From the comfort of their fixed routine, fun classes, entertaining peer groups, caring teachers, the life of our children has drastically changed to being cooped up in their homes under lockdown.  Social distancing has almost created a ‘hostage-like’ situation for children with parents (understandably so) keeping strict control over their movements. 

Stress and anxiety are the natural outcomes of the Covid-19 pandemic that has spread to all the nations of the world and has affected more than 2.6 million people. Dr Rajat Mitra, Clinical Psychologist and a Harvard Alumni, says stress begins to manifest itself when we do not deal with it. According to Dr Mitra, clear indications of stress and anxiety are when people appear worried, withdrawn, detached and stop communicating. This affects the young and elderly more as they are aware of their physical vulnerability, therefore are more anxious about their safety.

Dealing with Stress

Dr Mitra clearly advises that communication is the key. The key is to talk to your parents and share your fears and anxieties. Ask them what can be done together as a family to be safe. Ask your parents to recall situations when they had overcome difficulties in the past and help you recall your situations too. Express confidence, as a family that this time too, all would be able to remain safe and healthy together.

During the family conversation express your views on how as family you could deal with this situation and what each one of you is feeling and maybe help someone. This will be a real-life experiential learning in human values, specially empathy.

Restoring Normalcy

Its best to follow a routine you had before the lockdown. Pursue your interests, and hobbies and enjoy and appreciate what you do. Share household tasks and ask whether you can be creative and innovative in doing these mundane tasks, it will be a change for your parents too. The fun and cheer this will bring will alleviate the stress and gloom. You could also take the responsibility of assisting the grandparents in their daily chores. If parents and teachers are sharing an overdose of information about the viral outbreak ignore the updates or talk with your parents. Spend time to pursue things that you didn’t have time to take up earlier, for example some hobby or new thing to make or reading, etc.

Taken over by the Virtual World

Another paradigm shift in our day-to-day existence has been that socialisation has been swapped with digitisation. The virtual world has replaced most of our real-life connections whether it is school, work, recreation, shopping, fitness etc. all are happening online. For you’ll who are digital natives, this transition has been near-total with Zoom meetings becoming your second home due to hours spent online for learning, socialising, playing and even taking hobby and fitness classes. How much online time is good for you, is something that you can or could discuss with your parent and teachers so that they can help you manage, monitoring the online time.

The Balancing Act

The parents and teachers have to strike a balance between online and offline activities of their children. The rule of thumb should be – what can be done offline should be avoided online. Recreational activities like singing, dancing, playing an instrument, painting or doing craftwork should be totally undertaken offline.  A family workout, music medley, deep cleaning or cooking session would halve the effort and double the fun quotient. In such stressful times, you could get in touch with the school counsellor who would help mitigate stress and anxiety to a great extent.

What else can you’ll do?

Take out those books that you used to leave behind because the school/college used to reopen after the vacation and then you would have to struggle to read and finish the story between studying and other things.

Help your parents in daily chores, this will not only help them but also help you to pass time effectively and not get too bored.

Learn something new if you wish to during this time, for example cooking or cleaning the house or household chores, etc. this will make you feel good.

Connect with your friends, technology can keep you connected.

Take some time off social media and connect with yourself and your family members. Do things that are offline for example drawing, painting, doodling, sketching, writing, talking with your family members about you’re the current situation and various other topics.

Breathe and practice breathing exercise.

Think about things that you can control and things that you cannot control no matter what you do. Give reasons of why the things are there in each column, it will help you accept things and when you accept, you will become calm.