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Strategies for managing lockdown

Reading time: 3 min

Coping with lockdown means adapting daily life to these new circumstances. This has a direct impact on different emotional aspects, restructuring and adapting new spaces, and suddenly absorbing new situations that are difficult to manage, amongst others.

Professionals recommend a series of tips to help manage this situation as well as possible.

Emotional aspects

When it comes to thoughts caused by this new situation and the information generated by it, you are advised to:

Woman

Accept the situation in order to maintain a good state of mind and to be calmer.

Person with a questioner indicating cognitive impairment

Remember the reasons behind the lockdown.

Person with crossed-out TV, radio and mobile phone

Avoid excessive consumption of information. Evaluate it and contrast it.

A person who asks another person to repeat what he or she has said

Avoid constantly talking about Covid-19.

Emotions that are not generally recurrent, such as fear, uncertainty or frustration and that may now arise more often, should be accepted as a normal response to an abnormal situation. In this sense, it is advisable to support the people around you and stay in regular contact.

Behavioural aspects

Fear is one of the emotions that runs highest when experiencing any situation of crisis, such as Covid-19. This causes behaviour to be impulsive instead of rational, meaning it is important to follow a series of recommendations in order to both recognise and accept the emotions, as well as to establish routines that are as similar to normal life as possible.

Well-adapted building or house

Follow the established safety measures.

A person taking a shower

Maintain healthy habits in terms of hygiene, food, exercise and sleep.

Carrying out different activities

Try to maintain the greatest number of basic routines.

Person doing yoga

Do enjoyable and relaxing activities that don’t require going anywhere.

Working remotely

Lockdown has meant many people have to work from home and must dedicate a space in their house to this. As far as is possible, professionals recommend:

A living room with sofa, table and computer

Setting up a space with the best possible conditions in terms of light, quietness and, if possible, not in your bedroom.

Computer and book timetable

Set boundaries between your work and personal life.

A plate of chicken, cutlery and a clock: mealtimes

Respect break times.

Adult talking with a boy and a girl

Inform those around you of when you are available for contact to prevent constant interruptions.

Losing important people

An exceptional situation has arisen in the context of Covid-19. We are not able to accompany family members or other important people in the last moments of their lives, say goodbye or be at the side of those who need support at this time. For this reason, you are advised to carry out simple actions to symbolise a goodbye.

If you need help to support you through this situation, you are recommended:

Person doing yoga

To try using resources such as relaxation techniques.

Person touching another person's back, emotional support

To find support from those closest to you.

Patient talking to healthcare staff

And, if necessary, to consult a mental health professional.

Lockdown and childhood

Children have also had to reorganise their daily school, extracurricular activity and leisure routines. To help them cope with lockdown, you are advised to:

Child asking questions to an adult

Be attentive, answer children’s questions and keep them well-informed.

Adult who listens to and understands a child's concerns

Listen to and validate their emotional experiences and their ways of adapting to the new situation.

Form with ticked boxes in a folder

Keep rules and boundaries clear, explicit and well defined.

Daily routine including sleeping, reading, playing, and eating

Prioritise routines.

Adult and child sharing activities

Share activities both in terms of household tasks, schoolwork and leisure.

Family with father, son and daughter

Let them participate in family decisions as much as possible.

Two adults talking and communicating with a child

Explain what the family situation (work and schedules) will be like during lockdown.

Hand washing

Help them to understand and follow safety measures.

Sad mother and daughter talking to a loved one by video call

If they want to, allow children to participate in alternative ways of saying goodbye to family members during lockdown.

Two people in front of a computer and a clock

Allow children to use electronic devices reasonably.

Blog Suport a les Maternitats de la Unidad de Salud Mental Perinatal y el Servicio de Psiquiatría y Psicología Infantil y Juvenil (cápsula Infancia y COVID-19)

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Substantiated information by:

Antoni Trilla
Eduard Vieta Pascual
Gema Maria Lledó Ibáñez
Jacobo Sellarés Torres
Josep M. Miró Meda
Josep Maria Peri
Maica Rubinat
Mariona Violan

Published: 12 March 2020
Updated: 12 March 2020

The donations that can be done through this webpage are exclusively for the benefit of Hospital Clínic of Barcelona through Fundació Clínic per a la Recerca Biomèdica and not for BBVA Foundation, entity that collaborates with the project of PortalClínic.

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