It has become impossible to deny the extraordinary impact of the outbreak due to Covid-19. Every day we come across messages and information about the on-going pandemic, making it difficult to identify between misinformation and authentic information. Therefore, it has become super essential to identify the social ramifications of the outbreak.
Alongside the economic impact, it is leaving people vulnerable since cutting ties from the world and locking ourselves inside homes is no easy feat. Similarly, people are fearful of contracting the virus, resulting in stress and anxiety. The depressing news of people losing the battle with the virus, while closed ones getting affected, leads to extreme emotional distress.
If we don’t do something right now, we will be welcoming a huge wave of mental injuries. Thus, the need for counseling is evident in these crucial times. They stop people from drowning into depression by showing them the brighter side of the world and helping them maintain a stable emotional balance. Let us help you understand the growing need for counselors and counseling amid the pandemic, which is becoming possible through digital tools.
Career Prospects
Unfortunately, the global pandemic is turning the world upside down, leaving people hopeless. Counselors serve as protective and promotive factors when working with individuals who are suffering from mental distress. They promote the well-being of clients by helping them process the on-going implications in the world. If you wish to support people in these difficult times, you can pursue a master’s degree in counseling online and render your services for their well-being. Likewise, technology is promoting telehealth, allowing people to reap the benefits of counseling from their homes.
Anxiety Management
At times, the fear of the situation turns into anxiety because people are unable to cope with their emotions. It can be more dangerous than one can imagine since it hurts physical health too. Individuals witness shooting blood pressure, rapid heartbeats, palpitations, and chest pains. With the help of counseling, one can manage anxiety since counselors normalize and validate the client’s fears.
They throw light on factors that people can control. Likewise, you can also make people feel better, assisting them in maintaining a proper routine. Encourage them to exercise regularly, as it releases happy hormones, and you should also ask them to meet their friends or loved ones over virtual platforms. Moreover, make them learn adaptive coping skills – breathing exercises, grounding exercises to manage anxiety.
Focus on Mindfulness & Psychosynthesis
Counseling is diverse and a lot more than talking therapy. Counselors have equipped themselves with proficient tools and techniques to rescue people from depression, stress, and all sorts of mental issues. These days, you might have heard people saying, ‘what if I die from the virus,’ such thoughts project fear. Counselors use a two-step process of mindfulness to help people cope with these thoughts.
Firstly, they identify fearful thoughts and then help distance people from such thoughts by creating an observer self. This observer monitors the clients to ensure the worrisome thoughts are no longer potent. It is a brilliant strategy of disidentification that allows people to see their problems from far away, decreasing the threat level. It can be an ideal way to overcome stress and anxiety during the pandemic.
Overcomes the Feeling of Hopelessness
With sprouting misinformation over social media forums, people end up procrastinating, which ruins their mental well-being. Counselors are aware of the latest news on Covid-19 through public health authorities and relevant websites. Hence, they educate people on the current situation, closing doors for all false news, and making people hopeful.
Many companies are laying off workers, increasing financial distress too. Indeed, coping up with this is not everyone’s cup of tea, but counselors will help you hunt for solutions. For instance, – if you are jobless, you can qualify for unemployment benefits. Similarly, they suggest clients curb the news in-take because information overload can be overwhelming at times.
In short, they make people aware of opportunities created by this pandemic – free courses, gain expertise, and enroll in higher degree programs. Everyone has to keep themselves busy at home, leaving no room for overthinking and avoiding feelings of hopelessness.
Offers Wellness Recovery Action Plans (WRAP)
As we navigate the global pandemic, we are in an unknown world, waiting for things to get normal. Counselors offer wellness recovery action plans and tools that align with the requirements of social distancing. The guide comprises of ideas for steps towards building connections and reconnections, either by virtually meeting your friends or devoting time to reading a book.
It shares encouragement, personal examples of inspiration, and gives space to pin down your thoughts. Moreover, counseling will help you identify your talents and strengths, encouraging you to discover yourself. Thus, it enables you to maintain emotional wellness by taking up the ride of self-exploration and do things that make you happy. After all, social isolation during this pandemic doesn’t have to be depressing; counseling can make it meaningful, like a self-learning experience.
Develops Positive Psychology
Life is unpredictable, so is the world. Millions are spent on research, but no one could predict the great depression, Spanish flu, or the current global pandemic. Like all other critical times, this shall pass too because there is always hope on the horizon. Counseling helps people deal with the current situation while making people understand this as a temporary period.
All these restrictions and need for social distancing, masks, lockdown won’t last forever. Believe it or not, but this optimistic explanatory style addresses positivity and makes people happy. It focuses on 3P’s approach, where counselors persuade people that losing a job is not the end of this world. They explain to people that pandemic is not personal because it is affecting everyone.
Lastly, all this will be over soon since it is not permanent. In a nutshell, it helps people build a new perspective on life, allowing them to cope with stress correctly.
To Conclude,
Even in the 21st century, people don’t take mental health seriously, considering it to be a phase of life. This pandemic exposes people to every emotion altogether – stress, anxiety, depression, fear, eating disorders. Before these things hurt your physical well-being, consulting a counselor can assist you with this emotional ride. If you wish to understand its importance, have a look above to see why we need counseling amid the pandemic.