As Aristotle qouted, “Man is by nature a social animal.” He needs society to feel normal and linked.
With Covid-19 taking hold of our day-to-day routines, it is important for people to stay in their homes and avoid going out unnecessarily. But with the extension of three-week lockdown and the future image still being unclear, it has become vital for us to look after our mental health on which severe repercussions can be due to quarantine.
Extroverts, often described as talkative, sociable, friendly and out-going, may find it difficult when they are tucked in a place for too long. While introverts maybe easy going about the social withdrawal, extroverts most probably will be finding it hard to cope- up with it.
According to experts, extroverts need to socialize for recharging and are excellent communicators. Sophia Dembling, author of ‘The Introvert’s Way: Living a Quiet Life in a Noisy World’, explains that extroverts when bounded in an introverted space find it hard to concentrate and lose their motivation. They need interaction and activity in order to feel focused, creative and normal. Some of you might start feeling angry for apparently no reason, it is just because being in the same place for too long is making you feel like you are being clutched in shackles.
Apart from the extroverts even ambiverts and introverts may feel out of place due to the lockdown because of which experts are recommending the use of the term ‘physical distancing’ rather than ‘social distancing’, we can still be connected with each other through the means of communications around us. Apart from this, the lockdown has led to the shutting down off offices and schools. With thousands of people being the breadwinner monthly and the teenagers waiting for their entrance examinations and starting college, it gets definitely hard to not take stress.
People whose mental conditions are already unstable and who find socializing as a way to vent out their feelings of anxiety and stress will be in an even more gigantic predicament. Jud Brewer, a neuroscientist and director of innovations at the Mindfulness Center of Brown University shared with the Forbes that there might be certain people who are not adhering to the rules of Quarantine for which the major reason is unable to accept the new reality. He says, “If we are the ones struggling to accept our new reality, the first steap is to take as much time as we need to ‘reset’ our brains, and cool down emotionally. When we are anxious or panicked, our thinking brains are offline and we can’t think. The first step is to help them get back online, so that we can take in rational information.”
For some, the change in routine might be a little disturbing. People who are emotionally unstable find it difficult to cope up with the alteration around them. And when the changing of lifestyle is to such a large extent, it worsens the scenario. None of us can cease the things going around us, we can only take certain cautions. But every dark cloud has a silver lining, and these bad days too shall too soon.
Before they do, here a few things we can do to keep our mental health steady-
- Stay Connected
In a report of Toronto 2002-2004 SARS virus outbreak, it was found that people were especially uncomfortable because they felt cut off from the rest of the world. Spending time talking to your friends and family and sending snaps of your quarantine days can actually make you feel connected in a way. This is also the time to talk to your family members. Learn things about them which you can’t generally do due to hectic schedules. Take quarantine in a positive way. You are doing it to protect your family and your society. Remember we are all in this together!
- Try not to make assumptions.
During these times, spare everyone of judgment. Coronavirus can affect anyone. People can make mistakes. To err is to human. Don’t judge and throw the weightage of the whole pandemic to a particular person, community or country.
- Follow only Reliable sources for information
With the introduction of whatsapp University, rumors spread like a virus. There were treatments flowing in the Whatsapp even before the announcement of Janta Curfew. Coronavirus was ascertained as something which cannot be treated by some whatsapp messages others unfurled rumors about the lockdown and full closure of even essential services. This created a panic among the mass and people went out in large numbers to hoard the daily needs. Facebook banned the advertisements that were promising the remedy or prevention of Corona. It seems like all the professionals are using whatsapp in times like these, aren’t they?
- Don’t compromise with your sleeping routine.
Psychologists prefer having adequate sleep each night to have a healthy and fresh mind. While only a few of us are a morning person, it is still a fact that sleeping late can result in harmful effects on our brain. Also, Sleeping boosts our immune system. So get enough of the sleep night owls! Also a balanced died is important to remain happy and strengthen your immune system. It has been found that in some pateints the virus exhibit only mild symptoms so if your immune system is strong it would be able to fight more rigorously.
- Binge watch Netflix not news channels please!
Yes, guys it was Netflix you were supposed to binge watch and not news channels. Listening to the same corona coverage daily will wipe out all the other things from your brain. It is better if you watch a movie or show rather than updating yourself every half an hour on corona. Keep yourself informed about the steps to be taken but for the love of your mind peace, don’t binge watch News!
[zombify_post]
