The reception of the new year is usually accompanied by lists of good intentions. But the consequences of the pandemic are weighed when it comes to changing course in everyday life. However, the desire to improve in the field of health (physical and emotional) is an issue on which the negotiations do not fit, especially after long months of uncertainty, limitations and radical transformations.
“Just as memory is congruent with our state of mind, in terms of the future, the same thing happens. If I feel discouraged, sad, negative, tired now … I may anticipate it less positive future“Shares Cristina Mae Wood, a European doctor in psychology, specializing in anxiety and stress, and a health psychologist at the Center for the Human Zone in Madrid.
Although not everyone has been affected by the pandemic with the same severity, anxiety, stress and depression are also part of the new normal. And these very tables can be an obstacle in achieving certain goals. But they are not the only ones. Being deprived of freedom of movement or with reduce revenue there are other reasons that stop certain transformations in the routine.
Putting your love life in order, achieving a better work-life balance, integrating a healthy diet or finding a better distribution in the face of family burdens are some of the most pressing goals to start 2021 in order.
“It is important to remember that although the desire to do something helps, it is not the determining factor. What is relevant is the decision to review our goals and values,” says Joselin Miranda Gómez, a health psychologist and member of the Center. of Clinical Psychology.
And, explains the consulted psychologists, this is the way to make changes in life when reality makes it difficult.
Quarantine triggered terminal seizures in many couples. Photos Shutterstock.
In a couple: materialize a break (even without money)
Closure tested every relationship that lives under one roof. In some cases, it has led to a strengthening of the couple. But in many others, the result was the opposite. “Many couples have been quarantined and about half have realized it doesn’t work,” Wood said.
In view of this circumstance, starting a life alone is the most logical consequence. However, job insecurity stemming from the crisis has made this move impossible for many people. “Those who have thought about ending the relationship and, due to the economic situation, have failed to develop it, can reach a minimum agreement in which the privacy of the other is respected, individual space is allowed, internal responsibilities and childcare are shared. and maintain a balance in the economic part “, recommends Miranda.
According to experts, be aware of the situation It’s the first step. From there, if you don’t have enough money to become independent, it’s important to make numbers and start saving or looking for work if you don’t have one. “You may not be able to leave in a month, but in six months. It’s important to have a goal,” Wood suggests.
In 2019, the WHO recognized exhaustion as a disease. Shutterstock illustrative image.
Professional: burnout management (in crisis)
Layoffs have been the general trend in the labor market. The teams were reduced and, as a result, the workload increased. Those who have already suffered from burnout (burnt worker syndrome) at work have seen this situation grow. But both these profiles and others who had proposed a change of professional sign saw their intentions slowed by the general situation.
“If you realize that you are not passionate about your work, if you do not learn, if you suffer burn-out, if the relationship with your boss is disastrous or if you get bored, it is important to look. This thing is happening 80% of the population“Share the anxiety specialist.
Despite the complexity of the moment, it is important to make an analysis of where it would be desirable to focus the race, without giving up or creating limitations. “It simply came to our notice then the only solution is not to quit your job. It is important to be flexible, at the beginning you can request a short day or, if you are very stressed or depressed, take a vacation and give yourself time “, Wood continues.
It is also beneficial to take advantage of your free time to investigate those topics in which you want to grow up, even outside the workplace. Also, improve your LinkedIn profiles and get started inform the network of contacts about our goal, be aware of the opportunities that may arise.
On the other hand, exercise It is another tool to reduce stress at work. “It is much more effective against depression and stress than any pill. Sport helps release cortisol, increases oxytocin levels and reduces anger. All this is very important for us to be calmer, to sleep better and let’s not think so negative“, Adds the doctor in psychology.
Eating better, a goal that many set at the beginning of the year. Photo archive.
Detach yourself from emotional food
Among the most recurring resolutions at the beginning of the year is the revision of the relationship with food. In 2021, this topic may concern more people than usual. We spend more time at home than ever and this circumstance, along with a framework of uncertainty and anxiety, they unleashed unhealthy eating patterns.
“Food, like any other addiction, it never fixes the underlying problem. If I have anxiety, stress and use food to calm those unpleasant emotions, all I’m going to do is create a new problem, “says Wood. Again, realizing that there is a food mismatch is the first step to coping. situation.
Likewise, it is essential to establish routines that stop the act of being eaten when something fails emotionally. “Even if there is a situation that we do not like and that limits us to a certain extent, it is possible to maintain and take care of a routine adapted to our interests. It will help us to organize and cope with the daily difficulties with day in a more adaptive way “, explains Miranda.
If we want to increase the probability of success in changing habits, we need to transform the way we conceive the situation or, what is the same, the assessment of the threat through that of the challenge.
In the first case, negative thoughts are those that lead to a certain situation (which can last for months), resulting in feelings such as anxiety, frustration, insecurity, fear, sadness, anger. “Those emotions accumulated over time, especially when there is a lot of uncertainty, will have negative consequences on behavior,” warns Wood.
However, when we establish an assessment of the challenges, the focus is on what we want to happen. “It’s very easy: what would I like to see happen? See how my body changes, I feel good in my own skin. You visualize it and feel those positive emotions, which in this case would be illusion, emotion, enthusiasm. They will always have positive consequences, “he said.
Physical activity is the key to physical and mental well-being. Photos Shutterstock.
Maintain your sports routine
Before the first closing, going to the gym, cardio class or even the treadmill at home became a necessity. As the months passed, the will to continue training at home fell.
“The problem for most people is that they expect to be motivated to play sports and that’s a trap, a scam. To feel that you have to create the habit, little by little. We are ordinary animals and, when we repeat a behavior, approximately at 21 days it becomes a routine and it doesn’t cost that much anymore, “reveals Wood.
If the problem is due to the fact that the pattern of exercises that has been followed cannot be maintained due to restrictions, maintaining an open attitude is the key, so that the sporting intention does not decrease. “It is advisable to focus on what we can do now to get as close as possible to our goals. To do this, we must be realistic and act in the short term,” advises Miranda.
The pandemic has distorted the boundaries between family, work and school life. Photos Shutterstock.
Face the burdens of the family
Another situation that has worsened the health crisis is the share of certain people due to caring for relatives or loved ones. Those caring for the elderly or in poor health who have benefited from external help have sometimes been deprived of it, for fear of contagion or quarantine or because of the crisis. Something similar happens in the case of childcare.
“Every person needs to value the resources they have, capitalize on them and also set boundaries in terms of the energy they provide,” says Wood. When it comes to children, the psychologist insists that it is necessary to share with them that parents are also tired and settle down. moments of disconnection.
The introduction of welfare-generating activities is a useful tool in these cases. “Activities such as short walks, performing relaxation exercises, maintaining social activity even through a video call, trying to organize daily hours and routines (sleep, food, exercise) or simply stop and have fun a few minutes a day can help release tension, “Miranda recommends.
When time is short, Wood suggests reviewing habits, such as time spent on mobile apps. “If we make a mobile phone or TV fast, we will gain a lot of time to invest in our psychological well-being. Exercise, reading in bed, drawing, sewing or meditation. With investments 15-20 minutes a day it is enough “, concludes the specialist in anxiety and stress.
By Rocío Navarro Macías, for La Vanguardia.