We need Blitz spirit, says top psychologist

A LEADING psychologist says Britons must rediscover the ‘Blitz spirit’ to cope with weeks or perhaps months of self-isolation without succumbing to ‘cabin fever’.

Professor Steven Taylor said no one should underestimate the challenge but believes it will help if people remember they are doing it to save lives.

‘If you regard self-isolation as solitary confinement, that’s going to be stressful for you,’ he said. ‘But if you reframe it by thinking “I’m doing something really important, to keep others safe”, that’s a lot more constructive.’

Prof Taylor, the author of The

Psychology Of Pandemics, added: ‘People need reminding that they can cope with this. They are resilient. You aren’t going to like it, but you’ll get through it. You can compare it to the Blitz. People got through the Blitz. It was very stressful but they did it.’

A shared sense of purpose helped them cope, explained the academic, who works at the University of British Columbia in Canada.

Those with signs of the virus are being asked to self-isolate at home for seven days and whole households will soon be asked to lock themselves away for a fortnight if any one of them gets ill.