Tips to take care of mental health

Quarantine is a major challenge for everyone. Do not miss these tips to improve your psychological well-being.

This situation we are experiencing is novel, it challenges our social, economic, health… and psychological resources. In the best of cases, it is “only” an uncomfortable situation and, in others, it can be a real adversity.

Be that as it may, we can always give meaning to our actions, choosing our attitude in the face of adversity. Our attitude, translated into concrete actions, can make the difference between feeling empty and hopeless, or making the best of the moment, improving our psychological well-being and that of those with whom we live.

Here are some tips that will help you make this quarantine more bearable:

• TRUST! Trust in life, in professionals, in people on the street, in your people, or in yourself. Find something or someone you can trust. This will happen and our attitude towards the inevitable makes the difference between having a better or worse time, and that the sacrifice makes sense. There is always an option to make yourself more comfortable within the discomfort.
• KEEP THE TIME PERSPECTIVE. It is advisable to live focused on today. See what day it is every day and structure the day according to whether it is a working day or a holiday.
• NORMALIZE YOUR DAY TO DAY. Make breaks and rituals to change activities and mark the moments of rest. Focus your attention on today. We all wonder how long this will last. It’s best not to take anything for granted, except that at some point, IT WILL BE OVER.
• MAKE EVERY DAY THE BEST POSSIBLE DAY UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES . Every day that passes is one day less. If you can’t help it and you get overwhelmed thinking about what’s left, go with your mind even further and think about when everything returns to normal. How will you remember this in a year? And in 10 years?
• ALWAYS GET INFORMATION FROM RELIABLE AND CREDIBLE SOURCES
• Science is not always exact, scientists are people and they can be wrong, but their margin of error is less than that of anyone who is not an expert, no matter how sure the person who says it seems. Psychology has a name for this: the Dunning-Kruger effect. Search it!
• FIND SOMETHING MEANINGFUL TO YOU. Find something that motivates you to do, something that is important to you or to the people around you. Something that helps you or helps others. There are many people who need help and there is much you can do for yourself.
• TALK TO YOUR PEOPLE AND CONNECT Talk to the people you live with and also to the ones you don’t. You can connect and have a coffee or a few beers at the same time, each one at home, but with a good group conversation. And, above all, connect with yourself, listen to yourself and ASK FOR HELP IF YOU NEED IT

Also… REMEMBER THAT YOU DO THIS OUT OF RESPONSIBILITY . Understanding and remembering that staying at home is an act of responsibility towards yourself and towards others is essential to maintain perspective.