The home confinement that resulted from the health alert, which consists on the forced isolation of people at home, will have consequences on the long, mid and short run. This is a new situation and it can bring feelings like anxiety, sadness, fear and loneliness. With the aim of helping people manage the emotional impact of this situation, the Behaviour Therapy Unit (UTC) of the Faculty of Psychology of the UB has written a document with guidelines, recommendations and practical advice.
“The document is aimed at general citizens and the university community, and it focuses on the consequences that come from this home confinement at a psychological level (in our feelings, thoughts and behaviour) and some consequences in relationships”, noted the director of UTC, Carmen Saldaña, professor at the Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology. Written by the team of psychologists in UTC, the text offers general guidelines to act towards feelings such as uncertainty, insecurity, threat, disinformation, and even mourning. It provides tools to work positively on the different emotional states. “We focused on the emotions, mainly negative ones, because they can overwhelm people in this moment and we need to manage them so as to prevent mental health problems”, notes Saldaña. Moreover, the study notes the importance of keeping healthy habits (having a balanced diet, physical activity and resting or taking breaks), and it suggests that we set real and reachable goals. The document ends with a section summarizing the main advice.