We are living in a pretty hard time. Since the announcement of the appearance of the COVID-19 virus, the entire world has been altered. Its contagion capacity is so high that, a few days ago, the World Health Organization classified it as a “pandemic” and, until now, thousands of cases of infected people have been reported in every continent of the planet.

Thus, to stop its spread and avoid a catastrophic outcome, agencies and authorities have recommended that each government apply quarantine and social/collective isolation actions. Many countries have already implemented this measure, which means that there are a lot of people who cannot take to the streets and who have to stay home for a long period of time.

This is the most effective way of dealing with the pandemic, as has been proven. However, complying with it is not as easy as it seems. The situation has created a lot of uncertainty and this has caused people to develop high levels of distress. For that reason, we want to share with you this article about the different ways schools can help students deal with anxiety related to issues of this type.

– As a school, promote the correct dissemination of information:

One of the factors that most intensifies negative feelings is ignorance and misinformation. It is the duty of schools to educate children to develop their critical thinking and to be able to question the data they are receiving in order to contrast them and identify what information is true and which they should not pay attention to.

– Educate as much as you can on the subject and preventive measures.

A good part of the inconveniences presented regarding the control of this new coronavirus has to do with the fact that a few people really know what it is and how to prevent it. In this sense, it is very important that schools are in charge of providing quality content that helps students understand what is happening in the world.

Also, when people hear the word “quarantine”, they scare and think that it is something that will put them in danger. Therefore, it is recommended that educational institutes and teachers report on the development of these measures, what limitations they imply and how they can benefit the control of the disease.

– Present a varied, versatile curriculum with content that can be studied remotely.

Many of the schools have been closed in order to protect their students and general staff, which means that children spend a lot of time at home. In relation to this, it has been proven that, when someone has a lot of free time, they also tend to develop anxiety and anguish.

That is why schools are encouraged to create activities and programs that can be studied from home. It is very important that, as an educational body, a school always seeks to motivate its students to investigate and remain active in their learning process. In this way, they will be capable of keeping up with the lessons and, at the same time, maintain their mental health.

– Provide your students with tools and mechanisms to control stress.

Emotional control is another aspect that must be addressed in schools. Pandemics can generate a lot of stress in the population, so it is always wise to know some tools or strategies that can help control its levels.

Schools, in conjunction with their student advisors, must take into account the importance of their students’ mental health and organize activities that give them the opportunity to get to know themselves and discover the different ways in which they can act when a situation of tension happens.

– Help them understand the good use of technology.

On days like these, technology can be a double-edged sword. At the educational level, it is an excellent instrument to teach and study lessons regardless of geographic barriers. But, if you do not make good use of it, it could turn out to be a trigger for emotions such as anxiety, anguish, and restlessness.

Make your students understand how they can take advantage of technological devices and proportional tips so that they can differentiate what is convenient for them and what is not.

Education is a very important element for society and schools have a preponderant role in the caring of mental health, especially in situations such as pandemics and the appearance of high contagion viruses. Let us be entities that promote values ​​and help each person in need!