It’s a difficult time for sure, unprecedented to be precise. It’s affected children, youngsters, adults & old people. The invisible enemy, COVID virus does not differentiate between rich or poor, old or young, educated or uneducated. It has turned the world upside down. People are asked to reduce social interaction which has been an integral part of their life. Children are asked to study using laptops, tablets & mobiles which were taboo in the past as opposed to reduced screen time in the past. The added burden of layoffs, Salary cuts, work from home has added oil to the fire.
What can you do to Remain positive in these uncertain times?
1. Have undisturbed sleep of 6-8 hrs daily at the same time.
2. Have a healthy nutritious diet with some kind of physical activity daily.
3. Avoid excessive blind following of news & social media messages.
4. Do physical distancing but maintain social contact via phone, messages, video calls, etc.
5. Spend quality time with family & engage in group activities,
6. Read a book, watch a movie online, or do any activity indoors which gives you happiness.
7. When tensed visualize an incident that gave you joy.
8. When stressed think about your signature strengths & qualities which helped you tide over the past crisis.
9. Avoid alcohol, smoking & drugs to reduce tension & anxiety.
10. If things go out of hand and you are not able to solve it on your own there is nothing to be ashamed to seek the help of a qualified mental health professional like a psychiatrist
Parenting tips:
Reassure children that it’s a passing phase.
Explain to them that physical distancing is necessary to stop the spread of the virus and that it’s our responsibility to maintain hand hygiene and not go out unnecessarily.
Help them verbalize their fears; give them age-appropriate information to negate myths.
Stay in touch with family and friends over the phone. Stick to a sleep schedule.
Limit news —continuous intake of news about the virus can worsen your child’s anxiety. Parents need to guard their emotional responses in front of children so as to not increase their anxiety.
