Economic instability, family separation and mental illness surge during the epidemic? Psychologists recommend: Regaining a "sense of control" to help stabilize your mood
The epidemic has increased uncertainty and anxiety in life, becoming a “sequelae” of epidemic prevention
During the epidemic, all walks of life have been greatly affected, and people are faced with the risk of whether they can get the vaccine, as well as the risk of overseas mutant viruses. The virus brings all kinds of unresolved anxieties, which troubles everyone to some extent. It can be said that the outbreak of the epidemic has caused considerable “sequelae” in the psychological shadow of Taiwanese people.
Psychologist Su Congqi, director of the Four Seasons Heart Psychological Counseling Center, believes that the anxiety derived from the epidemic about the economy, family, or vaccinations, etc., is rooted in the fact that these things are full of “uncertainty.” Most employees, no matter what industry they are employed in, may be worried that their jobs will not be guaranteed starting tomorrow. In an atmosphere where “everyone is in danger”, it is easy to feel confused or anxious about the future.
In addition to adults facing job and economic uncertainty, schoolchildren and teenagers are also prone to increased conflicts among family members after attending classes at home. Psychologist Su Congqi believes that teenagers are in a stage of “overwhelming curiosity” and like to contact the outside world and explore themselves. They also need to establish relationships and a sense of identity with their peers.
After the Level 3 alert was announced and Taiwan switched to online teaching, not only are teenagers unable to connect with their peers, but the distance between them and their families is suddenly narrowed. The conflicts in daily life may intensify, leaving them unable to get respite. Teenagers with psychological and mental illnesses are more likely to aggravate their illness.
If you want to relieve stress, first clarify the source of stress and regain a “sense of control” to relieve anxiety and anxiety.
Psychologist Su Congqi analyzed that financial pressure, family relationships, or changes in interpersonal relationships are the main sources of stress for people during the epidemic. How to cope with these pressures? Psychologists give advice: The first step is to understand what the source of stress is. For example, use sticky notes or notebooks to list the sources of stress, such as work, partners, worries about infection, etc. The key point is to be honest with your heart. Only written words can help reduce stress.
The second step is to divide the stress sources into two categories: “cannot be controlled and solved” and “can be controlled and solved”. Take economic problems as an example. If you have no income during the epidemic, you can seek temporary relief from unemployment benefits or loans. This is a “solvable” problem. Please solve it as soon as possible without any delay. If it is a problem that cannot be solved, try to minimize the damage first. For example, if your child cries every day while working at home, you can buy a puzzle or fitness ring to divert the child’s attention and reduce the frequency of crying. If it really cannot be solved, please let go of your worries and anxieties, take care of yourself through appropriate stress relief methods, and change your mood. Maybe you will have a different perspective after getting enough rest.
In addition, psychologist Su Congqi also suggested that teenagers or college students can maintain interpersonal connections through online gatherings or online courses during the epidemic. Or enrich your daily life through online gatherings, online exercise classes, online camps, etc. As long as you find the type of course that suits you and maintain connections with others, you can effectively relieve the anxiety and insecurity of teenagers feel.
Overall, it is easy for people to feel uncertain about things during the epidemic, and uncertainty prevents us from gaining a “sense of control”, which is one of the sources of anxiety. Psychologist Su Congqi believes that the above methods can regain a sense of control over life, thereby calming the mind and relieving emotions.
However, psychologists emphasize that if you still cannot effectively eliminate stress after trying various stress reduction methods, please seek assistance from a psychological consultation unit or medical unit as soon as possible to avoid over-suppression of negative emotions and causing more serious psychological problems.
