Vanesa Rescalvo: "The emotional impact of the COVID has been significant".

Psychologist Vanesa Rescalvo, from Atlas Psicólogos, talks about emotional management in the face of the COVID.

The COVID-19 crisis has meant a radical change in many people's lives.A large part of the ability to face the challenges of the pandemic months has to do not only with strategy and the management of material resources, but also with emotional management.

However, this is not always easy, and not knowing how to manage emotions gives rise to additional problems. For this reason, it becomes essential to develop the psychological skills related to this.

The psychologist Vanesa Rescalvo has been helping people with this kind of problems for a long time, and in this interview she talks to us about this.In this interview she talks to us about what to keep in mind to cope with the emotional impact of the pandemic months.

Interview with Vanesa Rescalvo: the keys to emotional management before COVID-19.

Vanesa Rescalvo is a general health psychologist and co-director of Atlas Psicólogos, a psychotherapy center located in Tres Cantos. In this interview we talk to her about the management of emotions in the face of the coronavirus crisis.

To what extent has the COVID-19 crisis had an impact on the emotional health of the population?

The emotional impact has been significant. In these months working with my patients I have observed that the COVID has affected several areas: in this situation we have all developed a certain fear of this virus, which in the most intense cases, leads some people to develop a lot of discomfort when going out on the street; on the other hand, a very present symptom in most of the population is the feeling of exhaustion, of needing this situation to end now to return to their usual life.

Nowadays we all have less access to our daily reinforcers (meetings, activities, travel, among others), so it is normal that this exhaustion occurs. Fewer activities to recharge and more demands on the environment lead to people feeling more psychologically tired.

Is there a tendency to assume that emotional problems arising in times of crisis are something that one has to cope with oneself without seeking professional help?

Somehow, all of us tend to try to solve many situations by ourselves, and leave the intervention of a professional for the end.

The problem with this approach is that often our own perspective is insufficient to solve a demanding situation, and during the time that we do not work to solve the problem, two things happen: on the one hand, we endure an unpleasant discomfort; on the other hand, the problem worsens.

In times of crisis is when the intervention of an expert in the subject is most necessary, since it is when it is most difficult to manage the situation.

What are the dynamics of coexistence in the family or with the couple that can be more worn out by the pandemic situation?

We used to have more variety of activities and reinforcers, so almost any living situation can be affected. It is easy for us to be more irritable and this leads us to argue over small things such as not having put the dishwasher on or having some mess.

Perhaps an important point is that the more discouraged people are, the more we tend to focus on ourselves and our suffering, which can cause problems when it comes to empathizing with others and having more inconsiderate behavior towards them.

And in the professional sphere, what psychological impact has the coronavirus crisis had?

As I said in one of the previous questions, the main effects I have noticed in my practice are the fear of contracting the disease and exhaustion due to the duration of the situation.

These two factors sometimes end up leading to anxiety due to the perception of danger and sadness for feeling that time and life are being wasted.

I have also noticed that this psychological fatigue has caused some people to be a little more lazy to start a therapeutic process, which is reasonable insofar as a person feels worn out, but paradoxically it makes it easier for the problem to remain. It is a difficult and demanding situation, so it is important to understand ourselves and others.

What are the most useful techniques and forms of intervention in therapy to help people suffering from pandemic anxiety?

Precisely because this is a demanding situation, unfamiliar to the vast majority of the Western population, it is important that we do not make more demands on ourselves.

One thing I often tell my patients is that this is not the time to force yourself to learn English, take photography courses, or anything else.

If a person feels like doing it and has a personal motivation to do it, go ahead and enjoy it! But if it is a self-imposed effort to try to make the most of the time, it is normal that, in addition to not reaching that goal, one ends up feeling more frustrated.

That is why the main recommendation we make in our clinic is to reduce the level of self-demand. It is interesting to continue to have goals, it mobilizes the person and brings happiness, but without a sense of obligation in the process.

In addition, guidelines for learning to manage emotions are often very useful at this time.

Beyond psychotherapy, what habits and routines can people follow to prevent anxiety problems or put them at bay?

Following on from the above, just as obligatoriness can be too demanding at this time (and not only in this situation), voluntariness allows for a very valuable recharge of energies.

The number one point, in my opinion, would be to do what you feel like doing. To that activity that is motivating in itself, you can apply a routine that facilitates its practice. For example, establish a schedule, analyze what difficulties may prevent its implementation, consider what resources you have to start it.