Share the love, not the (covid-19) virus

With COVID-19 spreading across Europe, people feel that they are fighting against an invisible enemy which threatens to endanger their own or their family's health and well-being. It is as though the world is experiencing a human biological war.

What will be the costs and repercussions of this virus? So far no one really knows for sure and full statistics and studies are yet to come. We surely know about the immediate effects it has on physical health and on the economy. Fatility rates continue to rise, financial markets and global economies are threatened, people are losing their jobs and businesses are closing down. But what about our mental health? This, only time will tell.

It seems fair to state that people’s anxieties and worries are only going to be on the rise. Losing a loved one or even self-isolating for weeks will impact on people’s mental health. Plus, if you are already counting yourself in the high-risk category because of an underlying health condition, this virus may feel like it's the most threatening thing for you right now.

So, my advice is; look on the positive side. Really try.

Think about it on a day to day basis – do not extrapolate the future. Try not to catastrophise. Thinking about the worst-case scenario is the mother of all anxieties and it will make the experience even worse.

If you have time at home and have decided to isolate yourself, think about all the things you ever wanted to do (but never quite had the time to do before). Don’t think about it as ‘that’s it, I am going to get depressed… this is the end of me!’. Instead, take up painting, write that book or newsletter you always wanted to do, or do the online yoga class you never quite managed to try. Think of it as your little pause - it will help you in the long run.

Importantly, isolated or not, do not forget your human responsibility to not spread the virus.

Share your love online with friends and family, but not the virus.

We are lucky enough to live in a time of social media. And that means exactly that. You can remain social with social media: you can still see and speak to your loved ones, or have a meeting with your boss and do your internet banking - all is not so bad.

Try to keep active. A healthy body is a healthy mind: we know how interconnected they both are. Whether going up the stairs or doing yoga on your rug.

Plan and organise how you can spend your day. For example, do a timetable and reward yourself when some of your tasks have been achieved. Keep waking-up and going to bed at the same time – keep your routine as much as possible, it will help you deal with the uncertainties of the situation.

And of course, if you need it, hypnotherapy is here to help. Hypnotherapy can help you deal with a wide range of issues, whether old or new, from anxiety, fears or worries to stress, lack of motivation… and so much more.

Hypnotherapy is a talking therapy. It means that it can be delivered with Skype sessions; in the comfort of your own room. No contamination dangers. As long as you can be undisturbed for the duration of the session and that you have a good connection, we can reach out to you and help.

What is the success rate with Skype sessions? Interestingly, although this media has been used by hypnotherapy professionals for a good while now, very few studies have been done on the subject but a recent one on patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is proving very encouraging.

The study, amongst IBS patients, showed that ‘65% of subjects responded to Skype hypnotherapy with all other outcomes significantly improving’ compared to 76% for a face-to-face; concluding that ‘skype hypnotherapy is effective but slightly less so than face-to-face treatment’.

Informed choices give an informed decision.

Of course, I strongly believe in face-to-face treatment, and do value being with and seeing my client more than on Skype as nothing is better than human contact; which, after all, qualifies us as human beings.

However, we do live in a time where contact is becoming an issue and, for our client’s health, I strongly believe that we can offer an alternative option. Let’s remember that our clients might live in a household with babies and grandparents.

Skype sessions should, therefore, be encouraged to help patients access a service that they might not otherwise feel comfortable to use.

Thanks to social media, we can keep helping, listening and positively changing mental health, and personal hypnotherapy treatment can continue to be achieved through hypnotherapy Skype sessions.
To find a hypnotherapist offering online or telephone sessions use the Hypnotherapy Directory advanced search tool.