It's something we cannot ignore: the Coronavirus - or Covid-19 - has reached our country and many other countries. We are now facing a pandemic.
But this is not the first time that we have encountered a global crisis; for instance, there was the banking crisis in 2008, the Mexican flu in 2009 and the terrorist attacks in 2016. We are feeling collective fear, uncertainty and insecurity. People feel less comfortable walking in large crowds because they do not know what could happen. This may be needed to protect our safety and that of the people around us, but such situations are never easy to deal with.
The national measures are clear: avoid contact as much as possible. That a pandemic brings with it fears and uncertainties is logical. How do we deal with this and what can we do to spend this time as positively as possible?
Why are we so afraid of this virus?
Many people like to have everything under control, which means an unknown virus that spreads quickly across the world can lead to (collective) fear and cause panic reactions.
In fact, the Covid-19 virus engenders existential fears in people. Life or death suddenly becomes a real prospect. However, other themes within existential well-being are also affected by this pandemic, like fear of losing contact with others and/or fear of losing one's identity.
We start to encounter difficulties when these fears gain the upper hand (faster in some people than in others). We are distracted, we forget things, we feel unsettled, we have difficulty sleeping, we start panicking, we are irritable…
The closer the danger, the greater the fear. In fact, this applies to all our emotions.
Once the threat is encountered by our senses, a message is sent to our brains and we start to experience physical reactions. Our pupils dilate, we start to sweat, all our attention is directed to the threat, our brain starts producing cortisol, which in turn increases glucose in the blood, and we are left to choose between two options: fight or flight.
That is when you really experience fear.
This is the fight or flight response: a defence mechanism that is encountered in humans and animals when they encounter acute danger
However, when it comes to a virus pandemic, the threat is not tangible or immediately visible, unless you actually come into contact with people who have the virus or have contracted it yourself. It mainly relates to fears about what will happen in the future - fear of the unknown. In theory, everything is possible and that makes the situation more difficult to deal with.
How can I manage this perceived loss of control?
‘Loss of control’ is the feeling that your destiny is not in your hands. And that is something that everyone feels in times like this. There is no such thing as 100% control anyway, let alone when a pandemic breaks out and your sense of security suddenly appears shakier than you imagined.
First and foremost, it is important to realise that safety is an illusion. You will always encounter changes in your life, which will make you feel 'unsafe'. The impact of these changes, as well as your resilience, will determine how you deal with them and whether you effectively suffer consequences or can let things pass you by.
Various factors will determine how you respond:
- Experience with similar situations
- Knowledge: what you know about the illness
- Trust: the experts may say so, but…
- Personality: are you easily worried or do you take each day as it comes?
Examine your stress signals in relation to this virus: in which ways do you no longer feel balanced? Emotionally, physically, behaviourally?
Which coping mechanism do you employ? In other words, how do you generally deal with fear/stress? Do you avoid it, do you start worrying, do you look for social support? Are you still able to think realistically? It is also worth questioning which of these mechanisms is healthy or unhealthy. The success of the various coping mechanisms is mainly determined by the situation itself. In some situations, it will be best for you to take action. However, in other - sometimes uncontrollable - situations, the best option will be avoidance and acceptance.
It is important to gain an insight into your personal coping mechanism(s). Only then will you be able to modify it or learn a new approach. The more tools you have at your disposal, the better. This means you will be able to respond flexibly and find the best approach for dealing with different situations.
Want to know more?
Would you like support in changing your situation, behaviour, perception and/or thoughts? Why not talk to someone at the EAP? Feel free to ask us your questions. Visit the ‘helpdesk’ page at www.eap-online.eu and discover how you can contact us.