Feeling stressed by the coronavirus? Have a good cry, Chinese health experts said.
If that does not work, buy a punching bag for the office or try singing.
The advice for people in China struggling mentally to cope with the virus comes as schools and businesses delay reopening this week to help contain the spread of the pathogen that has claimed more than 420 lives.
Photo: AFP
With public attractions closed, events canceled and people urged to stay home to avoid infections over the extended Lunar New Year holiday, their psychological health is coming under the spotlight.
Some provinces, such as Anhui, have set up 24-hour hotlines for people mentally affected by the epidemic to talk to psychologists or psychiatrists, state-run Xinhua news agency said.
Health experts have offered suggestions on how to deal with the “extraordinary circumstances.”
“If your emotions have been particularly suppressed, you can look for an isolated spot and have a good cry for a few minutes,” Beijing Huilongguan Hospital’s Yang Fude (楊甫德) said.
“After crying, you will feel better... An overcast sky will only brighten up after a heavy downpour,” he added, when asked for advice for frontline workers battling the virus.
PUNCHING BAGS
Otherwise, employees can install a sandbag in their office and spend several minutes doing some punching exercises to relax, he said.
His comments were met with some amusement online, with one microblog user saying: “Surely we can’t be crying all day.”
Chinese are receiving advice on all fronts on how to act responsibly, as well.
A banner at Beijing West Railway Station reminds people to “strengthen protection, stay calm, believe in science and avoid spreading rumors.”
NO HANDSHAKES
Another outside a Beijing housing estate urges residents to “avoid going out, wear a mask, keep a distance with others and don’t shake hands.”
Jingles on TV and radio remind people to wash their hands regularly, on top of round-the-clock updates online from the central city of Wuhan, where the virus was detected late last year.
Experts have urged people not to turn to drinking or gaming to pass the time at home.
“When avoiding going outside these days, people can relieve stress by exercising indoors, singing and so on,” Chen Xuefeng (陳雪峰) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences said. “Drinking and gaming for long hours is not good for stress and could bring about worse emotional pressure.”
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