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Feeling stressed by the deadly coronavirus? Have a good cry, say Chinese health experts. If that does not work, buy a punching bag for the office or try singing.<\/p>\n
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 SARS-like pathogen that has claimed more than 420 lives.<\/p>\n
With public attractions closed, events cancelled and citizens urged to stay home to avoid infections over the extended Spring Festival break, their psychological health is coming under the spotlight.<\/p>\n
There is also growing concern over the well-being of healthcare workers on the frontline as the number of infections rises above 20,400.<\/p>\n
Some provinces, such as Anhui in the east, have set up 24-hour hotlines for people mentally affected by the epidemic to talk to psychologists or psychiatrists, said state news agency Xinhua.<\/p>\n
Health experts have offered suggestions on how to deal with the “extraordinary circumstances”.<\/p>\n
– ‘Have a good cry’ –<\/p>\n
“If your emotions have been particularly suppressed, you can look for an isolated spot and have a good cry for a few minutes,” said Yang Fude of the Beijing Huilongguan Hospital.<\/p>\n
“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.<\/p>\n
Otherwise, employees can install a sandbag in their office and spend several minutes doing some punching exercises to relax, he said.<\/p>\n
His comments were met with some amusement online, with one user on China’s Twitter-like platform Weibo saying: “Surely we can’t be crying all day.”<\/p>\n
– Act responsibly –<\/p>\n
Chinese citizens are receiving advice on all fronts on how to act responsibly as well.<\/p>\n
A banner at the Beijing West Railway Station reminds people to “strengthen protection, stay calm, believe in science and avoid spreading rumours”.<\/p>\n
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”.<\/p>\n
Jingles on television 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.<\/p>\n
China’s state broadcaster has been livestreaming the construction of two new hospitals in the virus epicentre, turning viewers into “online supervisors”, Xinhua reported on Sunday.<\/p>\n
– ‘Don’t drink and game’ –<\/p>\n
As people spend more time cooped up at home, hashtags detailing their boredom have made the rounds on Weibo as well, making light of the dire situation.<\/p>\n
One of them, titled “Dad has finally been driven nuts”, was viewed 440 million times, with 120,000 discussion posts.<\/p>\n
These included video clips of family members playing badminton indoors while wearing surgical masks.<\/p>\n
Another hashtag — “how bored can you be when staying at home” — had more than 80 million views.<\/p>\n
One user wrote: “This is the 10th day I have stayed home, and I can’t tell what day it is or whether it is day or night.”<\/p>\n
Another user posted photographs of a Mickey Mouse sculpture apparently made from the husks of seeds and nuts.<\/p>\n
In a bid to curb the spread of the virus, China has restricted travel and effectively locked down most of Hubei province — where the majority of deaths and infections have been reported — for almost two weeks.<\/p>\n
But experts were quick to urge citizens not to turn to drinking or gaming to pass the time at home.<\/p>\n
Chen Xuefeng of the Chinese Academy of Sciences said this week: “When avoiding going outside these days, people can relieve stress by exercising indoors, singing and so on.”<\/p>\n
“Drinking and gaming for long hours is not good for stress and could bring about worse emotional pressure,” she said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n