How to Build Resilience During a Pandemic
Living in a pandemic means not knowing what the next day will bring, and not knowing how and when it will end, and whether our loved ones will survive safely. To overcome a pandemic, it is necessary to develop resilience, that is, the ability to deal psychologically and emotionally with a crisis.
To understand how we can achieve this, we turned to psychologists to learn how to stay resilient in difficult times.
Here are some of their suggestions:
Move towards acceptance
“Cognitive flexibility is the key [phrase],” says Mary Elward , a psychologist who runs a large practice in Maryland and co-author of the Resilience Building Program for Children and Adolescents . “We don’t have to like this situation, but we have to accept it.”
Once we accept the facts of our situation, then we can begin to deal with the reality of what is happening to us and begin to solve the problem. Life has changed dramatically, but there are still actions we can take to remedy the situation, mainly by doing everything in our power to help slow the spread of the virus. We can wash our hands, practice physical distancing, and limit our exposure to protect the people we care about.
“Remind yourself that you are not alone,” says Alvord.
“I encourage people to approach this with a sense of solidarity and recognition that this is a rapidly changing situation,” says Dana Rose Garfin , psychologist who runs the Resilience Research Lab at the University of California, Irvine.
Stay connected with others
“Connect, connect, connect is key,” says Alvord. “People thrive when they have social media.”
We may have to maintain physical distancing, but that doesn’t mean we can’t communicate with friends and family through phone calls, video conferencing, and email. This is why we now call it physical distancing , not social distancing: staying connected is an important part of building the resilience we need to face this crisis.
“You are not alone,” says Alvord.
Avoid “catastrophizing”
“Watch catastrophic thinking when you imagine the worst-case scenario,” Alvord says, suggesting that if you tend to dwell on worst-case scenarios, one strategy to change your thinking is to imagine what you might say to the friend you are struggling with. the same worries.
“There are things in your environment that you control.” says Garfin. Try to control what you can control.
Alvord and Garfin advise limiting your news to authoritative sources, as rampant misinformation is circulating right now, not to mention numerous conspiracy theories, and their assimilation will only worsen your mental health.
“Avoid speculative, unsubstantiated messages,” says Garfin.
“Limit the amount of news,” says Alvord. “We need news, we need to know what’s going on, but we need to tune in to credible sources.”
Get some sleep
Sleep is very difficult considering how worried many of us are. However, good sleep is very important in helping us cope with the situation. Sleep improvement strategies include avoiding anxiety-inducing conversations before bed, including watching the news, avoiding screen time, following a daily routine, finding ways to relax and exercise during the day.
“Sleep is one of the most important ways to regulate mood,” says Alvord. “You need to get some rest before going to bed.”
Maintain an exercise regimen
“Physical activity is very important for regulating mood,” says Alvord, noting that since many of us now work from home, we probably don’t take as many spontaneous interruptions as we might when working in the office, such as getting up. for a coffee or a chat with a colleague. We don’t move as often as we used to, which affects our mood. In order to help us deal with the situation, it is very important to find a way to bring this activity back.
Anything that fits your schedule and your resources that keeps you feeling refreshed and refreshed will help you cope during this time.
And above all:
“Be careful with yourself and others about their survival mechanisms,” Garfin says.