Stay home, stay well: Build stronger emotional ties

People need to have strong mental connection with each other at this time of social distancing, said a noted physiatrist while talking about fighting coronavirus. 

Mekhala Sarkar, associate professor of the psychiatry department at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), in a conversation with The Daily Star, said, "The more we establish mental attachments with others, the more we feel relieved. 

"It will make us feel that we are not alone. It will boost our mental strength." 

To restrain the outbreak of highly contagious COVID-19, people across the globe have been maintaining social distance following recommendations of health experts. 

In the wake of coronavirus spread, the government suspended all public and private offices and urged citizens to stay at their homes. 

To enforce the homestay and other precautionary measures, army personnel started assisting the local administration at divisional cities and district towns. 

Mekhala said it was unfortunate that the pandemic created a severe crisis across the country but it also had some positivity. 

"We now have leisure time in hand to finish our pending tasks, pass quality time with children and other family members, play indoor games like Ludo and Carrom, and do many more things that we usually fail to manage time for," she said. 

Mentioning the risks of anxiety disorder among the people who are panicked and over thinking, she suggested that breathing exercise and physical activities could help people fight anxiety. 

"We have to keep communicating with the people through mobile phone and social media," she said, adding, "We have to think positively. This bad time will end soon." 

The noted psychiatrist suggested that people should not be always thinking of COVID-19 as it could shatter people mentally. 

"We should fix a time in a day to get updates on the virus. We must not always think of it," she said.