Three years after the epidemic, after policy adjustments, the environment seems to have become turbulent. Each of us has more or less fallen into a kind of "re-entry anxiety" anxiety)" -
"Oh my God, there are viruses outside, and the circle of friends is full of infected people. It's so dangerous! "
"Am I positive? When will I be positive? Am I positive or not? Why am I not positive yet? "
" what? Suddenly you don’t care about us? There is no sense of security anymore...and why did we have to control it so strictly and for so long before? "
...
Therapist Abby Rawlinson said most fears about entering an "open" society can be attributed to three key reasons -
. Fear that you will catch or spread the virus.
. Social stranger, temporarily losing daily social ability.
. Psychologically, I have become accustomed to the new way of life and do not want to go back to the old way of life.
If you also have some uneasiness and anxiety, this is actually a normal reaction. Based on the observation of the current life, KY summarizes the four most common "liberal policy anxiety" in the current context, and attaches targeted psychological adjustment methods, hoping to be helpful to everyone.
"Anxiety of living alone"
What should I do if I faint and no one can call 120 for me?
Compared with people who live with family members or have roommates, the biggest worry for people living alone is not that they unfortunately become infected with positive , but that no one will be able to call an ambulance if they have a high fever and faint. Or maybe you have become seriously ill and have no extra energy to take care of yourself, causing your condition to worsen.
In response to this kind of "living alone anxiety", psychological counselors have given the following suggestions:
1. "Normalize" anxiety and maintain a normal mind.
Psychological counselor Liu Trisha suggests that first of all, we need to realize that our own anxiety reactions are very common and normal. Because when people encounter difficulties and threats, they will automatically activate the " defense mechanism " to deal with them. In other words, when we are anxious, we will think of various ways to solve the anxiety, but in the process, we are actually repeatedly imagining the results and the feasibility of the method, which will further deepen the anxiety. So normalizing and acknowledging anxious feelings is necessary, accepting it first rather than resisting it.
Psychological counselor Zhang Linfeng believes that in addition, we also need to maintain a stable mentality. He emphasized that "one person" in is only a conditional restriction, but it does not represent a resource restriction.
On the contrary, we can make use of our own connections and resources, such as neighbors, property owners or colleagues, etc., to ensure that we have sufficient medicine reserves (if we can buy/borrow them), and ensure that we have 3-7 days of food stock at home. We should try to focus on light food and fast food so that it is convenient to eat when we are sick.
2. Establish an emergency contact system and contact them regularly
Consultants also suggest that for people living alone, establishing an emergency contact system is essential. We need to leave our contact information with family members or important others.
Psychological counselor Zhang Linfeng also suggested that if you are really anxious, you can keep in touch with them regularly, such as half a day or a day, simply chat or "check in", just in case you can't get in touch, you can take timely measures.
3. Maintain a positive attachment relationship and improve your own immunity
Psychological counselor Liu Cuisha suggests that a positive relationship will give us a sense of stability. This is very effective for relieving anxiety.
Positive relationships are not limited to romantic relationships or family members, they can be friends, colleagues, or even netizens. Communicate more with those who can bring us a sense of stability, chat on WeChat or make phone calls. When we feel that our hearts are stable, we will rest relatively better.
Psychological counselor Zhang Linfeng also believes that stable emotions are linked to immunity. When you are in a state of anxiety or have a mild illness, it is recommended that you play games online with friends. This will strengthen the sense of psychological connection, thereby reducing stress, stabilizing emotions, and helping to improve immunity.
If you feel that you have some problems with your mental health recently, we recommend that you do a comprehensive mental health self-examination, discover problems in time, seek help, and get out of the negative state as soon as possible.
"Phantom Yang Syndrome"
Am I Yang? I don’t have Yang? Why is there no sun yet?
There are also some friends who are surrounded by "positive viruses". They are always on pins and needles in daily life. As long as they feel the slightest discomfort in their body, they feel that they must be yang, which is commonly known as "phantom yang syndrome".
For example, if your body feels slightly hot, you will immediately take your temperature. You will repeatedly test whether you have a "Baojuan voice" by swallowing saliva and speaking, and you will continue to test for antigens to ensure whether you have two lines, etc... In the repeated tests of suspected infection, anxiety gradually increased, and I felt increasingly tired and panicked.
What we want to say to these friends is -
1. Participate in the discussion and sharing of the "patient group" to regain a sense of certainty.
Psychological counselors Zhang Linfeng and Liu Cuisha suggest that we participate in more exchanges and discussions in the "patient group" to establish homogeneous communication. It can help us understand the specific conditions of the disease at different stages more clearly.
Regardless of whether you have symptoms or are currently asymptomatic but still fearful, you can compare different situations to determine what stage you are at now, thereby gaining some sense of certainty.
2. Pay attention to individual differences and eliminate "severe anxiety"
At the same time, psychological counselor Zhang Linfeng suggested that we also need to pay attention to individual differences when participating in discussions. Because everyone’s physique and immune capacity are different, correspondingly, the body’s response to virus invasion is also different.
Therefore, it is important not to associate or compare severe symptoms with your own physical condition in a certain sense.
3. Only worry about your "most likely" situation and get rid of catastrophic thinking
Psychological counselor Zhang Linfeng believes that when we feel really uncomfortable and inevitably start to worry about our condition, we should first not think about the worst case scenario, but think about what is "most likely" to happen to us.
