GUIDELINES FOR PSYCHOLOGICAL CARE DURING QUARANTINE
Provided by
Clinical Unit of
Psychology (UNINPSI) of the Universidad Pontificia Comillas, Madrid, Spain
APPENDIX 1: PSYCHOLOGICAL TIPS FOR SELF-CARE
Throughout the quarantine it is normal to go through
different moments and emotional states: stress, anxiety, loneliness,
frustration, boredom, anger, feelings of fear and hopelessness, etc. These
effects may last or appear even after confinement.
Taking care of your actions, thoughts and feelings will be
of great importance in responding appropriately to periods when your mood may
fail and the feeling of uncertainty or uneasiness grows, if at all.
We offer you a series of recommendations, from a psychological
point of view, in case you find yourself in any of the following three
scenarios: (A) you are in isolation but not affected by the disease; (B) you
belong to the population at risk; (C) you suffer from the disease by infection
of COVID-19. Some of these scenarios have already been discussed in previous
sections of this guide, but they are summarized here.
(A) IF YOU ARE IN ISOLATION, UNAFFECTED BY THE DISEASE, BUT
ARE NEVERTHELESS FEELING ANY OF THE FOLLOWING EMOTIONS - OR OTHERS WE HAVE
NOTED ABOVE - PERSISTENTLY OR WITH HIGH INTENSITY:
- Nervousness, agitation or tension, with feelings of
imminent danger, and/or panic. - You can't stop thinking about anything other
than the illness or worrying about getting sick. - You need to be constantly
seeing or hearing information on this subject and have difficulty in taking an
interest in other issues. - You find it too difficult to concentrate, to carry
out your daily tasks, to do your work properly or you are paralysed by fear. -
You are in a state of alert, continuously analysing your body sensations and
interpreting them -not being pathological signs- as symptoms of illness. - You
find it difficult to control your concern and you persistently ask people
around you about your health, warning them of the serious dangers they are in
given the situation. - You avoid contact with other people too much for fear of
contagion. - You notice an increase in heart rate, rapid breathing, sweating or
trembling without good reason. - You have difficulty in maintaining a restful
sleep. - Your emotional problems get worse or return after they have been
overcome.
THEN WE RECOMMEND THE FOLLOWING:
1. Identify the thoughts that make you uneasy. Constantly
thinking about the disease can cause symptoms to appear or become more
pronounced, which can increase your discomfort. Try to talk about what you like
or are excited about. 2. Recognize your emotions and accept them. If necessary,
express and share your situation with the people closest to you - those who
give you confidence - to find the help and support you need. People who
appreciate you will probably feel better knowing how you feel.
3. Question what you are experiencing and look for evidence
of reality. Know the facts, and trust the information provided by the official
scientific media. Be aware that, from some forums, alarmist images can be
transmitted, and over-information given from a negative perspective, magnifying
the phenomenon and making you perceive greater threat. 4. Avoid information
saturation. Living permanently connected will not make you better informed and,
on the contrary, will increase your sense of risk and nervousness
unnecessarily. 5. Go to official sources and look for proven information from
experts: Ministry of Health, Official College of Physicians, World Health
Organization, other official organizations, etc. 6. Check the information you
share, especially if you use social networks. 7. Don't contribute to the
dissemination of false news and hoaxes. Do not feed your fear or that of
others. 8. Carry out the appropriate hygiene habits recommended by the Health
Department, but remember that this is not the only thing you have to do
throughout the day. 9. Avoid talking about the subject all the time and look
for other areas of conversation. 10. Support the members of your community,
fellow priests, family members, collaborators of the apostolic work to which
you belong, etc. 11. Help those around you to remain calm and to develop
adaptive thinking in each situation. 12. Try to make life as normal as possible
and continue with your usual routines, within the situation in which we find
ourselves. In areas where you cannot keep up, reorganize your schedule. 13.
Beware of behaviours such as rejection, stigma and discrimination. Fear can
cause us to behave impulsively, rejecting or discriminating against certain
people. If you have felt this way in recent days, also try to understand that
some people are even more nervous, and that most likely it was not a direct
attack on you, but the result of their discomfort.
