News

Following the global financial crisis, governments,
companies, and the general public are rethinking the

role of capitalism and free-market economics. As
globalization, automation, and inequality challenge the
status quo, new systems are emerging. The result?
Disruptions in everything from trade to jobs,
immigration, and the environment.
Humans are not wired to tolerate uncertainty. However, we are

wired to be alert to threats. Our brains have evolved to do this
automatically; planning for scarcity and other threats is important
to ensure survival.
We crave stability.“We want predictability,” says Daniel Freeman,

a professor of clinical psychology at the University of Oxford. “We
want to be assured that the way our world looks when we get up in
the morning is the way it will look when we go to bed. And if
change occurs, we prefer it to be on our terms.”
Many people struggle to focus on the picture when their routines

are disrupted or when they are forced to face their biggest fears.
Other become extremely stressed, anxious and worry about
everything that could go wrong.
The coronavirus is taking a toll on our collective mental and

physical health. But we can make sense of it and still chose to
spend our time productively — even with no return to normality in
sight. “Trying to preserve some sense of normalcy is really
important for people’s well-being,” says Dr Russell G. Buhr, a
pulmonologist at U.C.L.A. Health.
Research shows a period of uncertainty and a lack of control in our
daily lives can lead to increased anxiety. In these uncertain and
stressful times, it’s important to manage our health and do our
best to keep our sanity — for this too shall pass.
Let’s start with a few things you can do every day to maintain your
physical and mental health, worry less and survive the isolation
with your family, friends and yourself.
Limit update intake and practice news detox

We all want to keep up to date, but feeding your worries,
uncertainties, and anxieties every minute of the day can take a toll
on your mental health.
“If you’re losing sleep over what’s happening or you’re unable to

concentrate on anything other than the risk that someone in your
life has, you should probably consider [lowering] your dose of
media to once a day,” says Dr Ken Duckworth, medical director of
National Alliance on Mental Illness (Nami).
Try having a news detox every day, or allocate yourself a time limit
for reading or watching news related to domestic or global
updates.
Find a line between educating yourself with useful information

that helps guide your decisions and overwhelming yourself with
information that simply increases anxiety. If you’re really worried
about missing something crucial, get your information from
credible and the very best sources.
To give yourself a bit of mental relief, give worry a
limitation
You can use the same stop-loss strategy used in stock trading to
give yourself a break from worrying. In finance, some investors set
a stop-loss on each trade at a price level at which they wish to exit
what has become a losing trade.
The general idea behind the stop-loss strategy is to determine how

much psychological turmoil you’re willing to endure and for how
long. And what point you stop wasting mental energy on them.
When you find yourself in a cycle of worry and anxiety, stop and
ask where your stop-loss point is, i.e. at what point do you stop
worrying and let it go?
By giving every worry a limitation, become mindful about

everything occupying your mind and choose to focus on other
things instead of digging deeper.
You can also allocate yourself a daily ‘worry period’. “Give yourself
half an hour to worry about this to your heart’s content, and then
you have to go and do something else, writes Rhiannon Lucy
Cosslett, a Guardian columnist and author.
Following a schedule makes you happier!

Make a daily schedule and plan to follow it even in isolation. It
reminds your brain that you are still in control.
It doesn’t have to be a long stretch of task. It can involve a five-

minute task that can still help you get something done, connect
with others or enjoy an activity with someone in person or
virtually.
“You will find maintaining a plan will help you and your family
adjust to different work and home life environment,” says Scott
Kelly, a retired NASA astronaut who spent nearly a year on the
International Space Station.
If you miss some of your plans, don’t be too hard on yourself. It’s
okay if your schedule is flexible and helps you and your family
survive or even enjoy the time you are spending together. Be kind
to yourself and find other ways to keep your mind from
overthinking the isolation process.
Every little bit of movement counts

We are creatures of habit but right now, you need to reinvent new
routines for your space. If you don’t have home gym equipment
like dumbbells, you can still plan tiny movements into your daily
routine.
When we’re confined to our home, move, move, move. Exercise is

a “classic anxiety reduction strategy”, says Duckworth. You don’t
need fancy equipment or a lot of time; you just need to weave
exercise into your schedule.
Next time you are watching your favourite TV show, get up and do
some squats during the commercials or in between episodes if you
are binge-watching Game of Thrones. Do heel raises when you’re
washing dishes.
Knock out some push-ups when you’re waiting for dinner. Do a

few star jumps in your bedroom before a shower. Schedule a few
stretches in the morning. “Dancing is also a great way to move
your body. Turn on some music and boogie with your partner or
children” says Anna Goldfarb of The New York Times.
Get your heart rate up, multiple times a day. Exercise will help get
the adrenaline out of your system and channel the panic
elsewhere. It’s also good for your immune system.
Get out and walk, even for just 15 minutes

