Why are Psychologists Important in the Post-COVID era?

COVID-19 pandemic halted the entire world in its tracks in March of 2020. In rising to the challenge of an epidemic, governments and health organizations pushed for lockdowns with everyone being confined to their living spaces. Social distancing and isolation helped save many lives by preventing the transfer of the novel coronavirus, but it also made hundreds of people around the globe more vulnerable to mental health issues.

The impact of this pandemic on physical health was cosmic and the impact on mental health has also been substantial. People with existing mental health disorders saw a further decline in their health and high-risk people developed these disorders through the span of the pandemic. 

As the initial shock of the pandemic begins to wind down, it’s important to tackle these issues and there need to be healthcare providers available to help those who need it. Psychologists, moreover counselling psychologists, are key in helping people manage their emotions and feelings. Psychologists can also help patients process the change the world has gone through with the COVID-19 pandemic and how it has impacted their mental wellbeing.

The psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic

Briefly put, COVID-19 causes a rift between people and their ability to cope with change, especially since social isolation and lockdown policies took away many typical coping mechanisms. The reaction of people to the COVID-19 pandemic alone has ranged from feelings of hopelessness and helplessness to panic and hysteria (think toilet paper hoarding).

In addition to this, many people haven’t been able to cope how they normally would, especially those belonging to vulnerable or marginalized groups, as they often had less access to social supports. These people may indeed be at risk of developing mental health challenges and may need the help of psychologists to help them process these feelings in the post COVID era. In the meanwhile, demand on psychologists has been high with waiting lists to access services often lengthy.

The COVID-19 pandemic also affected the economy of the world, with multiple markets crashing and putting many people out of work. Joblessness further exaggerates the feeling of hopelessness and is associated with negative outcomes such as suicidal ideation, depression, stress, and anxiety. Many people put their worth and identity in their careers and when that isn’t present anymore, (alongside being locked at home giving them ample time to overthink), they experience a sense of grief and loss. It alters how they view the world and themselves.

Perhaps not surprisingly, the powerlessness people have experienced in the face of this pandemic has actually worsened in some cases by mandatory behavioural change. Examples of this are lockdowns, border closures across states and the vaccine policy being introduced. Whilst acceptance of Australia’s vaccine policy has increased statistically at least, misinformation continues to pervade people’s newsfeeds spreading fear and conspiracy-based thinking .

Some age groups and demographics are more vulnerable  to negative psychological impacts than others. These groups include high school and university students, young people who live alone, and the elderly. These are populations who may have the least amount of social support (or conversely a heavy reliance on social supports) and willingness or means to see a psychologist, important protective factors from the negative psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

There has already been a surge in people attempting to access psychologists since the COVID-19 pandemic and this will no doubt continue. There needs to be an equal rise in the number of therapists to help these patients come to terms with the psychosocial changes that the world has gone through. The basic human need for emotional support and processing of feelings and thoughts is a necessary component of this. Supporting patients objectively process their decision to vaccinate and the feelings that arise around an effectively mandatory vaccination program is yet another area where psychologists can help.

A Unique Opportunity to Work on Ourselves

Much of the world has been seemingly placed on pause at the moment. Many people have been placed in challenging situations regarding their employment or inability to access the services they previously required. In my practice I have been witnessing significant decline in many people’s mental health over the past fortnight due to circumstances being taken out of their control. So how do we adopt an attitude of resilience at this time and focus on the things that are within our control rather than being overwhelmed by that which is not? Here are some tips I am sharing with my clients at the moment…

First is to focus on our thinking. I am prone to a bit of catastrophic thinking, I’ll happily admit to this. How’s yours right now? Are you able to call yourself on your own BS you have playing in your head about the world around you? Do your thoughts end in doom and gloom for yourself, your family, your life? If so, now is the perfect time to change this.

Stop.

Breathe… (now more slowly and deeply, twice if not three times)…

Step back from social media, the news, people with pervasively pessimistic opinions.

Ask yourself these questions: “What evidence do I actually have that this catastrophic end I am imagining is going to eventuate? (feeling like something is true doesn’t mean for a second that it is - you’re feelings are NOT always reliable assessors of reality). What evidence can I find to suggest that it actually might not happen? What would someone older/ wiser/ kinder say to me if I shared my fears with them?”

