk to friends and family’, ‘We are all in this together’, ‘I have gotten through tough times in the past I can get through this too’, ‘I have a range of coping skills I can start to use and refine’.
Emotional
- 3 simple steps to emotion regulation – balanced eating, regular exercise, getting enough sleep.
- Mindfulness of emotions – we are all going to experience a range of negative emotions during this difficult time, it is important to recognise that all emotions will pass. Have you ever had an emotion that didn’t go away? Focus on the emotion just how it is in that moment, perhaps you can describe how the emotion feels in your body. Don’t forget to practice mindfulness of positive emotions as well.
- Talk to others about how you are feeling and how they are feeling, this can help us understand and share our emotional experiences and allow us to feel less isolated.
Behavioural
- Acting on your
challenged thoughts – making a list of helpful things you can do/things you have always meant to do and doing them. - Engaging in pleasant activities – make a list of pleasant activities you can do and ensure to do one each day.
- Mastery – find some activities that are challenging but not too difficult that you can improve on each day, this helps build confidence and self-esteem. Equally, don’t feel the need to pressure yourself to take on too much. Feeling pressured to get super fit or learn a new language isn’t helpful either. The important thing is to strike a balance between bringing a sense of mastery (e.g. trying a new recipe) into every day without feeling overwhelmed.
- Follow a schedule – even though you might be at home, timings still help build routine and structure into our day. When we feel helpless, a particular stress reaction occurs within the brain in response. To protect ourselves from the trauma often associated with feelings of helplessness, the single most important and easy to implement
strategy is to have a structure and routine. Don’t underestimate this simple approach.
Dr. Rebecca Ferguson, Forensic Psychologist, Vivamus.