Instagram is the new mental health clinic as experts share advice on coping with stress and isolation
These are trying times. People are losing business. All forms of entertainment have essentially been confined to a computer screen and the pages of a book. Families are torn apart since travel worldover is restricted. Friends who can be pillars of strength in trying times are restricted to video calls. And self-isolation means that people prone to anxiety and depression are more susceptible to such disorders. Luckily, for them, help is at hand. A number of wellness experts on social media are offering their expertise online to help us mentally tide through the lockdown and recently implemented state-wide curfews. Here, we test three such accounts where experts post regular tips at a time when we are largely left to our own devices.
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The 10 commandments
3/5
With over 3.6 lakh followers, Lisa Olivera, a popular therapist, has a post where she breaks down 10 feelings people might be having right now. Feeling lonely? Write someone a letter. Bored?Create, make something new. Experiencing depression? Draw, or take a cold shower. If you’re anxious, practise meditation. Another pertinent tip: Ask yourself, "Who do I want to be through all this? What does being that look like? What do I need to be that? Whose support do I need for it? And how can I forgive myself when I’m not ‘always’ that?"
Log on to @lisaoliveratherapy on Instagram
One day at a time
4/5
Since March 11, Alison Seponara, counselor with 15 years of experience, has posted updates aimed at those who may be on the edge due to self-isolation. She advises that they should recognise their feelings, and write them down; make a list of things within their control; indulge in hobbies like learning music or a new language; and avoid posts that make them more anxious. "Remind yourself to take this whole situation one day at a time... Be mindful that everything happening right now is affecting everyone differently," she writes.
Log on to @theanxietyhealer on Instagram
Love is all we have
2/5
Clodagh Campbell is a psychologist who recently conducted a Q&A on her Instagram profile where, among other questions, she responded to ones around coronavirus. "I’m taking things day by day and trying to live in the present as much as possible. When I hear statistics and predictions about Covid-19, I feel panicky. So I limit my exposure to this once a day, in the evening," she reveals about her coping mechanism. Campbell also posts regular inspirational quotes that are relevant to the present situation. Sample this: "And then the whole world walked inside and shut their doors and said we will stop it all. Everything. To protect our weaker ones, our sicker ones, our older ones. And nothing, nothing in the history of humankind ever felt more like love than this."
Log on to @the.wellness.psychologist
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