These questions can help give us some perspective on our thinking always with the goal of bringing us back to the present.

Second is to focus in on our selves and ways we can improve. You have the time right now to do this. I know, you’re kids are climbing the walls and have completed their online school work by 840 am but if you really want to, you can make the time (a lot of other activities are no longer options at the moment, right? How can you take advantage of this time). Self-work is non-negotiable for many mental health professionals. It’s like brushing your teeth for psychologists. Without reflection on ourselves we stagnate and become unhelpful to our clients.

Making your self improvement a non-negotiable part of your week validates your growth and evolution as a human being. Now is a great time to do this, particularly in Australia where all online counselling (phone and video based psychology sessions) are open to the public and are wholly bulk billed under a MHCP. This is an amazing time if you have ever been interested in doing counselling with a professional that may have been out of your reach financially in the past. Reach out to someone who specialises in something you are struggling with and see if they are offering this service - you are no longer limited to people in your home town. Check out psychology today to find someone;

https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/counselling

Amazing!

Alternatively, the NY Public Library released a free App this past fortnight with 300,000 of its books available to read for free to the world. 300,000!!! Search away for self development opportunities. The app is called SimplyE.

Third is to focus on RAP. I say this again and again but Responsibilities, Achievements, Pleasures. There are some incredible resources becoming available to the world currently online for fun and entertaining activities, learning opportunities and growth. Use this global pause to lay down new routines for yourself that will serve your future self well. This is your only responsibility to yourself at this time. Create new habits in mindful activities - reading, meditation, puzzles, gardening, art….

Be kind to yourself. Now as always…

How to Process Emotions

Many of the people I meet in my practice want to stop being affected negatively by past events or experiences. But what does this really take? One answer, is the processing of emotions that are attached to the memories. So I thought I would take a brief look here at what ‘processing’ really looks like.

There are many forms of psychotherapy out there. In my Gold Coast psychology practice, I adopt an individually tailored approach that adopts aspects from several of the alphabet soup collection of evidence-based therapies. You may have heard of some of them; Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Motivational Interviewing (MI) and Eye Movement Desensitisation & Reprocessing (EMDR). The reason I mention these is that regardless of what therapeutic modality we adopt to build new skills, the underlying ‘processing of emotions’ remains a necessary component of our healing and runs as an undercurrent throughout your psychology sessions.

This is what emotional processing looks like in step by step form. You don’t need a therapist to do this, though a helpful and non-judgmental person may help you along the way for reflection and encouragement.

1)      Notice: Pay attention to your emotional state when either recalling a past memory or in-the-moment when your emotions are triggered. Take a deep breath. Feel. Don’t think. Feel. Notice what is happening. Bring your attention to your present experience as much as you can.

2)      Name it/ them: State what you feel. “I am sad” “I feel angry”. If you can’t pinpoint a word, try an emotion wheel like this one (I’ve left it big so you can print it out for the fridge if you like).

3)      Feel it: Stay with the feeling, even if it is hard. Notice what it feels like in your body. Stick with it through your discomfort. These are only feelings.  

4)      Relax into it: Take a few deep breaths. Notice if the feeling changes or shifts. DON’T JUDGE YOUR EXPERIENCE. Notice how your mind may try to take you out of it.

That’s it… Processing your emotions is one of the simplest yet most challenging things we face psychologically as overthinking human beings. Research indicates that the more skilled you are at doing this though, the less intra-personal (within yourself) and interpersonal (with others) conflicts you will face.

Keeping a journal can help to take this experience further or help you to deeper understand yourself. It can also help you see patterns in your thinking-feeling relationship and what triggers pop up frequently in your life.

Moving your body can be a really helpful way to process some of the physiological energy that emotions create. Dancing, yoga, running etc. Express the emotional state you are feeling. There are healthy ways to express all of the human emotions that don’t involve harming yourself or anyone else in any way.

Take care everyone and be kind to yourself. If you want some practice processing emotions, drop in to our Burleigh Heads psychology clinic or email me directly for more information.  