In the current state of anxiety, even short walks make a huge
difference. Six feet apart stroll can also improve your mood and
well-being.
“In Milan, where life in the coronavirus “red zone” amounts to

virtual house arrest, residents are still free, if not encouraged, to
enjoy a walk or jog “for the sake of outdoor physical activity,”
as The Washington Post reported, as long as social distances are
respected,” writes Alex Williams of The New York Times.
“As long as the public health practitioners haven’t suggested a

total lockdown, as long as you’re able to maintain a reasonable
amount of distance and you’re being good about hand hygiene and
especially if you’re staying completely home if you’re having any
signs of illness, then getting outside for a walk is good,” says Dr.
Russell G. Buhr, a pulmonologist at U.C.L.A. Health.
A walk outside clears your mind, and it keeps you active.
Find ways to remain connected

Humans are innately social, so social distancing and self-isolation
will be a challenge for many people. While we can’t replace the
value of face-to-face interactions, we need to think creatively in
these circumstances.
“As helpless as we may feel stuck inside our homes, there are
always things we can do — I’ve seen people reading to children via
videoconference, donating their time and dollars to charities
online, and running errands for elderly or immuno-compromised
neighbours,” says Scott.
Modern technology has made it insanely easy to stay connected.

Use tools like Skype, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Hangouts,
WhatsApp, Facebook Workplace and Trello to stay connected with
friends and colleagues at work. Positive social support can
improve our resilience for coping with stress. Check-in with your
friends, family, and neighbours regularly.
Find a hobby..fast
Although remaining inside is a good way to protect yourself, it’s
also a great opportunity to find somethings you can do together
with friends and family or a hobby that can keep you occupied.
Keep in mind that many activities that can make the long days go
by faster are better.
Complete a puzzle: The more pieces the better! Start a journal or

blog about topics you care about. Write poetry. Download
Duolingo, or a similar app, and teach yourself a new language.
Learn how to cook new recipes. Read your favourite books or
magazines. Knit or crochet. Start a gratitude journal — make a list
of things for which you are grateful. Write a book with your family.
Visit a virtual museum with your family. Learn a new skill via
YouTube. making their garden a better space. Have a family movie
time — make it special with popcorn.
If you have kids, let them be creative, give them some control and
get comfortable with mess. Kids having fun do not keep things
neat. Manage the chaos with a “tidy-up half-hour” for everyone
before they go to bed. If you have a garden, get the children
involved with ideas and suggestions for making their garden a
better space. Declutter — take a deep breath and tackle their
rooms together.
“Let them lead: help them gather material for junk modelling, a
fashion show or house construction, but resist getting too
involved. Their imaginations are better than yours,” writes Dawn
Isaac, author of 101 Things for Kids to do Screen-Free.
It is very important to rebuild your daily life, maintain social

connection, connect with family, keep moving, find a hobby that
brings out the best in you and stay in touch with the people around
you.
By adopting the right perspective and activities, we will emerge as

more mature, fulfilled human beings. And remember, this too
shall pass — we will soon recover our freedoms

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Following the global financial crisis, governments,

companies, and the general public are rethinking the

Humans are not wired to tolerate uncertainty. However, we are

We crave stability.“We want predictability,” says Daniel Freeman,

Many people struggle to focus on the picture when their routines

The coronavirus is taking a toll on our collective mental and

Limit update intake and practice news detox

“If you’re losing sleep over what’s happening or you’re unable to

Find a line between educating yourself with useful information

The general idea behind the stop-loss strategy is to determine how

By giving every worry a limitation, become mindful about

Following a schedule makes you happier!

It doesn’t have to be a long stretch of task. It can involve a five-

Every little bit of movement counts

When we’re confined to our home, move, move, move. Exercise is

Knock out some push-ups when you’re waiting for dinner. Do a

Get out and walk, even for just 15 minutes

“In Milan, where life in the coronavirus “red zone” amounts to

“As long as the public health practitioners haven’t suggested a

A walk outside clears your mind, and it keeps you active.

Find ways to remain connected

Modern technology has made it insanely easy to stay connected.

Complete a puzzle: The more pieces the better! Start a journal or

It is very important to rebuild your daily life, maintain social

By adopting the right perspective and activities, we will emerge as

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