COVID-19 has changed us in more ways than we can count. One of the things that are not widely discussed is how it has affected family dynamics. Human beings are meant to live in social environments, mingle with loved ones and strike a balance between company and solitude. It keeps introverts, extroverts and ambiverts psychologically healthy.
But the pandemic and the ensuing lockdown, partial home isolation and online schooling, lack of outings and outdoor activities, working from home meant we have been cooped up inside our homes and not been able to see or spend time with many of our loved ones.
Add to that the threat of contracting the viral disease and the constant news of people we know succumbing to coronavirus ensured that our mental health went into a tailspin.
But someone in your family has been more adversely affected than you. It’s the youngest and most curious member of your family. It’s your child!
Children have not been able to go to school for months. The routine they were used to has been interrupted. Children have a harder time acclimatizing to change than adults.
They are lonely because they are cut off from their friends. They miss their teachers.
And all that stress related to your job, finances, health issues that you and the parents have been experiencing is unknowingly transmitted to them.
Your behaviour changes when you are under stress. Despite trying to be on your best behaviour, you will be short-tempered, agitated and irritable. That makes your child feel more ill at ease.
This psychological disturbance manifests in many ways. Your child might show signs of hyperactivity, noisiness, inattentiveness, rebelliousness and rude behaviour.
Instead of further losing your temper with them or handing out harsh punishments, you need to understand that you need to calm your child down. Put his/her mind at ease with love and the feeling of certainty. Only then will your child feel secure enough to be a better version of himself/herself.
The way to calm your child down is by being a more attentive and understanding parent. Yes, you are stressed out yourself but you need to understand that children are more vulnerable and less equipped to cope with stress. Their reasons for feeling anxious, unhappy and depressed are just as valid as yours. They need your help.
1. Listen to them
Many problems can be solved through open and clear communication where children do not fear being judged or punished by their parents. Be open to them and let them know that whatever is on their mind, they can share with you.
Discuss the problems they might be facing due to online schooling and help them in overcoming the hurdles.
2. Do not brush aside their pain
Adults have a habit of laughing off children’s problems. The things that cause children distress are not insignificant. They need to be addressed if you want your child to grow up into an emotionally and psychologically healthy human. Even if you feel like the pandemic has heaped your plate with problems, you will still have to find time to solve your child’s problems.
3. Do not fight or argue with them
Children may demand things that you possibly cannot grant during the pandemic such as birthday parties, picnics or sleepovers with friends. Instead of hushing their temper tantrums with a fierce scolding, try engaging in a logical dialogue with them. Children do understand the reason if approached calmly and treated as an adult (and not disdainfully as some adults treat children).
4. Let them stay in touch with all their loved ones
The biggest boon of technology is the ease of connectivity. It is only natural for children during the pandemic to be worried about the health of their grandparents and friends. So arrange video calls with people they care about on a regular basis.
5. Give them hope
Children often act out when they are scared and uncertain. This is why you need to make them feel protected. Even though you are grappling with the same emotions of fear and uncertainty, you need to make your children feel that they are protected and that as a parent, you will try to shield him/her as much as possible.
6. Establish a steady routine in your home
Nothing is more calming and assuring than a fixed routine. So, try implementing one and it should also involve the adults of the family. Try to stick to a routine when it comes to waking up in the morning, breakfast, chores, work, lunch, naptime, online classes and homework (for the children), dinner and bedtime.
7. Family time
Quality time with the family is another effective strategy to make your child feel calm, tranquil and loved. Ensure that you all engage in some family activity every day. Be it board games, watching sports or cartoons or asking them to help you with household chores, make sure they feel involved and cherished.
8. Discipline them
Children have very little idea of what kind of behaviour is acceptable or unacceptable. But during the modern age and especially considering how stressful the current era is, disciplining is something you need to approach thoughtfully. The old methods of physically punishing the child, yelling and abusing have been proven to do a lot of long-term damage.
Reward positive behaviour with acknowledgement and praise. Unless they do something that is worthy of punishment, ignore them. That usually discourages them from repeating the act.
Disciplining goes a long way in teaching children to be in greater control over unpleasant emotions such as turbulence, anger, hopelessness and despair.
Also Read: Constipation in Kids: A Research-Based Guide for Parents
Parenting has never been easy and the challenges have increased many-fold because of the ongoing pandemic. But it is only through affection, care and understanding can we all improve our psychological health and children need all three desperately. Once they start feeling sheltered, protected and understood, they will naturally calm down.
Every child is different, if you notice the persistence of any significant behaviour changes – irritability, loneliness, nightmares, change in appetite and sleep patterns, loss of interest in activities they loved previously, unexplained aches and pains, sadness do not hesitate in consulting a child psychologist or psychiatrist for the right advice. Anxiety and depression are found in people of all age groups including the little ones. Do not take their mental health lightly and give them the right care.
Disclaimer: The information provided here is for educational/awareness purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for medical treatment by a healthcare professional and should not be relied upon to diagnose or treat any medical condition. The reader should consult a registered medical practitioner to determine the appropriateness of the information and before consuming any medication. PharmEasy does not provide any guarantee or warranty (express or implied) regarding the accuracy, adequacy, completeness, legality, reliability or usefulness of the information; and disclaims any liability arising thereof.