For example, when browsing Moments and other social media, try to observe what is the most serious condition of that person that you can learn about? How are they similar to our own physical conditions? What's the difference? Maybe they had some basic medical conditions before they were infected with the virus ( heart disease, or high blood pressure, , etc.). Through this step of analysis, a more rational result is drawn: Some of the worst situations we hear about are very unlikely to happen to us.
"Emotionally fatigued"
Peak speeds reached everywhere? Strain mutation? Grabbing medicine and hoarding medicine?
After the new crown policy is relaxed, the rate of group infection, medical resources and social status quo are changing at an unpredictable speed.Through the Internet, we have to come into contact with a lot of news about the epidemic and positive symptoms -
For example, soon after the release of restrictions, data such as "predicted dates for the peak of the first wave in various places" and "peak progress of various provinces and cities" appeared on the Internet. There were also many articles and videos that began to analyze the differences between various strains. Of course, there are also hard-to-buy antigens and various types of fever and cold medicines...
Before we digest and falsify the information, the next wave of news will continue to appear, and our ability to bear it will be overwhelmed by the bombardment of information, leading to emotional fatigue. Faced with this situation, we can try to do the following two things:
1. Control the channels and sources through which we obtain information.
We can take the initiative and actively look for highly reliable sources of information. Don't just believe the "rumors" of people around you. Control the channels for obtaining information and conduct the first round of screening from the source.
Then, clarifying the purpose for which we receive the information can help us adjust our attitude towards the information. In fact, we read all kinds of information to reduce our risk of getting sick, or to learn some methods of dealing with diseases. They cannot help us completely eliminate our risk of getting sick. Therefore, it is better to try to accept information with a "do your best and let fate" attitude and focus on defense.
2. "Psychological decoupling" from anxiety-causing information
A large number of news bursts will make people fall into fear and uneasiness. When we have no way to verify the accuracy of the news one by one based on existing knowledge, we might as well "disconnect" directly: do not frequently browse the web to read news, reduce discussion of these news with friends, and even turn off the phone regularly to give yourself adequate rest.
Regulate your worries by reducing watching or listening to this kind of information, or you can try to distract yourself and use your energy on other information sources that interest you, such as entertainment news and funny gossip, etc., to mentally decouple from the information that causes your anxiety.
"Maladaptive"
Why did you care about me before?
Then why are you ignoring me now?
We have been living under strict epidemic prevention policies for three years. Unknowingly, we have begun to get used to the life rules established due to epidemic prevention such as masks, nucleic acid, and location codes.
Therefore, the sudden liberalization of policies will actually make people feel a little "unaccustomed". It may be reflected in worries about the virus, such as "I don't care all of a sudden? I feel so insecure..." "What should I do with the elderly and children at home?", or it may be reflected in questions about daily life, such as "Do I still need to check for nucleic acid when I go abroad?" "How many times will my nucleic acid be tested? What should I do if I can't find a place to do nucleic acid testing?" and so on.
This is all obvious maladaptive. When uncertainty increases in daily life, we will gradually feel that our lives are out of control. The following 3 tips can better help us transition through this chaotic period.
1. Rebuilding the "sense of control" in daily life
When we are in an uncertain environment, in addition to trying to adapt to the uncertainty, we can also do the opposite - do something certain to regain a sense of control over our lives.
Even simple tasks such as packing a suitcase, making sheets, doing laundry, or practicing a new skill are effective. Allowing ourselves to do certain “certain” activities with purpose can help us regain a sense of control over our lives.
2. Adjust "immature defenses" and find the rules of daily life
Psychological counselor Liu Cuisha suggests that when faced with uncertainty, our relatively "immature" defense mechanisms may be activated, causing our lives to run abnormally.
For example, I didn’t know whether I could go out, and I was afraid of getting infected when I went out, so I struggled for a long time and didn’t do anything I should do. (Editor: I have no doubt about it).
If you find yourself trapped in such endless entanglements, it would be a better choice to try to return to your original life plan - do whatever you need to do, and solve problems when you encounter them.
3. Adjust expectations and learn to accept "uncertainty"
Psychological counselor Zhang Linfeng suggests that when we realize that we are incapable of changing or rejecting something, we can try to keep a distance from these anxious thoughts and avoid getting too entangled.
People who cannot accept uncertainty often have a kind of "should thinking" and feel that life should unfold according to their expectations. Once life does not match their expectations, they will fall into anxiety and struggle.
We should learn to distinguish between reality and desires in our minds, and adopt an allowable attitude towards the gap between reality and desires - stop the internal friction caused by being an enemy of the world, and allow everything to happen.
But this does not mean that we are idle and do nothing. We can do what we can within our own capabilities, such as wearing masks, washing hands and disinfecting frequently, taking good protection, exercising more, improving immunity, etc.
Then, accept everything that may happen in life, which will make your mood happy and relaxed.
The final thing I want to tell you is that it is not terrible to face the anxiety after the policy is liberalized. What is terrible is that being unable to extricate yourself after falling into anxiety, missing the best opportunity for self-protection, or causing greater trauma to the body and mind, which is not worth the gain.
I hope everyone can take good care of themselves physically and mentally. Spring is not far away.
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