We wake up and realize that we no longer remember how many days we’ve been in quarantine. Maybe a day of telecommuting Or maybe we have the whole day off because now we don’t even work. The media do not stop transmitting information and figures related to the covid-19.
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We try to distract ourselves. Luckily, suggestions for keeping busy are shared on social networks: online courses, movie listings, sports classes, etc. We even begin to listen since we must see this situation as an opportunity to emerge stronger.
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But What do we mean by “getting stronger”? Psychology calls it resilience, defined as the process of successful adaptation to adverse situations and crises. We adapt successfully when we are able to interpret the situation as a learning opportunity, when we come out stronger after it.
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Adverse situations are inevitable in our life. Many times we experience them as threats because they get in the way of our plans and put our emotional balance to the test, generating a feeling of powerlessness and lack of control. However, it is not the situations themselves that cause a crisis. What is decisive is how we value them and what our abilities are to overcome.
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In this sense, sometimes difficulties can even favor our personal growth. We can take advantage of them to look inward and know ourselves better. In some cases, they make us question things that seemed obvious to us and invite us to review our lives. Perhaps it is time to make a decision that can no longer be postponed. Or we dare to do something that until now was resisting us.
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So what can we do to make confinement an opportunity to emerge stronger? What research has revealed to us is that we can increase our resilience through a few simple habits. Specifically three: calm the mind, keep focus and connect with others.
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* Isabella Mengel is a professor of Social Psychology and Psychology of Work and Organizations at the International University of Catalonia.
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