We live in exceptional times. The pandemic has made us face an increasingly challenging and changing scenario. Telework, shifts, domestic care, interpersonal relationships, support for children in homeschool, etc. Everything in a context mediated by confinement and excessive information.
Most of us who are experiencing the pandemic will be able to face these challenges. We all have resources that allow us to face a threatening event. However, some of us will experience psychiatric disorders, distress or increased risky behaviors.
Likewise, the pandemic can also have positive effects on us, for example, it can reveal a purpose and an opportunity for individual and community growth, as well as strengthen our resilience and our ability to recover from adversity.
It is essential to take care of ourselves and be aware of some distress reactions that can occur, such as sleep disorders, decreased perception of safety, irritability, anger, and feelings of isolation. In the face of violent or risky behaviors, such as the consumption of alcohol, tobacco, or medications, and in the face of the appearance of psychiatric disorders such as depression, symptoms of post-traumatic stress or complex grief.
Protective factors
1. Have a sense of immediate security (own and collective)
2. Be and return to calm (neurobiologically improves sleep and decision making)
3. Social support and connecting (nurturing as a relational being)
4. Feeling of self-efficacy (trust your abilities and resources)
5. Hope (in a broad sense)
We can nurture our calm We can nurture our calm system through simple practices that help us pause in the midst of this challenging scenario, as well as offering us a break to cultivate in ourselves the well-being and self-care that can positively impact those around us.
Psiquiatras Online Teem