I am a 31-year-old architect living in Bandra, Mumbai. I have two dogs. Every evening I would take them for a frolic on Carter Road. For the last three months they have been locked up at home. I tried to take them for a short walk in the society compound, but the neighbours objected. They seem so listless now and it breaks my heart. How do I bring life back to myself and my beloved pets?
Ans: I am a pet lover and proud caretaker of three dogs as well so can understand your plight at a personal level. It could get difficult when you have to take into consideration the current situation and the well-being of your dogs. You could pick some earlier time to get out of the house and take them for a much-needed walk. If your society is posing problems, then speak to the management to find a suitable way for all of you. You could also speak to a dog expert and get hands on understanding about what can be done in this given pandemic to keep your dogs happy.
I am a 17-year-old student preparing for the medical entrance exam. My tuition has shifted online and they take classes for long hours due to our college being shut. My college exams have also postponed and I have more work piled on me because of this. Everyone at home expects me to help out with chores but I get exhausted studying, cleaning the house and attending lectures. I have become very irritable and fight with my mom a lot. How do I control my temper and manage my time?
Ans: It does sound that you are juggling a lot of tasks simultaneously and feeling exhausted as well as irritable is quite natural. Start by managing your time better by listing down your priorities. Given that you have entrance exams as well as long hours of online classes, whatever time is left with you needs prioritisation. Have a frank conversation with your family members about home chores until your exams are done so that they can delegate work amongst themselves and leave less stressful tasks for you. In midst of all this, you also need ‘me time’ so that exhaustion doesn’t lead to any negative consequences.
I am 15 years old and I have claustrophobia. Over the past two years, it has been getting increasingly worse and now the lockdown has taken a huge toll on my mental health. I feel suffocated in the house and I have broken down emotionally at least thrice a week. I don’t feel like eating anything and my body is on constant alert all the time. I cannot sleep. Earlier, I was advised to take walks around the society garden, but due to the virus, no one steps out of the house. More people at home also make the space smaller. My family tries to understand, but they are getting frustrated with me. I have a panic attack almost every day and it’s mentally and physically exhausting. What do I do?
Ans: The current pandemic situation has really taken a toll on the overall well-being even though one is physically healthy. The claustrophobia could be exponential given the fact that there is compulsory confinement in our houses, even though you are able to rationalise it to a large extent. There are online therapy sessions available which you can give a try in order to understand how to handle the panic attacks better and also how to cope better in the current situation. It could help working with a professional for a while till you are able to handle the situation on your own.
