We can all agree that the last year was pretty difficult for the whole world, and by looking at how 2024 started, it doesn’t seem like this year will be any less stressful. But if we learned anything from the last year is how important is our mental health, just like how much we all need someplace where we can talk about everything going on in both our personal lives and in the world. So it is nothing strange that the number of people seeking counseling, no matter if it is single or couples therapy, is rapidly increasing.
The role and impact of counselors
The pandemic had a vast impact on our lives, on even those small things that make life special, and with everyday emotions like fear and anxiety, our mental health can suffer. All those uncertain predictions, inability to plan anything really, isolation, and various restrictions are constantly adding more pressure, but there are some things that we can do to avoid that. Since it all happened pretty quickly and no one was prepared, it stunned us all, but now, we all want some of the control over our lives back, and we are managing that.
Things like being active, staying in shape, and having a dress code even when we work from home can be of great help. All that, along with spending quality time with our family, talking, playing games, and learning something new, can help a lot in dealing with so much unexpected stress and with all those uncertainties. Thanks to technology, we can all chat and stay in touch with the people we care about, and even though there are many restrictions and lockdowns, humans are social beings, and we need that positive vibe that one can only get by speaking to others.
But even when all those things don’t work, there are specialists that can help and be of immeasurable support, and although they were also surprised and surely didn’t expect so many new people seeking counseling in such a short time, everyone can find some counselor that meets their needs. They are there to provide guidance and support and help raise awareness of our role and power in overcoming various problems, even when there is no pandemic.
How visits have changed
Scheduling office visits is something that not many people can do due to isolation, but counselors managed to provide care even when that’s the case. Telehealth is a term that you probably saw or heard about in these past several months, and it is a way of distance counseling, designed especially for this occasion when face-to-face meetings are difficult to organize or entirely not possible. It doesn’t matter if someone feels lonely or has some kind of disorder – they saved many lives by video chatting and dealing with patients on a daily basis. Of course, many wonder about privacy as they need a safe space to say what’s troubling them, but these are all difficulties that are manageable.
Unlike office meetings, when counselors observe and are able to notice certain cues, some of these cues can go unnoticed via video chat. None the less, it is still a great way and something that patients need, and although this way of therapy may not be for everyone, the vast majority is glad and satisfied with the service and the help they get from their therapist.
How to find the best counseling
Some people still have certain doubts when it comes to going to therapy, even though it is something that everyone recommends. Here, once again, is where technology steps in and has a huge role. Not only that we can get counseling via various apps for video chat, but we can also easily find online the best possible counseling office and the one where we will feel safe. It is so crucial to find the best option available, and although some research, reading reviews, and recommendations are a must in order to find that best possible option, luckily, there are also verified websites like BetterHelp that can help you with that. Mental health is not something to take on lightly, or even worse, to completely ignore, as it is one of the crucial elements of our overall health.
Why mental health is important
It is important to be responsible and to get support and help to maintain our emotional health. Physical activity is also a must, which is why even a simple walk can be beneficial during these troublesome times. What every counselor will state is that mental, emotional, and physical health are so fundamentally linked. And just like how some physical injury could have a bad effect on our mental health, there are many cases where people suffered some chronic physical condition due to their poor mental health. It is all the more reason why everyone should take more care about emotional and mental well-being.
These types of problems take time to solve, and it can be overwhelming to deal with all that by yourself, but with the right guidance from professionals, you can succeed and overcome them much faster and easier. The first step in fixing any problem is admitting you have one. It is a great starting point, and what’s even more important is that you find the right counselor to help with all that. You can always add up some routine, make a plan of your daily activities, and schedule more thoroughly the next day, and all these things will help in gaining back control, meaning that our energy level will rise, and it will be beneficial to your mental health.
The bottom line
Trying to solve all problems without the right guidance is not something that is recommended by any specialist in this field. And now, more than ever before, we need to understand how crucial is mental health, and how it can affect our well-being overall. Counselors are finding solutions to overcome any problem and meet their patients every day, even with all the movement restrictions and isolation, and it is time to turn to experts if we feel the need. It may be more difficult to manage everything by Telehealth, but it is currently the best solution, and even though they will not magically make all problems disappear, they will listen and provide much necessary support.