Note: If you’re reading this and are experiencing suicidal thoughts and have not practiced something like this before, I urge you not to, and instead call Lifeline (131114) or the Acute Care Team (1300 MH CALL) if you do not feel safe.

Likewise, if this practice becomes too overwhelming, I encourage you to enlist the help of a mental health professional for support. Don’t judge yourself. It’s just a practice like any new skill.

What's Your Money Personality?

Money is one of the most common reasons for divorces on the Gold Coast and contributes to many of the disagreements couples have. But what is a money personality and how can learning about this improve the way we communicate about money in our relationships?

There is a committed branch of psychology dedicated to personality studies. Thousands of personality questionnaires designed to determine every aspects of your personality whether for the purpose of job suitability, psychopathology, the Big 5 Factors (Extraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Emotional Stability and Intellect), or the many other curiosities of your personalities that influence your behaviour.  Your money personality can be understood as the way that you feel and think about money and can be determined by analysing your behaviours around money.

Although there are several ways to define a money personality, whether by morals and beliefs or behavioural patterns for example, I find the most helpful to be the most practical definition. For this reason, here are five primary money personalities descriptions taken from renowned money relationship experts, Bethany & Scott Palmer. Have a read through and see which you gravitate to the most.

Savers

Get a genuine rush from saving money

Are organised, responsible and trustworthy when it comes to finances

Rarely spend impulsively

Avoid credit card debt

A joy stealer for the sake of money

Focussed on financial goals

May be viewed as cheap

Spenders

Love to buy things for other people

Get a thrill from the purchase

Impractical and impulsive purchases often

Noncommunicative around their spending decisions

Often filled with regret

May often break the budget

Risk Takers

Are a big picture person

Love finding the next adventure

Get excited by possibility

Listens to your gut

Aren’t afraid to make decisions

Blinded by possibility

May be resented by those more cautious with money

Can be impatient at times

Security Seeker

An investigator around their spending decisions

Trustworthy

Willing to sacrifice an item for security

Prepared for anything

Can be overly negative

Can get stuck in a research rut

May stifle creativity and possibilities

Flyer

Basically, content with life and do not think about money at all

Big on relationships

Happy to let someone else take care of your finances

Not motivated by money

Can be reactionary and therefore can end up in money trouble

Lack in skills to solve money troubles as they arise

May be disorganised when it comes to money

Can be un-responsible in terms of money (not irresponsible, just not so concerned by it)

In reading through these descriptions were you saying to yourself, ‘OMG that is totally me!’? Great, then this is your primary money personality. You may have also found that you saw aspects of more than one money personality in yourself. Even better.

Now, before you read further it is thought that we actually have two money personalities so I’d like you to go back and read through the descriptions again and try and see which other is like you too (maybe just some of the time). This is your secondary money personality. If you have struggled with this activity and do not resonate with these descriptions, you can take a 10-minute free quiz online by Scott and Bethany Palmer for a personalised report sent to your inbox.

The fascinating thing is that often our own money personalities clash, both within our two personalities and between ours and our partner’s. For instance, imagine if your primary money personality is a shrewd security seeker yet your secondary personality is a spender. At one moment you’re investigating the detail of your next purchase and in the next your wanting to impulse purchase an electric bike (real life example BTW). Or maybe you have a risk-taking spending partner, yet you are more conservative in your spending. You can imagine the conflict occurring.

In order to find balance and understanding, awareness is, as always, paramount. Being mindful of you and your partners’ money personalities can help you to reduce strong unhealthy biases in your behaviour and encourage empathy and understanding in your relationship when money becomes a conversation topic. So, if you’ve figured out your money personalities, get your partner to identify theirs too so that you can figure out why the clashes are occurring. There are relative strengths and weaknesses to each of the money personalities and appreciating the uniqueness of yours and theirs can help bring you closer together.

If you are interested in discussing this further with a Gold Coast Psychologist, please get in touch to see how we can help.

The counselling room...

Image courtesy of Upsplash

‘In the Psychologist counselling room, you aren’t defined by your past.

You aren’t defined by your past actions.

In this room your thoughts and feelings are legitimate and valuable. These are what will define you.’