We have been experiencing the effects of the global epidemic on our lives since March 11. The measures taken after the Covid-19 outbreak have undoubtedly affected us in many dimensions, especially individual, social and economic. The most important of these measures have now become slogans: Mask, distance and hygiene. Not paying attention to the mask and physical distance invites the transmission of the virus. The fact that the virus can spread easily scares some people and does not mean anything to others. So why are some people so sensitive while others remain indifferent? I will use some theoretical information to answer this question.
According to the cognitive model, the meaning we give to events affects our behavior. For example, if the thoughts that come to your mind after watching the news about coronavirus are "What if I get infected/What if I die from this virus", your reactions to this situation may be behaviors such as repeatedly checking whether you are sick or getting excessively worried. In addition, as a result of the measures taken, issues such as losing a job, decreasing financial income, staying away from social environments, and spending more time at home may cause individuals to focus more on negative thoughts. You love spending time with your friends, but due to the epidemic, you cannot be physically in the same environment with them. In our minds we say, "I haven't seen my close friends for months, I'm tired of this situation." What might be your reaction when the thought passes? It seems likely that things like feeling sad or depressed will happen. However, “It is sad that I cannot share the same environment with my friends in this process that affects the world, and I accept this situation. But I appreciate the time I spend with my friends more.” When you think about it, your reactions will probably be different.
Another view suggests that the thoughts that pass through our minds are not under our control and that the thought is just a thought. When an unwanted thought comes to your mind, what do you do with it? Are you struggling to get it to go away, trying not to think about it, or are you captive of that thought and consuming your energy? If you constantly do such activities, you experience something called fusion. It means z. Fusion means merging with the thoughts passing through our mind and letting the thought guide you. For example, “What if I get coronavirus?” If the thought constantly leads you to questions that have no answers and causes you to be anxious, tired and exhausted, it shows that you are united with this thought.
Our past learning also appears as another dimension that affects our behavior. Our parents' attitudes towards us shape how we behave. For example, while it is a very natural reaction for a three-year-old child to cry after bumping into the dining table; mother's "Dirty table, bad table, how can you hit my son?" It would be equally strange for the child to say and hit the dining table. In an upbringing model where such events are repeated, how do you think a three-year-old child might deal with events when he grows up? He is likely to be a person who easily blames others and shows his anger aggressively. Therefore, there are many behaviors we learn and practice from our caregivers.
When we look at the importance of our caregivers' approach to us from a neurobiological perspective, the mother's inconsistent reactions towards the baby (such as a smiling expression turning into an angry expression within seconds) can cause permanent damage to the baby's neuronal development. Have you ever witnessed people around you experiencing sudden emotional changes, intense emotions, and extreme emotional reactions? For example, “I was so angry that I don't remember what I was doing at that moment.” Even if we don't see it around us, we have definitely come across it in the news. The origins of people who suffer from these experiences date back to their first life experiences with their caregivers. People raised in this style may have low empathy skills. For example, research shows that individuals with borderline personality disorder confuse neutral expressions with negative expressions. So, even if you do not show any emotion, a borderline person may say, "I wonder why he got angry with me?/He found me boring." It may be focused on thoughts such as.
Without further ado, let me come to the subject of masks. Covid-19 research ma It reveals that wearing a mask, keeping a distance of more than 1.5 meters between people and disinfecting hands reduces the possibility of transmitting the virus. The Ministry of Health already expresses this every day. When we go out, we can see people wearing masks and people not wearing them. So why don't some people follow these rules? Almost every day, I witness arguments, even physical and verbal violence, between people who follow the rules and people who do not. Why do such events occur?
“The virus will infect everyone anyway, so there is no need to wear a mask./There is no such thing as a virus.” A person who focuses on thoughts such as this is very likely to disobey the rules. People with low empathy skills are also likely to act selfishly. On the other hand, there may be a situation where the rules are not followed due to momentary distraction. There may be some points we need to pay attention to when warning people who do not wear a mask, do not have a mask, or do not use a mask properly.
It is very important that we choose appropriate words when warning. “Will you wear your mask?” Imagine expressing the sentence with an appropriate expression. You don't have to phrase this sentence exactly as I wrote it. The conditions of your context may affect your expression of this sentence. You are the ones who know this best. How do you communicate without judgment in intimate relationships? What words do you choose? So how is this situation in your official relationships? Therefore, the first condition is to warn without being judgmental. The response you get after warning is “I wasn't aware, I'm sorry.” If so, the person will immediately correct his mask and use it appropriately. The answer you will get is “What do you care about my mask?” If it is an aggressive reaction like this and you have not warned in a judgmental manner, there is a high probability that the person you warned will experience the negativities I mentioned above. The first thing to do in this situation is to remember that the problem of the person you are warning is related to himself. Then, maintaining your physical distance from this person and walking away without getting into an argument can be an effective problem-solving strategy. Because when an argument starts, judgmental language is often used. and you may be faced with a new problem instead of a solution. I can give our weddings as another example. As you know, it is one of the important ceremonies in which we feel happy and share our happiness with our relatives. It is also one of the moments when the importance of masks and distance peaks. It is one of the frequent moments of shaking hands that we inherited from our ancestors. It's one of those moments where we "let our wolves out" with our cultural games. On the other hand, it is also one of the moments when the virus spreads most easily. I don't find it easy to say that we need to change our habits. Behavior change requires effort and responsibility. However, we must not forget for a moment the possibility that it will lead to the death of the people with whom we share our happiness. Wearing masks and keeping distance will keep us busy for a while. It is in our hands to reduce or extend this period…
Therefore, it is important that you act by considering your own health, as well as your loved ones and relatives.
Good luck!
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