psychological hygiene

MENTAL HYGIENE

1. question your expectations
Sometimes, much of the emotional pain that our lives cause us comes from the existence of unreasonable expectations. That is why it is good to ask where these expectations have come from: are they the result of advertising and marketing? Are we comparing ourselves to people we barely know who can easily be the best version of themselves?

2. Get rid of the impossible
Another key to applying mental hygiene is to reflect on what goals are, by definition, unattainable. This will allow us, first, to let go of these goals more easily and, second, to turn our attention to exciting and realistic goals that we are missing and that could help us start a path of personal development.

3. take care of your relationships
Stop to think about your relationships and if they are symmetrical or not. Do you spend a lot of time devoting time and effort to staying close to people who don't love you back? Do you miss the opportunity to strengthen emotional ties with people for whom you are very important? Friendship and affection are not merchandise, but they are worth cultivating for mutual good.

4. Think about your basic needs

It is difficult to feel good psychologically if basic needs are not met. It is necessary to be guaranteed a good diet, a home and enough hours of sleep.

This last factor, which is often ignored, is essential for our body to repair itself (including our brain, which is responsible for our mental life) and, with regard to diet, it is important to be clear that eating a lot is not the same as having of all the materials our body needs to function well.

5. Practice resilience

Resilience is the ability to face crisis situations that can put our happiness at risk, such as the death of a loved one or a dismissal. It implies learning to distance ourselves from the pessimistic reading of reality and to see our present and our future with greater perspective. This will be a powerful strategy that will feed our mental hygiene.

6. Set specific goals

Setting well-defined goals will allow us to stay active while exercising our ingenuity and our management of emotions so that, working in a coordinated manner, they allow us to get where we want.

In addition, the fact of setting a few days limit helps to combat procrastination (or the "I'll do it tomorrow" syndrome).

7. Practice mindfulness

Managing breaks and moments of relaxation is essential for mental hygiene; we cannot always be thinking about the same thing or doing the same activities. Resting will allow us to free our minds and break the thoughts in a loop.

We can achieve this through prayer, meditation or Mindfulness. And, if we do this in very calm and natural environments, much better.

PSYCHOLOGICAL HYGIENE TIPS

ASSERTIVE COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES FOR THE FAMILY

This material will help us handle some situations during the period that we will remain at home.

PSYCHOLOGICAL HYGIENE CONTENT – PREVENT COVID

#Eprevents exhaustion
With weeks and months of the coronavirus pandemic ahead, it's important to have downtime. Mind recommends continuing to be in contact with nature and sunlight. Exercise, eat well and stay hydrated.
AnxietyUK suggests practicing a well-known technique for dealing with anxiety and worry, which consists of:

1. Recognize and admit the uncertainty that comes to mind.
2. Don't react like you normally do. Don't react at all. Pause and breathe.
3. Tell yourself that it is the worry that is affecting you and that an apparent need for certainty is not helpful or necessary. It is just a thought or feeling. Do not believe everything you think. Thoughts are not statements or facts.
4. Say goodbye to some thoughts and feelings. They will pass. You don't have to react.
5. Explore the present moment, because now, in this moment, everything is fine. Measure your breath and the sensations of this action. Look at the ground below you. Look around you and notice what you see, what you hear, what you can touch, what you can smell. Then shift your attention to something else, to what you need to do, to what you were doing before you became aware of your concerns.

The situation of isolation affects everyone, but in populations with mental health problems "this risk increases", according to Joseba Rico. “Not sleeping well, not taking care of yourself, not eating well… all of this has its effect on mental health. The recommendations are the same for the general population as for people with mental health problems, but taking them more into account. The situation itself causes more risk factors that can trigger some symptom or make the person feel worse”, warns the deputy director of AMAFE. We must “think that we are exercising the role of responsible citizens, that we are contributing to society. That what we are doing makes sense, it is for the common good”, concludes Maite Marcos.

Fear and anxiety about the coronavirus crisis? These are the advice of psychologists to calm down:

Paying attention to care related to the prevention of transmission and trying to remain calm, among the key factors according to psychologists.

If you are not affected by the disease:

Here anxiety can manifest itself in various ways: with nervousness, agitation, alertness; not being able to stop thinking about something else; need to be permanently seeing and hearing information about the coronavirus; Difficulty performing daily tasks. It is also perceived in those people who are finding it hard to fall asleep and who “have a hard time controlling their worry and persistently ask their relatives about their state of health, warning them of the serious dangers they run every time they leave home .

Faced with this situation, the college of psychologists proposes:

• Identify thoughts that can cause discomfort. Constantly thinking about the disease can make symptoms appear or worsen that increase your emotional discomfort.
• Recognize our emotions and accept them. If necessary, share your situation with those closest to you to find the help and support you need.
• Question yourself: look for evidence of reality and reliable data. Know the facts and reliable data offered by the official and scientific media and avoid information that does not come from these sources, avoiding alarmist information and images.
• Avoid information overload. Being permanently connected will not make you better informed and could increase your sense of risk and nervousness unnecessarily.
• Contrast the information you share. If you use social networks to find out, try to do it with official sources.
• How to take care of yourself in these cases: the members of the community of Madrid recommend maintaining "an optimistic and objective attitude." Avoid constantly talking about the subject, rely on family and friends and help family and friends to remain calm and think adaptively to each situation”, in addition to trying to lead a normal life in which the fear of others is not fed.

TIPS PSYCHOLOGICAL FOR LONG PERIODS INSIDE THE HOUSE