The measures to limit the spread of coronavirus are undermining our mental health. We struggle to cope with social isolation and restrictions. We feel anxiety and fear. What can we do?
"The first sign of a well-balanced mind, I think, is the ability to find a fixed point and remain in one's own company." So wrote the Latin philosopher Seneca around two thousand years ago in a letter to his friend Lucilius while, in a state of enforced idleness, he tried to occupy his time wisely. True, Seneca was not trying to avoid infection from coronavirus, but only the emperor Nero, who wanted him dead. So perhaps the sense of fear and isolation he must have felt is less acute than what we are experiencing today.
Listen to "07. Coronavirus, quando una pandemia apre il decennio più importante per il clima" on Spreaker.
Keeping our minds in balance during quarantine is difficult. Many of us experience states of anxiety and panic as we watch news bulletins reporting on Covid-19 infections. We suffer because we cannot leave the house except to go shopping, and even then never without a mask and hand sanitiser, carefully avoiding all human contact. We feel sadness, especially if we are forced to spend this period of isolation in complete solitude.
So how can we protect our mental health at this juncture?
We asked Valeria Locati, psychologist and psychotherapist and author of the blog Una psicologa in città, for some practical advice. Since the emergency began, Valeria has been sharing ideas and tips for patients and followers on her Instagram profile too, hoping to offer comfort to the many people who feel destabilised by this sudden health crisis.
"We feel as though we must overcome fear at all costs, but I think it is entirely legitimate to feel worried. However, to avoid spending our entire days in the grip of anxiety, we can put a few strategies into practice. I recommend identifying reliable and trustworthy sources and rationing how much news we read. For example, you could decide to check the news a couple of times a day, in the morning and in the evening, avoiding compulsively reading data and statistics about the spread of infection."
"We haven't changed over these weeks: what has changed is the context, what we do, and our mood. But we haven't lost our inner resources — we need to recover them," Locati continues. What perhaps seems most difficult during this quarantine is remembering how we used to manage the small but significant daily challenges we faced before the virus. "What worked for dealing with anxiety or sadness? Phoning a friend? Re-reading an old book? Watching a film again? Listening to music? Practising yoga? These are strategies we can activate right now to feel better." In short, we need to find ways to pamper ourselves, to be kind to ourselves, and to stay in our comfort zone by rediscovering pastimes we love.
For those who feel uncomfortable having to wear a mask, or maintaining a safe distance at the supermarket, the psychologist reminds us that "The imposed rule is a framework within which to protect ourselves, but also an opportunity to act." People tend to behave passively towards the spread of infection, thinking there is nothing they can do. Instead, "Consciously choosing isolation, not going out, respecting the rules of the decreto Cura Italia is the first step towards behaving actively, doing good for everyone. This is a shift in perspective that may be hard to grasp when you are feeling unwell, but it is useful for making us feel that we have power over our own lives."
And what about parents? How can they manage the anxiety and restlessness of children who are stuck at home and unable to go and play in the park or go for a walk? "If we adults are clear and honest, children follow our lead — they are capable of great adaptability. We can tell them a tailor-made story featuring coronavirus itself as the main character. We can draw it and explain to them that everyone, in order to protect themselves from this character and to stay well, must carry out specific actions, such as not going out or washing their hands frequently. Actions that can become rituals to carry out together, to reassure them."
This difficult moment, just as it began, will sooner or later come to an end. Marked deeply by the experience, when the emergency is over we will have changed and become a little more aware of our role and our responsibilities towards the Planet. And perhaps we will also find ourselves a little closer to those ancient wise men, capable of drawing strength, at least from time to time, from nothing more than their own company.
