MANILA - Medicine student Maritz Lubo, 24, has been living alone for 2 years.

But she admitted that she did not have enough time to brace for the impact of the Luzon-wide lockdown on her mental health.

"I had to act normal and study despite of what's happening. I didn't have time to absorb the sudden change in routine, and the devastation that was hitting our country due to the pandemic. Now, it's still difficult but I try to make do of the situation," Lubo, who lives in Quezon City, told ABS-CBN News in an online interview.

To get by, she said she has been going to the grocery. She said having a neighbor who is also her classmate helps as her support system.

"One would always message the other whenever they're going to the grocery, so that they can just get it for them, lessening exposure. We message each other as much as we can between school work to make sure that we're okay."

Despite being confined at home, designer Bianca Edwards said she only feels "half as productive" as the lockdown compelled her company to telecommute. Her work schedule and a less conducive work area at home, she says, has also been affecting her productivity.

“I work UK time, 4 p.m. to 1 a.m., so sometimes I suddenly feel sleepy and actually fall asleep especially since I work inside my room and my bed is always calling me. It’s also hard to be productive since my work area at home isn’t really a comfortable place and it’s very small. Also as a creative designer, it’s hard to find inspiration for creativity when you’re trapped inside a house,” she said.

When the lockdown, supposed to end on April 12, was extended to April 30 to contain COVID-19, freelance vlogger Monique Estrella, who has been living alone in a condominium in Quezon City, admitted that hearing news of the lockdown was "disappointing" but said she was "thankful" as the order was a safety measure.

“Mahirap pero kakayanin as long as I/we have food to eat and things to keep us busy. Worried lang din to those na nahihirapan sa situation ngayon kasi hindi lahat blessed,” she said.

(It's hard but we carry on as long as we have food to eat and things to keep us busy. I'm just worried about those who are finding it hard to cope because not everyone is blessed.)

For Edwards, the lockdown extension made her yearn for normalcy.

"We don’t have a choice if this quarantine gets another extension and the country needs it. [But] if it were up to me, I’d rather not have an extension since it’s really best to have my normal life back," she said.

People are still adapting to changes brought by the lockdown, making them feel stressed and uneasy about the current set-up, psychologist Lilian Ng Gui explained to ABS-CBN News in a phone interview.

"Sanay ang mga tao na wala sa bahay, at nakakulong kasi wala naman tayong 4 seasons na winter. Sanay tayo sa labas, sa relationships… Nape-pressure tayo sa quarantine,” she said.

(People are used to being outside their homes, never confined inside because we don't have four seasons that has winter. We're used to being outside, in relationships... we are being pressured while in quarantine.)

Government's Luzon-wide quarantine requires people to stay at home to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease, which has infected over 5,400 people as of Wednesday.

First imposed in mid-March, the lockdown suspended school and public transported and prompted companies to adopt work-from-home arrangements if applicable to their businesses.

The quarantine forced over 50 million people in Luzon to remain indoors.

Gui said changes in work structures under the lockdown may add to the stress of employees working from home, especially for families.

“Tayong mga Pinoy most of the time sanay tayo si tatay at nanay, [wala sa bahay]. So it’s really, really hard and overwhelming. Hindi kagaya ng mga working mom. Lalo na kung nagtatrabaho ka naninibago, [nakukulangan] iyon ang behavior natin,” she said.

(We Filipinos are used to the situation where the mother and the father are out. So it's really, really hard and overwhelming. Unlike working moms... Especially when you are a worker, you adjust to the situation.)

The psychologist stressed that it “normal” to feel unproductive at such an uncertain time.

“It can be a funny feeling after all but under the circumstances now it’s okay that you feel overwhelmed and unproductive. Natural iyan, OK na OK iyan. Walang mali diyan (That's natural, it's OK. There's nothing wrong with that). There’s nothing wrong with feeling unproductive or uncreative,” she said.

COPING MECHANISMS

To help people get by, Gui suggested reconciling with the fact that the COVID-19 crisis is a reality. Time management will also help, especially for quarantined people tending to household chores, she added.

“We have to prioritize what to do. Alam natin (We know) what to complete by the end of the day, what is the best time to do all of this. Dapat natin alamin kung ano ang list at isipin kung paano what is the best time to do it (We should have a list and know the best time to do it),” she said.

It’s important too to allot some time for something one enjoy’s most, like drinking coffee, she added.

Proper food intake is also important, she said.

“Decrease carbohydrates. Nakakaapekto sa blood pressure and forgetfulness,” she added.

And of course, pray.

"Have faith," she said.

'ALWAYS KEEP CONNECTED'

It’s also important to seek help from co-workers and loved ones during quarantine, especially now that the Internet can be accessed easily, Gui said.

"Kailangan din natin ng additional help, seek help from co-workers, and family, anak na during this quarantine na maging masaya at nagtutulungan. And then chat. Always keep connected. Importante iyan,” she said.

(We need additional help, seek help from co-workers, and family, children during this quarantine to be happy and to help each other out. And then chat. Always keep connected. That's important.)

Internet usage also helps people cope with the stress that comes with the pandemic and interact with other people, sociologist Mary Racelis said in a separate phone interview.

"Even though naiinip (bored), you can talk sa Zoom, that’s how the middle class cope because they [are all] online… Nangangamusta ka kunyare (checking on friends)… If you have computers, you can get through somehow," Racelis, a professor at the Ateneo De Manila University, said.

Racelis, who specializes in studying the urban poor, however, noted that the poor may not be able to take advantage of connectivity through the internet.

“This is very different from iyong urban poor. [Most of them] have phones pero ngayon, if walang load, wala na (if they have no load, then no access),” she said.

Gui, meanwhile, suggested keeping away from toxicity at home especially if estranged family members are involved. She added, however, that this may be the "perfect time" to mend broken family relationships.

Venturing into other hobbies, she said, also helps, especially for those living alone.

“Stimulate your cells. Learn other things, ang dami-dami sa computer (there's a lot online), [there are] self learning opportunities go learn something sa Internet,” she said.

When living alone without any warm bodies to talk to, Gui suggests shifting one’s mindset to stimulating the brain like taking online classes, or conditioning one’s self that the quarantine is meant to keep everyone safe.

"Remember you are not stuck at home, you are safe in your own house. You can wake up at 10 a.m., you can do [whatever you need]. You are not stuck, you are safe at home," she said.

INTERVENTION OF COMPANIES, GOVERNMENT

Companies should also prepare their employees into going back to work after the lockdown.

"The body clock, the body system, the mental [aspect] should be ready... If I were to say it, to put it in a short way ang HR (human resources) should start getting ready in assisting people, in helping them in how they could slowly adjust to work,” she said.

Exercise, she said, may also be important to prepare the body for the expected work rush at home as soon as things go back to normal.

"You can start right now, have a walk. Stay in your house, walk around. Go down, go up the stairs instead of asking people. Start exercising. At least 15 to 30 minutes. The goal is to be consistent. Na ‘babalik tayo sa trabaho’ (we will be back to work) we have to condition,” she said.

Racelis called on the government to immediately streamline relief distribution in urban poor areas, adding that frustration over the lack of resources may lead to violence such as domestic abuse.

She also stressed the role of participating in one’s own community as a means of coping with the crisis.