简而

从专业的角度来看,2020年将始终被记住是流行和政治压力相撞的一年。

事实检查
治疗师虚拟会话
2020 was the most stressful year of some people's lives. iStock

治疗课程在2020年肯定有所改变。2019冠状病毒病大流行,对于许多患者而言,感觉“ Meh”是偶尔的事情,也是暂停并打开治疗前一周的理由。

Now feeling "meh" is more the status quo — almost expected. In fact, most of the people I see in therapy have experienced more change, grief, frustration, disappointment, andbob bet体育 在过去的一年中,比过去几年的总和(对于某些人的生活中,到目前为止)。

大流行促成了很多事情。但是,这种压力因政治紧张局势而加剧了,包括加剧的选举。

政治紧张局势对美国来说并不新鲜。但是在2020年,它以将我们的集体压力提高到有毒水平的方式达到顶峰。我看到 - 而且仍在看到 - 每周(虚拟)治疗室的结果。

导航社交媒体,压力和自我保健

导航社交媒体,压力和自我保健

人们在2020年担心什么?

这次选举及其后果是有多种原因而供客户处理的。

在整个2020年,客户经常抱怨未来不确定。他们担心自己和他人的健康。他们bob bet体育 about the economy, and how it would affect their livelihood. And, come post-election, they stressed about effects of those questioning the election results.

从许多方面来说,政治家似乎比以往任何时候都更加影响他们的生活。这使所有政治上的不确定性更加令人不安。

许多客户评论说,他们觉得自己一直处于低水平的紧张状态,因此,所有的情感对他们来说更加压倒性。

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一切都如此政治化,人们之间的共同基础也觉得它正在萎缩。取决于一个人调查的新闻网络或他们在社交媒体上看的内容,他们阅读的“事实”不同。对许多人来说,这感觉就像他们甚至没有与许多人共享同样的现实。

大流行和社交距离的需求已经缩小了我们的社交经验。最重要的是,政治紧张局势对某些人的关系造成了额外的压力。

我还看到,当人们觉得没有任何基本真理或统一的阵线时,他们会感到更加绝望。我听到了很多“谁知道”和“我们会看到的”,这是一种混乱和缺乏控制的感觉。

除了这种集体压力之外BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) communities对自己认为是美国人的一部分感到失望。

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应对危机:人们需要新工具

话虽如此,人们所承受的第一件事不仅是压力,而且是他们处理效果的有限方式。

Everyone feels that they do not have the same number of coping mechanisms available to them because many of the ways they used to release stress are unavailable to them now.

此外,人们现在所有关于如何度过空闲时间的决定,看起来如此大而疲惫。

他们worry if any experience is worth the risk, even seemingly safe decisions like spending time outdoors with their own family.

This imbalance has made a lot of people feel less able to deal with the normal life stress of work and family life.

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2020:对人有用的东西

I was also pleasantly surprised by how many people found meaningful lessons in these challenges.

Here are some of the big takeaways that have helped some cope:

验收

许多人认为接受是放弃的代名词,但这与事实不远。实际上,可以用“清楚地看到”一词替换了接受术语。接受情况就是清楚地看到它,而无需判断。与“放弃”相反,当您接受情况时,您正在看到这种情况,并基于这种现实做出选择。

For the many that struggled with this term, 2020 helped them learn the meaning because it became so obvious that some things cannot be changed. We cannot change the pandemic. We cannot change the effects of the pandemic. The best we can do is see clearly the parts of the pandemic that are the most challenging for us — like not being able to do normal activities — and make the best decisions we can based on this reality.

Media Limits

在2020年之前,我的大多数客户kind of认识到,过多的社交媒体和网络新闻的接触对他们的心理健康不利,但许多人并没有改变他们的行为。但是2020年非常清楚,从过度政治化的新闻介绍到误解的信息像野火一样传播,媒体可能是分裂和破坏性的。结果,我看到越来越多的人通过计时器设定限制或完全从社交媒体和新闻起飞几天。

边界

边界has always been a wellness buzzword, but for some of my clients, it was also an important 2020 takeaway. Some set boundaries with spouses over which extra household tasks they would take on. Some needed to create boundaries with family or friends who were not taking the pandemic seriously about the types of activities they felt comfortable engaging in. Some set boundaries with family members about not having tolerance for certain words or phrases being used in reference to the Black community or Black Lives Matter. Although these discussions can be difficult, everyone felt more positive and more empowered after setting these limits.

明晰

2020年强调了世界上许多问题。野火强调了我们的气候危机。之间的潜在关系新冠肺炎和agriculture highlighted problematic animal agriculture practices. Many incidents — from the death of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor to the higher incidence of COVID-related death among Black Americans — emphasized ongoing racism. The election demonstrated how politically divided our country is becoming. All of these things risk making us feel small. But, I saw people feel empowered by the realization that small, individual acts, like speaking kindly to someone with a different perspective, learning how to be a good ally, and participating in meatless Monday made them feel more hopeful and more in control of the future.

I’m Not Alone

One of the most interesting parts of being a therapist in 2020 was hearing people say “Well, you know.” Meaning, I understood what they were going through. Being a therapist is often falsely associated with having everything figured out. But in 2020, people realized that I was probably having a tough time, just like them. Similarly, they realized that outside of the therapy room, they were having a somewhat shared experience with others. While not everyone who feels stressed has an anxiety disorder and not everyone who feels sad has沮丧, the recognition that most people struggle with their mental health at times has made many people feel less alone in their experience.

即使在2021年,我们也没有完成,在2020年困扰着我们。不可否认,我们仍然处于厚底状态。但是推出疫苗和the switch-up in administration has added a little light for many people. Let’s hope the light shines even brighter as the year progresses.

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