
Lockdown measures are being called the biggest social experiment ever conducted in human history
KARACHI: Many people are not able to understand the complete effect that the coronavirus has had on people. Apart from attacking the body physically, the coronavirus also attacks the mind but in a psychological way.
Lockdown measures are being called the biggest social experiment ever conducted in human history. Some claim that this is a sign of the apocalypse. Whatever the case, one thing is clear: there is immense fear, panic and anxiety among the people. The constant bombardment of Covid-19 news on television and social media has made us all paranoid.
These feeling are imagined by our mind by creating an illusion of the virus as a monster or a ghost that will attack you. Those who aren’t physically suffering from the virus are suffering from it mentally. In such a situation what are we to do?
If someone is feeling anxious and stressed, it is important for them to stay away from Covid-19-related news. Physical activities are always good as it shifts the focus from the mind to the body. Gather around your family and interact with them more often during the day. Try to video-call distant friend and have a friendly chat with them. Meditation is another method to reduce such feelings. What it does is that by focusing on just one aspect such as breathing, the mental confusion inside the head clears away which in turn reduces the thought process of the mind. This prevents the mind from creating fearful scenarios that can lead a person to a breakdown.
If such feelings persist even after this pandemic is over, it is important to visit a psychologist to make sure that everything is all right mentally. It is acceptable to seek help because, just like the body, the mind also has processes of its own that can get damaged.
Hassan Raza
Published in The Express Tribune, April 18th, 2020.
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