(B) IF YOU BELONG TO THE POPULATION AT RISK:
1. Follow the recommendations and prevention measures as
determined by the health authorities. Trust them. 2. Get informed in a realistic way and follow
the guidelines suggested in previous sections. 3. Do not trivialize your risk
to try to avoid the feeling of fear or apprehension of the disease. Pretending
that nothing is wrong is a natural way for human beings to protect themselves
from what is causing them distress or great concern. But it is healthier to
talk about what you are worried about or afraid of so that you can deal with it
without having to hide it. 4. Don't magnify your actual risk. Be cautious and
prudent without being alarmed, knowing that sometimes we can also exaggerate to
relieve and protect ourselves from what frightens us. 5. Don't take actions
that compromise you, pretending to feel unrealistic invulnerability. Avoid
behaviours that encourage addictive behaviours.
6. Be objective and adopt a global perspective. Think that
many scientists throughout the world are working on the issue and are providing
us with advice to solve this situation in the best possible way.
(C) IF YOU ARE SUFFERING FROM THE ILLNESS:
Follow the recommendations above and, in addition:
1. The more unknown a disease is, the more restlessness it
can generate. However, try to manage your intrusive thoughts: don’t put
yourself in the worst position in advance. 2. Don’t be unnecessarily alarmed.
Be realistic: most people seem to be getting well. 3. When you feel afraid,
rely on the experience you have from similar situations. You may not associate
it now because you have a more serious perception, but it brings to mind how
many difficult illnesses or circumstances you have successfully overcome in
your life.
APPENDIX 2: RELAXATION EXERCISES
Below we propose three types of exercises that can be useful
if you think you need a space for relaxation. There are several variants and
different modalities. Some people find them helpful to help with their emotional
integration. That is why we suggest them. However, each individual finds
benefit in different techniques. If you feel that these do not help or satisfy
you, feel free to find what works best for you.
BREATHING CONTROL
It is not difficult for you to experience some feelings of
anxiety throughout the quarantine. One of your symptoms is shallow breathing.
We offer you a simple technique that you can practice anywhere: breath control.
1. Breathe in through your nose instead of your mouth. 2. Breathe gently and
deeply several times. 3. Notice how your abdomen widens on inhalation and
narrows on exhalation. 4. Take a couple of deep breaths in through your nose
followed by slow, gentle breaths out through your mouth.
DIAPHRAGMATIC BREATHING
This technique needs a little more training and a quiet
place where you can concentrate on it. 1. Get into a comfortable position and
try to relax your muscles. 2. Place one hand on your chest and the other on
your abdomen. 3. Breathe in slowly through your nose, extending it to your hand
on your abdomen. The hand on your chest should remain still. 4. When you get
the air there, hold it for a couple of seconds. 5. Release the air slowly
through your mouth, so that you feel it go dropping the abdomen, and the hand
on the chest remains motionless. 6. Repeat this exercise several times.
VISUALISATION
This exercise combines relaxation techniques with
meditation. 1. Find a comfortable and uninterrupted place. 2. Light up the
space in a soft and pleasant way for you. 3. Play music at a low volume, enough
to be heard but not to disturb or distract you. 4. Close your eyes and
concentrate on your breathing. Feel the air coming in through your nose and
going out through your mouth. 5. Think of a blue sky. Feel the energy the sun
gives you and focus your attention on the feeling these days give you. 6. Enjoy
the view of the sky for a few minutes. 7. Add the sea to your vision. Listen to
the sound of the waves. 8. Flood your brain with the vision and focus on the
feelings it brings up. 9. You will be more and more relaxed. When you do,
visualize yourself, in that landscape, lying on the grass or on the sand of the
beach, with no one around you.
10. Enjoy the feeling of relaxation and peace that floods
you for a few minutes. 11. Visualize yourself getting up in the landscape and
start stretching your muscles of the body, little by little and without opening
the eyes. 12. As you stretch, also become aware again of the music that
surrounds you. And, when you are ready, open your eyes slowly, without
hurrying, in peace.
