Contents
The mental effects of the pandemic: What can we do to stop them?
Positive psychology
The uncertainty and the increase in the use of technology generates stress and anxiety, emotions on the rise since the beginning of the crisis
La pandemic leaves many havoc behind. The way in which we interact, in which we work and in which, in general, we go out to the streets has changed. And all these sudden changes, and their consequent obligation to adapt, has made many people not able to cope well. Therefore, we are in a time when stress and anxiety are on the rise, and at the same time very high use of screens makes us suffer the negative consequences of technologies more than ever.
These negative consequences of technologies is what the psychologist Dafne Cataluña, founder of the Institute of Positive Psychology, highlights, who explains that in many people (especially adolescents and
youth) reaches a point where not only use, or abuse social networks, but they have an addiction. “This makes us focus less on the things we do, that it costs us more to work, or study, and in the end it ends up generating symptoms of anxiety or a depressive state,” he says, adding that it can also have consequences on our self-esteem.
In order to alleviate this, the most important thing, points out the psychologist, is to have enough information. “We know that technology is a great resource for learning, working and even for leisure, but we also have to be aware that, for example, social media is designed to ‘catch’ us and hold our attention a lot of the time.” Dafne Catalunya comments. He recommends then that we must be cautious with the way we use technology. In the case of mobile, it puts as an easy resourcel download an application that shows us how much time we spend each day with it, in order to be aware of the exacerbated use we make.
Four tips for managing emotions
El self-knowledge it is essential to manage our feelings well. This can be worked through various strategies. Dafne Catalonia recommends the following:
— Be aware of how we use technology: Maybe we use it when we are bored, sad or negative … and although it momentarily removes the unpleasant feeling, in the long term it is not an option.
– Enhance the affective balance: find a balance between pleasant and unpleasant. “We must recognize our personal strengths: this will help us strengthen positive emotions,” says the professional.
– One of our priorities must be the promotion of harmony and inner peace: We can do it through yoga, mindfulness or simply by focusing on our breaths. “It is seeing how I feel at that moment, and taking a parenthesis for yourself”, explains Dafne Cataluña.
– Maintain good social connectivity: We are social beings by nature, and physical contact is essential for our development. “We must make an effort to hug, caress more the people with whom we live, and with whom we do not, resort to verbal kindness. When we speak on the phone or by video call with someone, we must take care of the language, use it with affection for others and for ourselves », develops the psychologist.
Stand in front of Christmas
Finally, Dafne Cataluña makes recommendations so that, with the arrival of Christmas, we can better manage the “atypical” of this year. «Our first option will always be to be able to see the people we love. Perhaps this year we cannot all see each other as we have always done, but we can be more flexible, meet other days … “, he says, adding that the important thing is to spend quality time together, even if it is with a safe distance in between. .
«If we turn to technology, because there is no other option, andIt is better to choose a video call, as there are more sensory channels than in a normal call; we must get involved in them, do them with the greatest possible affection and affection, “he concludes.