“‘Sane’tise”
Posted on Paul J Psychology Consultancy
These are tough times for all of us. My heart goes out to those who have lost loved ones and to those who are suffering, directly and indirectly.
The lock-down is about a week old but it is clear that it has caused and can cause more serious stress for all of us, as individuals and as groups living and working together. Now that the curfew has been extended there are many more challenges to deal with. The reactions, repercussions and consequences are unimaginable. It is undeniable that it is affecting all of us in many different ways.
By now you would have a general idea of how to meet your physical needs such as food, toiletries, etc. Whether the curfew ends earlier or is extended yet again, the system you have going for yourselves now should work or even improve as national health conditions improve. I believe your present system will support your physical needs and that it will get better as we respond as a responsible collective. It depends on us.
My main concern is our mental well-being. Besides our physical and biological needs we need to address our psychological and spiritual needs. For those of you who believe in a religion I encourage you to apply your faith and find meaning in your belief. For those of you who do not, I encourage you to introspect and find the connection between yourselves and the ‘universe’ – the higher order energies that exist and affect all of us.
I highlight the issue of mental health at this stage because I believe that apart from the medical problem, this Covid-19 crisis poses a big challenge to our mental well-being. Our psychological heath is not confined to just how we feel, think and act, it undoubtedly affects us biologically. It is a known fact that our psychological state affects our immune system and a myriad physiological processes. We need to appreciate the relevance of this as it is integral to how we adapt and cope with the challenges ahead, even beyond this virus crisis.
I hope to occasionally post references to sites that contain relevant information regarding mental health, especially regarding our present crisis. I urge you to try and read them and pass them along to your friends and acquaintances. Some of them are evidence-based as in scientific journal articles. However, many of them are written by practising professionals. They are practical and warrant your attention and critical thought. Don’t be too quick to embrace everything you read nor too quick to reject what you don’t understand. Be informed, be analytical and discuss it.
Mental well-being is fundamental to overall health. It is central to thriving and flourishing in life as opposed to languishing. How we achieve it and maintain it depends on many factors ranging from genetics to spirituality. Given our present national health crisis I believe we now need to focus on what will help us maintain and reinforce our mental well-being. Call it what you will. Some refer to it as mental health, fortitude, the ability to bounce back, grit, resilience, hardiness, endurance, etc.
Generally when I discuss mental well-being I talk about concepts which include your quality of life, health, happiness, functionality, overall sense of personal well-being, perceived stress, self-esteem, perceptions, motivation and even social issues. However, generally speaking, it sort of filtrates to how you feel about yourself, how you are coping and adapting to the challenges you are facing.
How goes it?
Posted on Paul J Psychology Consultancy on 26th March 2020
“Staying sane in an insane world”.
“Prevention is better than cure”.
These two phrases prompt this post.
The challenge now for all of us is to stay sane. We need to deconstruct our complicated and opaque selves. We need to get real and basic about our core values and priorities. We need sanity & emotional integrity.
What is sanity?
Sanity – “the ability to think and behave in a normal and rational manner; sound mental health’; reasonable and rational behaviour” (Google Dictionary – Oxford).
The state of soundness of mind and mental faculties, having balance, stability, acting with reason and rationality – these are but some words that describe the state of being ‘sane’. How would you describe yourself?
In times of stress and inability to cope, the failure to adapt can affect one’s sanity. Our well balanced mental status (which we often take for granted) will be threatened and can result in dysfunction at many levels. It may need professional attention. However, it can be prevented and effectively managed by education, practising good mental hygiene and by early response to problems.
In as much as we understand and practice the need to physically sanitise we now need to psychologically “SANETISE”.
What does this involve? It’s about mental hygiene. Mosby’s medical dictionary defines it as “ The study and practice concerned with the development of healthy mental and emotional habits, attitudes and behaviour and with the prevention of mental illness.”
Avail yourself of the information I share and don’t be afraid to learn and try something new. Remember, prevention is better than cure. It starts with education and practice. The first step towards mental well-being is to take it seriously and do something about it.
In your efforts to “SANETISE” try and become aware of how you feel, act and think and how you interact with the others you are ‘living’ with. Developing self-awareness is perhaps one of the most important skills one should deliberately develop. It is, in my opinion, the foundation of mental health and well-being. I encourage you to begin your SANETISATION process by reading about it and delving into some serious practical exercises.
This is an intense period of being locked-down and locked-in. It could get better, it could get worse, however, the difference is NOW, the present, and the change you bring to it. The kind of change only you can. You can make it more positive than negative.
Each time you squeeze that sanitiser think SANITY and ‘SANE’TISE.
"Time to SANETISE"
About the author
Written by Paul K. Jambunathan. Paul is a Consultant Clinical Psychologist with over 35 yrs of experience in applied psychology in Britain, Australia and Malaysia. A passionate proponent of Positive Psychology and Emotional Intelligence, he is active in advancing this in private and professional settings.
