Why is it recommended to follow a schedule during quarantine?

Here are the reasons why it is necessary to follow a schedule when keeping isolated at home.

The outbreak of the coronavirus epidemic has led authorities in many countries to ask their inhabitants to confine themselves to their homes to help curb contagion.

In view of this situation, experts have recommended the establishment of a schedule adapted to the quarantine situation as a psychological method to effectively cope with the situation.. But what is the explanation behind this recommendation?

The importance of scheduling during coronavirus confinement.

This is a preventive measure aimed at reduce the likelihood of mood disorder in vulnerable patients..

Studies indicate that the most prevalent symptoms in people in quarantine are low mood and irritability. Quarantine means being separated from family and friends, losing freedoms and living with uncertainty and boredom. This leads to an inevitable disruption of our daily lives. By reducing our physical and relational context to a minimum, the likelihood of receiving reinforcing stimuli also decreases, making it more difficult for pleasant emotions to emerge..

In this way, we can remain in an environment where the absence of reinforcement precipitates or maintains a low mood, or even apathy and reduced enjoyment, all possible symptoms of depression.

On the other hand, quarantine may involve an alteration in our sleeping and eating rhythms, something that has also been linked to depression.This has also been linked to mood disorders.

In fact, both context and Biological rhythms are at the core of some psychological treatments for depression: Behavioral Activation Therapy and Social and Interpersonal Rhythm Therapy.

Behavioral Activation Therapy

Behavioral Activation Therapy considers that context is a fundamental variable in depressive moods. According to this therapy, maintaining a level of activity adapted to our circumstances and possibilities would produce changes in our thoughts, mood and quality of life.our mood and in the quality of life we perceive.

In any case, it should be noted that it is not a matter of being busy all day and not thinking, but of finding those activities that we like, that connect us with ourselves and that fit our interests and personal values.

Social and Interpersonal Rhythm Therapy

Social and Interpersonal Rhythm Therapy is based on the hypothesis that life events, both negative and positive, that involve a marked change in daily routines and biological rhythms can precipitate or maintain depressogenic states.

Therefore, everything that involves maintaining sleep and eating schedules and exposure to sunlight, together with the performance of activities and daily interaction with at least one other person are considered, from this perspective, measures that can favor a positive mood and a sufficient level of energy to adapt to the changes that will occur in the coming days.

To sum up, the behaviors that we carry out during the quarantine would be fundamental to prevent the possibility of presenting depressive symptomatology as the days of confinement pass. as the days of confinement and isolation pass.

In particular, it is considered important to maintain self-care in terms of sleep, food and exposure to sunlight, and to schedule a routine of activities that includes tasks related to obligations (work, school...) but also activities for which we normally do not have time and that we have always wanted to do. Including everything that favors introspection, with an objective of self-knowledge and personal growth can help to give meaning to these days and to project ourselves into the future, considering what changes we want to make in our lives when all this is over.

Bibliographical references:

• Consejo General de Colegios Oficiales de Psicólogos. (n.d.-a). BEHAVIORAL ACTIVATION (AC): A NEW APPROACH TO THE TREATMENT OF DEPRESSION. Retrieved March 19, 2020, from http://www.infocop.es/view_article.asp?id=1157
• Consejo General de Colegios Oficiales de Psicólogos. (n.d.-b). The psychological impact of quarantine and how to reduce it, according to a study. study. Retrieved March 19, 2020, from http://www.infocop.es/view_article.asp?id=8630
• Official College of Psychology of Madrid. (2020, March 15). Guidelines for the psychological management of coronavirus quarantine. Retrieved March 20, 2020, from https://www.copmadrid.org/web/comunicacion/noticias/1459/orien taciones-la-gestion-psicologica-la-cuarentena-el-coronavirus.
• Soria, V., & Urretavizcaya, M. (2009). Circadian rhythms and depression. Actas Esp Psiquiatr 2009;37(4):, 37(4), 222-232.