Protect the Green Code of the Soul | What should we do in the face of epidemic pressure?

Editor's note: Under the new epidemic situation, the positive rate of people around has increased rapidly. Do you or your people have "positive phobia"? Some people worry about themselves or their relatives and friends being infected with the new coronavirus every day; they are afraid of contact with people, afraid of going to public places, and worried about being infected with the new coronavirus; they are worried about their physical health problems or even death after infection; they suspect that they have been infected with the new coronavirus as soon as they feel unwell; or people who have been infected with the new coronavirus will worry that they will suffer irreversible damage to their bodies due to the disease, fever and burn their brains, etc.; they will also have thoughts such as "everyone is a carrier" and "dare not go out, let alone go to the hospital". These thoughts and behaviors may push anxiety into panic, leading to a series of blind conformity behaviors, such as: excessive use of disinfectants, excessive smoking and drinking, and panic buying and hoarding of masks, antipyretic slices, Chinese patent medicines, and convenience foods. These behaviors and thoughts seriously affect normal social life and work.

1

Causes of anxiety and fear:

01

Fear caused by the unknown epidemic

In psychology, there is a famous "black box effect", which means that people tend to magnify risks and think the worst of unknown information. The average person has limited knowledge of the epidemic and tends to pay attention to some exaggerated, wrong, and ambiguous information, which eventually causes a fear reaction; at the same time, people's fear emotions will infect each other in daily communication and continue to expand. This requires the authorities to explain the relevant information of the new crown epidemic in an open and transparent manner, but if people do not believe or even doubt the published information, and believe in rumors, they will naturally begin to panic and be at a loss. Therefore, it is absolutely necessary for the authorities, the media, etc. to release accurate and reliable information in a timely manner.

02

Anxiety caused by worrying about the disease itself

As a contagious disease, COVID-19 itself can cause fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and other symptoms after infection. Some people with underlying diseases may even die in severe cases. It is normal for people to show anxiety, uneasiness, panic and other emotions in the face of the disease. The new coronavirus has evolved from the first generation of highly pathogenic, easily contagious, and relatively high mortality rate viruses to the current highly contagious and low pathogenic Omicron. The current COVID-19 severe mortality rate is very low, but due to the serious information about the epidemic in the past three years, people always receive the earliest negative information about the new coronavirus, and are still worried about being spread and getting sick, and their fear and anxiety have increased. When people feel very scared, they will experience a faster heartbeat (palpitation), shortness of breath, cold hands and feet, muscle tension, sweating all over the body, and gastrointestinal discomfort. These reactions are normal. They are the body's preparations to help us deal with threats in a state of stress, such as "fighting" or escape.

03

Fear caused by surrounding conditions

Under the new epidemic situation, the number of people around them who are testing positive is increasing day by day, and they are afraid that they will get positive sooner or later. At the same time, they are also worried about the risk of family members or friends being infected with the new coronavirus. When colleagues and friends around them are diagnosed with the new coronavirus one by one, and have symptoms such as fever and body pain, they are under such environmental pressure for a long time, and feel that they cannot be prevented. They are afraid that they will be the next infected person, which causes anxiety. In addition, due to the impact on the economy, many people are facing economic pressures such as unemployment, mortgages, and car loans. In this psychological state, they feel anxious and fearful.

04

Isolation at home

Isolation means being locked up at home or in a hotel. You may be isolated with your family or without companions. Once you cannot go downstairs or go out, life is generally very monotonous. Isolation can also have a psychological impact on people. An extreme example is that being locked up in a small dark room can lead to psychological breakdown. People need sensory stimulation and interaction with the world. When they are locked up in a closed world with nothing, they feel deprived and are prone to psychological breakdown. Being in a state of lockdown or self-isolation at home has led to a significant increase in the incidence of anxiety.

2

How to deal with it

1. As individuals, we must treat the epidemic rationally and take the initiative to learn to obtain necessary information from authoritative channels, rather than constantly refreshing the screen to learn about various rumors.

2. Take the initiative to prepare yourself mentally for the COVID-19, get vaccinated, fully understand the knowledge of prevention and treatment, do a good job of personal prevention and control, and you will not panic when facing problems. At the same time, you should use the Internet in moderation, be alert to the overload of epidemic information, and try to control the time of receiving information within 1 hour every day to avoid falling into the vicious cycle of "the more you pay attention, the more nervous you are, and the more nervous you are, the more you pay attention." Do not blame, do not complain, and do not spread negative information.

3. Maintain a positive and optimistic attitude and learn how to manage your emotions. Learn how to relieve, guide and calm your anxiety, such as relaxation training, timely venting negative emotions, and actively increase communication with family and friends. When you talk to your family and friends about the current COVID-19 pandemic, you can encourage each other and help each other distinguish between real dangers and fears caused by personal imagination through mutual communication.

4. Maintain a good lifestyle and eating habits, and go to bed early and get up early. Because irregular meals and sleep will quickly increase anxiety.

Write down your worries, prioritize them, and make a practical plan to accomplish them one by one. Try to maintain your usual routine, but be aware that this is a special period and you need to adapt to the changes in the environment. Actively evaluate the situation based on the actual situation and plan corresponding actions.

5. Look at the epidemic correctly and rationally. Prepare yourself and your family according to the actual situation. When you encounter psychological problems, you should seek professional help in time and maintain emotional stability. We must realize that most of the people infected with the new coronavirus are mild or asymptomatic under the new situation, and the consequences are no different from those of ordinary influenza; we must firmly believe that we can defeat the new coronavirus and deal with the current epidemic with a good attitude.

6. Maintain daily physical exercise. Physical exercise can not only relieve stress, but also is a way to keep the body healthy. A large number of studies have found that exercise is beneficial to physical and mental health. At the same time, the social interaction and social support developed during exercise can also help reduce the risk of psychological distress.

7. Cultivate hobbies. Focusing on things that are meaningful to you can improve your sense of self-worth. Doing things that you are interested in can often bring you pleasure, increase positive emotions, and relieve negative emotions.

Finally, we believe that difficulties are only temporary and everything will be fine. Through joint efforts, we will be able to manage your epidemic stress and maintain your physical and mental health.