Global Comment

Where the world thinks out loud

Children’s worries and emotional health during the pandemic

Mandala

The pandemic has caused a re-evaluation of many aspects of society. Most people’s routines changed and they had to restructure their lives, adapting to situations that were unthinkable in the past, such as not leaving their home for weeks.

At first, families’ attentions were directed to the changes they faced at work, their routine at home and virtual classes for children. But, as time has passed, some people have focused on having additional tools to manage anxiety, fear of uncertainty, and the emotional changes brought on by the pandemic.

Angie Rojas’ family struggled with their routine, schedules and interactions during the first few days. “The first two weeks were like a forced vacation. We enjoyed it, but we began to plan our finances by thinking about how long the quarantine would last, and that worried us”.

When she realized their hours were completely reversed, she decided to talk to her husband and her 10-year-old daughter, Dana, who is still taking classes online. Their planning helped them not to panic and to know how to organize their time.

For master coach specialist in wellness and happiness, Betzy Padrón, the quarantine allowed many people to slow down and reconnect with themselves and their loved ones.

“In the past, we forgot about the little things and being present here and now. This forced us to stop and recognize ourselves, to reconnect, to reconcile with ourselves, to look inside. This led us to grow in many areas of our life that we had forgotten or postponed”.

But, before this reconnection, people experienced periods of deep concern. Anxiety and fear are not exclusive to adults; children have also experienced challenging and strange months, with changes in routines that may have altered their emotional health. While many believe that a child’s life is simple, the reality is that each stage of life has its challenges.

In the first few weeks, Dana worried about the time she would spend indoors and became impatient to see her friends and go to school again.

“At first it was emotionally devastating for everyone… I was worried because I saw her biting her nails,” Angie says.

Sadness accompanied Dana in the early days of the quarantine, she had her birthday party planned with her friends and it was cancelled at the last minute. She was also affected by the precautions taken to avoid contagion.

“I was angry because my dad came home from work and I wanted to hug him and I couldn’t, because he came from the street and we couldn’t touch him until he took a bath. I was anxious because I wanted everything to go back to normal and I wanted the Covid and the quarantine to be over.”

It is important to consider that children are capable of absorbing everything that happens around them and experience the same concern as their parents. Meditation, exercise, good nutrition, and healthy tools for living in the present can help kids focus on the positive, relax, and feel better despite the uncertainty caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

“We realized that the pandemic was not going to be for 3 months or 6 months. I explained to Dana that it was not going to be a quick process. The phrase ‘the new normal’ fell on us like a bucket of cold water, but we ended up understanding that the world as we knew it no longer existed,” which is why Angie and her family decided not to resist the changes.

Parental support has been essential for the mental and emotional health of kids.

“When parents are involved in their children’s activities, they strengthen the family bond, confidence and motivation. The management of parents’ emotions helps their children to be calm and in harmony”, explains therapist Betzy Padrón.

Meanwhile, Angie decided to establish routines for her daughter with activities of her interest. Thus, during her quarantine, Dana dedicated time to reading books and learned macrame, the alphabet in Morse code, sewing on a machine and creating a YouTube channel with topics that matter to her.

In addition, Dana began to dedicate time each day to meditation.

“The quarantine stressed me out because I was confined. Meditation helped me control my need to get out, helped me relax and learn to be a little more patient. I stopped biting my nails because of the anxiety and it helped me with my concentration”.

Other activities that Betzy Padrón recommends to children include coloring mandalas or making them with objects, pebbles or colored paper, because it brings many benefits.

“It helps concentration and attention, it is a form of active meditation, it keeps in the here and now, it channels stress and anxiety, it develops creativity, it reconnects with the Self, it helps to maintain balance and calm”.

Padrón explains that with the practice of mandalas the mind structures vary, harmonizing and developing the mental flexibility that allows a better adaptation to change. Dana confirms this.

“For me, mandalas are an isolator from the outside world, in a good way. At the same time that you draw them, you think about their colors and shapes, those patterns help you think only about that, so it’s relaxing and beautiful”.

Image credit: moritz320