Oriol Lafau, mental health coordinator for the Balearics, said on Tuesday that the "information bombardment" about Covid is very difficult to manage and that it leaves people "frustrated, tired and sad". "Society has this feeling of frustration. It is normal, otherwise we wouldn't be human."
"Living from day to day," he suggested, "is the only recipe". "If we start making forecasts, they can be missed, and this affects our mental well-being. Frustration has to do with a general situation of sadness. It is only possible to live in the moment, to try to solve the problem we have now and not think about what will come, even if it is difficult not to do so." But in this way, the frustration diminishes. "It's a kind of social antidepressant."
"We must believe in science and not squander it. We have to thank the common effort and the solidarity networks that have been hatching over the months; thank those who believe that society works together for a common goal. We should aspire to be a more mature society in solving problems. If we don't stop complaining, I don't know that we will succeed."
Lafau observed that it is a very human trait to look for culprits. "After the first wave, it was the young people. This channels our anger, but does it help us as a society? We confront each other and we create chaos amidst the chaos." Responsibility and solidarity, he argued, should prevail, even above "resilience".