Links and product recommendations in the information provided here are advertisements of third-party products available on the website. PharmEasy does not make any representation on the accuracy or suitability of such products/services. Advertisements do not influence the editorial decisions or content. The information in this blog is subject to change without notice. The authors and administrators reserve the right to modify, add, or remove content without notification. It is your responsibility to review this disclaimer regularly for any changes.
While work from home has its benefits like personal time management and flexibility in working hours, safety from exposure to COVID during these times, it also comes with a few health implications. Long hours of work, reduced physical activity, improper sleep routine, reduced in-person interaction with people are some of the factors that may impact your mental health along with overall wellbeing.
Therefore, even though you may have a highly ergonomic work from home setup, it is still important to pay attention to some of the signs and symptoms of mental and physical health which are often left ignored.
Spending long arduous hours in front of the computer screen can put immense pressure on both the eyes as well as the backbone and joints leading to quite a bit of strain. Moreover, work from home can result in a series of health issues:
Work in the office requires a regular commute and this exposes us to the sun which is a great source of Vitamin D. Without having to regularly venture outdoors, work from home can lead to Vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D deficiency can often lead to fatigue, impacting your immunity, mental and emotional wellbeing and bone health. Therefore, if you’re looking for working from home tips, getting a Vitamin D test would be at the top of such a list.
During prolonged hours of work from home, there is a reduction in physical activity, we often indulge in stress eating because of the pressures of coping with office work as well as trivial household chores. Moreover, without the need to venture out, we also tend to depend excessively on food delivery services. All of these combined could be a recipe for obesity and other allied health risks. If you consider a few quick bites as an essential part of your work from home setup, then it is recommended that you get a Lipid Profile Test.
The more obvious health risk that can emerge from prolonged hours of work from home is related to the cardiovascular system. Since work from home pushes one towards a more sedentary lifestyle we often forget that a few minutes of physical activity can go a long way in maintaining both physical and mental health. Lack of physical activity, increased screen time, improper sleep can greatly increase the risk of cardiac ailments and therefore, it is important that you get a Cardiac Risk Markers Test done.
The lack of physical connection can leave workers feeling they have nowhere to turn when they feel stressed or anxious. It becomes more challenging to form the strong support network which is crucial for good mental health.
Dr. M.G. Kartheeka, MBBS, MD
Whether it be work from home or at the office, long hours of sitting in the wrong posture or straining your neck too much can inevitably lead to shoulder and joint pain. In our tireless efforts on how to be more productive, we often tend to ignore the warning signs of our musculoskeletal system. However, there are an increasing number of cases where people are complaining of muscle and joint pains. Your doctor can advise you an Arthritis Screening Health Checkup to understand to what extent your work from home setup puts you at risk of arthritis.
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Besides physical health, you also need to be mindful of mental health when you work from home. This is because increased stress, anxiety, irregular sleep in some cases, burnout can also impact your mental and physical well-being. This in turn can affect your productivity at work. Indulge in some creative activities, play indoor games, exercise well, practice meditation and breathing exercises.
It is equally important to take care of your emotional and psychological well being to stay at the top of your health. By heeding the above-mentioned warning signs and undergoing diagnostic tests for early detection, you can ensure a healthy and happy work from home experience.
Disclaimer: The information provided here is for educational/awareness purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for medical treatment by a healthcare professional and should not be relied upon to diagnose or treat any medical condition. The reader should consult a registered medical practitioner to determine the appropriateness of the information and before consuming any medication. PharmEasy does not provide any guarantee or warranty (express or implied) regarding the accuracy, adequacy, completeness, legality, reliability or usefulness of the information; and disclaims any liability arising thereof.
Links and product recommendations in the information provided here are advertisements of third-party products available on the website. PharmEasy does not make any representation on the accuracy or suitability of such products/services. Advertisements do not influence the editorial decisions or content. The information in this blog is subject to change without notice. The authors and administrators reserve the right to modify, add, or remove content without notification. It is your responsibility to review this disclaimer regularly for any changes.
You may have heard that working too hard can cause you to burnout. A worrying trend has been emerging lately. More and more people are reporting Work from Home (WFH) burnout.
Doesn’t sound possible, right? What could beat the comfort of working from the familiar and cosy setting of your home? Yet it is spreading fast.
Read on to know more about WFH burnout.
The world has never experienced this degree of remote work. Nobody was prepared and new measures had to be enforced to make sure that productivity did not decline.
Bosses and managers thought that household distractions like children, family members, chores and pets would eat into the time that people put into work.
So they began to implement techniques to ensure that employees continue to be as productive as before.
But studies have found that people work more hours at home than they do in the office. On top of that, when you add the constant pressure exerted by employers, it results in a psychological breakdown.
WFH burnout is as dangerous as regular burnout. It can leave you feeling drained, empty, depressed and make you lose interest in life and the people around you. Stress and WFH burnout have serious consequences for your psychological health.
Make sure you take note of these signs, the longer you take to respond to WFH burnout, the more difficult it will be to restore normalcy.
Don’t worry, there are ways you can handle or prevent this kind of burnout-
WFH burnout is a serious condition and you should be aware of it so that you can do the right things to keep yourself and your loved one psychologically healthy during these difficult times.
Links and product recommendations in the information provided here are advertisements of third-party products available on the website. PharmEasy does not make any representation on the accuracy or suitability of such products/services. Advertisements do not influence the editorial decisions or content. The information in this blog is subject to change without notice. The authors and administrators reserve the right to modify, add, or remove content without notification. It is your responsibility to review this disclaimer regularly for any changes.
