Life without Covid-19 is stressful enough for most mothers, and despite being relieved of all those ordinary routines and responsibilities, having the kids home 24/7 during these quarantine days can be even more taxing. With children forced to home school—different demands on mom have drastically increased. That much-needed ‘me time’ has been compromised (and no, seven minutes hiding in the pantry don’t count), and most of the go-to outlets have been stripped away.
You’ve tried taking a walk alone, but with every step, feelings of guilt invade. You’ve tried the proverbial 20-minute nap; but the house is too alive to really rest; you’ve tried retreating to the basement gym but your husband has moved in and set up a man cave; and the last time you went to the market your youngest boy lit a brushfire in the backyard whilst attempting to earn his latest merit badge.
Juggling everything from haircuts to meals, chores to bedtime stories, the family dog to errands, and now, demands that don’t seem to stop with the kids home all day, every day—chances are it’s all taking a toll and you’re mapping out your escape.
Whether you’re doing it alone, or have another adult at home who’s not pulling their weight – your stress can go through roof. If you’re like most mothers, feelings of overwhelm and inadequacy have made their way into your psyche and it’s getting harder to see a way out. Moms are no stranger to doing it all and sacrificing their own needs, but the quarantine introduces a whole new set of demands that we’ve not encountered before. Something’s gotta give.
If you’re a mom who has been home with your kids for weeks-on-end, you’re well past the tipping point. The critical thing to understand is that you are normal. It’s normal to be stressed out, normal to dream about driving to Canada until this whole thing blows over, and normal to want to take care of yourself.
So, What’s the Solution?
Talk it out. Whether with a friend or a professional – talk therapy is a great coping mechanism to provide everything from an immediate release a chat with a girlfriend can provide, to longer-term results you can gain from a professional. Today, having a therapist is commonplace, and even in vogue. More and more people are coming forward, opening-up and finding it empowering. And that’s a good thing. For the most part, talking about personal struggles or mental health issues has lost the stigmas once attached to them, which is allowing people to get the help they need without being self-conscious. Having someone to listen to you, commiserate with you, and provide some bona-fide coping mechanisms can make a real and lasting difference. Friends are great, and it can be comforting to know they’re there, though you might feel greater freedom to let it all hang out with a licensed professional. Talking to someone trained to listen, can make the difference.
5 Ways Talk Therapy Can Help You Through Quarantine Days
#1. It’s a Constructive Way to Let of Steam
Talking with someone is the first step in taking action towards doing something constructive for yourself. We all know how good it is to have someone to talk to. It not only lets us know that we’re not alone, but it can reduce stress, give us the opportunity to order our thoughts and feelings, and provide the tools that better prepare us for the challenges ahead. Having a support system in a trained therapist can provide a safe outlet, and someone you can count on and confide in when things get tough.
#2. It will Help You to Gain Valuable Coping Skills
Talking with friends is great. Talking with a professional could be even better if it means that you’re working with someone specialized in helping you find real solutions. Gaining real-world coping skills to deal with immediate issues will also help you prepare for future conflicts and challenges. Learning how to handle a situation rather than react to it can make the difference in your ability to temper emotions and resolve conflict proactively.
#3. It Can Improve Your Relationships
Let’s face it, our relationships can make or break us. They’re often key to our mental and emotional well-being—so it’s no wonder that when we treat ourselves and the people we love, better—good things happen. Getting the right kind of help can improve our relationships with the people we love. Finding and keeping relationships that are genuine, supportive and healthy is the best testament to successful therapy. Critical skills such as self-awareness, empathy, respect, and self-respect are key skills one can acquire in therapy and apply in interpersonal relationships to strengthen affinity, trust and communication.
#4. Your Physical Symptoms Will Also Improve
Therapy treats the whole gestalt. It’s no surprise, that the more we suffer from emotional or psychological problems, the more we’re predisposed to suffer from physical illnesses as well. Depression and anxiety for example, have been known to wreak havoc on the body’s immune system, thereby making us more vulnerable to disease. When we find ourselves struggling with common physical conditions such as stomach aches, headaches, sleeping problems, or even ulcers, they can be signs of somatic responses to our psychic pain; our body’s way of telling us something is amiss and in need of attention. Addressing our deep-seated issues can improve our health and make us stronger and better able to manage what life throws our way.
#5. You’ll See Lasting Results
With the right kind of therapy, you’ll gain insights and skills that will help to usher in change in real and lasting ways. You’ll establish goals, understand what it takes to attain them, and have a professional guide you through your journey. Your capacity to handle life will improve, you’ll feel better about yourself, and you’ll be better equipped to handle difficulties in the future. It’s not always easy, but therapy can yield real change and give you powerful tools that you can apply throughout your life as you move forward.
Open for Business
Reach out today. Connecting remotely is easier than ever. Whether by telephone, email or video conference such as FaceTime, Skype, WhatsApp or Zoom — you can find someone to speak with one-on-one.
To speak with a therapist at Lehigh Valley Integrative Clinical Services call us directly and we’ll match you with a trained professional, ready to help.
PHONE: (610) 438-5827