Anxiety and psychological distress
Anxiety and psychological distress-With the fight against the Coronavirus, there are many challenges: concern about health, anxiety about older relatives, facing isolation and social distancing, emotional confrontations with children, and anxiety about the future economically. Take care of yourself so that you can cope with anxiety and stress and provide the necessary support for your children.
Dealing with crisis situations
It is natural to feel anxious after the Corona crisis. In addition to the practical requirements of caring for children and ensuring that the Ministry of Health guidelines are implemented, you face emotional challenges and tensions resulting from both health and economic uncertainty. Because of social distancing, you cannot depend on the resources and supports that you are used to.
Your routine and the routine of your children are completely disrupted, and while you are experiencing more tension and stress than usual, you have to do more than you normally do. You may feel overwhelmed, and you may experience some common symptoms of anxiety that hinder your daily tasks. These symptoms may include restless worries, restlessness, restlessness or interrupted sleep, difficulty concentrating, or a rapid pulse.
In order for you to be able to help your children feel safe and maintain a healthy routine even during a period of crisis, you must take care of your physical and emotional well-being. It is important to make sure that you meet your needs.
Here are a few steps that can help you feel calm and cope successfully with this critical period:
Do not stay alone
Tell someone your feelings – a partner, a relative, or a good friend. Maintain your social relationships. Use video chatting or social media to cultivate relationships and make you feel part of a community. Join online groups on crisis coping, and share your experiences with other parents who are facing similar challenges.
Safeguard your relationship with your marriage partner
An emotional confrontation with constant stay at home and with children can increase tensions in parenting and marital life. Try to schedule regular times to have a conversation between the two of you to discuss frustrations and differences of opinion, and together think about solutions. Find ways to support one another, and make your expectations reasonable. Make time to have fun together – listen to music you like, play together, or watch a movie while the children are asleep. Expressing understanding and forgiveness, along with open and positive communication, helps you to face changes and maintain the relationship between the two of you, thus increasing the strength of the family.
Physical activity
Movement and physical activity can help you maintain your physical and mental health. Try to include 30 minutes in your schedule every day for an activity you love. You can also encourage children to join you and turn physical activity into a shared quality time. Use videos or online exercises to get ideas for a fun physical activity you can do at home.
Positive outlook
It’s easy to get caught up in negative thinking that increases stress and anxiety. But positive thinking can help you navigate the ups and downs of the critical period. Give up on the little things and save energy for the bigger and more important things. Be proud of your little successes during the day, for example: “I am happy that I taught the children how to take part in arranging the table.” Try the following: Take a few minutes each evening to write down 3 things you worked well on during the day. Next to each thing, write what you did to succeed. Review the list at the end of each week. You may be surprised at what you have accomplished …
Breathing exercises
When you feel your anxiety is increasing and your pulse is speeding up, try the following relaxation technique to calm down. You can do the exercise lying down, sitting, or standing. The important thing is that you are comfortable.
They closed their eyes.
Inhale through the nose and count to 4.
Try to stop breathing for 7 seconds.
Exhale slowly through the mouth for 8 seconds.
Repeat the breathing cycle (4-7-8) three more times.
Another possibility is closing the eyes and identifying sites of tension and discomfort in the body. When you inhale slowly, try to direct the air into the zone of tension, supply it with oxygen, and breathe life and movement into it.
Muscle relaxation
Try to set aside free time so that you can set aside 20 uninterrupted minutes for the next exercise. Find a quiet and secluded place in the home, take off your shoes, and sit or lie down comfortably. During the exercise, try to pay attention to different areas of your body and focus attention on bodily feelings. Start from the bottom up, contract each member for 5 seconds, then relax for 10 seconds. Inhale slowly as you contract, and exhale as you relax.
Well, trim and release the toes.
Point the feet down and as far as possible squeeze the back leg, then relax.
Forcefully contract and release the hip muscles.
Well, trim and release the bottom.
Shrink the palms of the hands and release them.
Tightly tape the arms to your body, so that you shrink the upper part, then relax.
Raise the shoulders as high as you can, then relax.
Open your mouth hard, and relax.
Get the tongue out as far as possible, and relax.
Close the mouth with a force so that the muscles of the jaw and cheeks contract, then relax.
Close the eyes as tightly as possible, then relax.
Raise the eyebrows as high as you can, then relax.
Take a deep breath: Breathe in until the lungs are full, hold in for 5 seconds, then release slowly.
