Ten Tips Against The Camp Freak

2023 Author : Hannah Pearcy | [email protected] . Last modified: 2023-06-05 00:21

At the moment, many people are not only concerned about the health risks and economic effects of the corona crisis, but with growing uncertainty are asking themselves how they can survive the weeks or even months more or less in isolation in their own home environment. "We are all currently in an unprecedented and, for most, completely unfamiliar exceptional situation," says Prof. Dr. Stephan Mühlig, professor of clinical psychology and psychotherapy at Chemnitz University of Technology and head of the Chemnitz smoking clinic and the university psychotherapeutic clinic (PHA-TUC GmbH). He has ten tips on how to contribute to maintaining your own mental, social and physical health and protecting yourself from the camp freak:

In the home office or homeschooling too, a regular daily rhythm with fixed times for getting up, working and sleeping is important. This creates a regular daily structure and promotes emotional stability.

The children should also maintain an adequate daily structure, even if they do not need to be woken up at the same time as the first lesson, the expert said. Schoolchildren should be helped to structure the submitted school tasks and to process them in meaningful "portions". Otherwise, many children feel “overwhelmed” by the unusual amount of tasks that teachers “concentrate” for a week or more and react with fear, stress and resistance.

Under the given conditions, some working people experience an acute double burden between home office use and simultaneous childcare in their own household. In case of doubt, care for small children should take priority over professional tasks, advises Prof. Mühlig. For the right balance, home office tasks should be scheduled every day (e.g. postponed into the evening) so that they can be agreed with childcare. Employers and superiors are required to show understanding under the exceptional conditions and to make concessions to the work performance of the employees.

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Exercise and fresh air benefit both physical and mental health, and the immune system is stimulated. "If the lungs are ventilated by moderate exertion, they are better supplied with blood, which in turn supports the infection defense against SARS-CoV-2," says Prof. Dr. Stephan Mühlig. An at least brief change of location prevents the irritant monotony in your own four walls and increases your well-being.

Exercising in your own home also helps to keep you healthy and improves your quality of life. "Put together an indoor training plan and get moving at least 15 to 30 minutes a day, if possible with good room ventilation," advises the expert. There are numerous, also scientifically tested, indoor training programs for different ages and training levels on the Internet. Regular moderate physical activity (up to slight sweating) stabilizes the cardiovascular system, the immune system, but also the psychological well-being and serves to relieve tension and stress.

Whoever smokes should quit as soon as possible. A previously damaged or acutely irritated lung is likely to be associated with an increased risk of developing a serious illness if smokers should become infected and become ill. Alcohol consumption is also not helpful. Alcohol only kills viruses in a test tube. Alcohol in the bloodstream, on the other hand, does not protect against a virus infection, but it does interfere with the immune system. This also applies to other drugs.

It is extremely difficult for many people to suspend their social contacts for a long time, not to be allowed to go out with people. "We are social beings and need contact and exchange with other people," says Prof. Mühlig. For the emotional balance, one should therefore make it clear that the state of emergency remains manageable. Social media offer an alternative: write or chat in real time, make calls and watch and entertain via video chat. "You should take full advantage of these possibilities, keep in touch and seek exchange with as many relatives, friends and acquaintances as possible via social media," advises the psychologist. One should also remember to report proactively to people living alone to alleviate their loneliness.

On virtual paths against the corona crisis

In view of the latest developments relating to the corona virus, events are being canceled or postponed in a row. The future can belong to digital platforms that can compensate for this development. With the "Industrial Generation Network", the Vogel Communications Group presents a solution for professionals in the industry. As a digital supplement, the platform enables extensive networking: the focus is on digital encounters and establishing contacts, as well as product presentation and thematic exchange. Tools such as making appointments and video conferences enable professionals to network, make appointments and do research close to the respective branch. The platform thus replaces the currently severely restricted face-to-face communication, especially at trade fairs.

How can the platform help me?

Even under isolation conditions at home you can deal meaningfully, e.g. B. Doing things you always wanted to do at home, e.g. B. tidying up, "mucking out" or redesigning the apartment, cleaning up the hard drive, archiving photos, playing entertainment games with the family or reading a book again. Television, computer games, Netflix streaming etc. serve as a distraction and are of course possible. "If the isolation should last for several weeks, passive entertainment or video games is too one-sided," warns the expert. It is important for emotional stability to look for tasks with which one can remain productive while waiting. In addition, hours of streaming movies and series or similar high data volumes for leisure purposes may lead to congestion on the networks. The social data exchange for home office activities can thus be severely impaired.

When living together closely under one roof for a long time, it often happens that "the others" get on our nerves, you can extremely annoy yourself about trifles and conflicts and disputes quickly arise. It is important to find a good balance between being together and being able to be yourself. This primarily means protecting your own privacy and respecting that of others. Every member of the household must have space for retreat and retreat.

Finding a common order in the household and rules of living together is a matter of mutual respect. If everyone is more considerate of each other, there is less reason to argue. If you cannot avoid each other, you should avoid conflicts or settle quickly. For a comfortable living together, it is also helpful to do some activities regularly with all household members, e.g. B. the ritual of meals together, but also common leisure activities (board games, handicrafts, puzzles, etc.). You can use the time for yourself - instead of exclusively with media consumption and distraction - by doing something for your own mind, e.g. B. by relaxation, meditation or listening to music or making music or singing yourself.

It is important and possible not to lose your head. On the one hand, everyone should recognize the seriousness of the situation and act accordingly. On the other hand, despite everything, there is no reason to panic. "We live in a rich country with many resources and will ultimately survive this crisis," says Prof. Mühlig. In order to be able to assess the situation objectively and reasonably, it is important to obtain sufficient and correct information. The seriousness of the information sources should be taken into account. Unfortunately, there is already a lot of false information and conspiracy theories circulating on the Internet, with which some unscrupulous people make themselves important or even make money. This fake news leads to wrong assessments and wrong actions. They are dangerous in thatbecause failure to follow safety recommendations endangers us all. "You can use information from the federal and state governments and the Robert Koch Institute in particular," the expert recommends. The children should be told the situation in age-appropriate language without overwhelming or frightening them. The message should be: Everything will be fine, we can do it!

Anyone who has the impression that they are overwhelmed by the situation despite all of this, or suffer from anxiety, restlessness, intense tension, overactivity, irritability, aggressive outbursts or pronounced depression, should contact the professional help system in good time (e.g. advice centers at the Health insurance companies, care telephones, psychotherapeutic counseling centers). Contact by phone or email, advises Prof. Dr. Stephan Mühlig.