As of this writing, much of the world is in a state of quarantine due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Among other things, this means that people are being forced to put their usual routines on hold, and to go without their ordinary support networks, to a substantial degree. This disruption of daily routine can lead some to become emotionally overwhelmed to the point of affecting everyday functioning, hence the need for counseling and therapy. One consequence of this pandemic is that if someone is in need of counseling and self-improvement – if they are going to be pursued at all – will need to be pursued remotely.
It can seem daunting to undergo some form of counseling remotely from your own home, and it can likewise seem difficult and daunting to work on developing other aspects of your life as well, under your own steam.
Here are just a few reasons to investigate remote counseling and self-improvement during the period of quarantine – and beyond – if, for whatever reason, you are stranded in a particular location or are stuck indoors.
Thanks to modern technology, you can communicate very effectively from the comfort of your own home
Counseling is, first and foremost, about the human connection. It relies on interacting with another person who is able to put you at ease, create a non-judgmental environment and who can help you come to meaningful insights on your own.
For that reason, it’s natural that the idea of going through a counselling process remotely would seem somewhat daunting since it seems to lack the “human” element to the therapeutic relationship.
The bottom line, however, is that modern technology makes it possible to easily and effectively communicate from the comfort of your own home. A virtual counselling session can take place through high definition video connection, and can be supplemented with documents and materials sent by email. Moreover, the “human” element can still be maintained as one can see facial expressions, body-language, and other non-verbals which is vital to the counseling process. Accountability can also be deepened by regular checkups via phone or a third party app.
While face-to-face counseling always remains the ideal, remote video-counseling has presented itself as an effective alternative especially in cases where people are unable to leave their homes.
A time of stress and isolation can lead to heightened temptation and a loss of accountability
Addiction is very often considered a form of coping mechanism, and addictive behaviors are routinely heightened during periods of stress and uncertainty.
A period of time where you are stuck at home – whether due to a global pandemic, a personal health episode, or some other development in your life – is certainly likely to increase the anxiety and temptation that you feel. What’s even more challenging is that being stuck at home may also lead to a loss of accountability; you won’t be venturing out into the world as you normally would which therefore may limit contact with your friends, family, acquaintances, and supportive networks.
Remote counseling can help to keep you on track during these kinds of stressful and uncertain periods due to its easy accessibility; it will help you to not only avoid going down self-destructive avenues, but can actually help you to move from the problem to the solution instead.
It’s a great idea to use time spent at home well and productively, so that you will have a higher quality of life when you re-emerge
If you are stuck at home for an indefinite period without much to do, it can be extremely easy to end up more or less wasting your time – or, at the very least, not making optimal use of it.
Just because you’re stuck indoors and may not have access to your usual hobbies and routines does not give one reason to simply zone out in front of the TV for an indefinite period of time, rack up dozens of hours in various video games or social media, or use your time in otherwise unproductive ways.
Why not take some steps that can empower you to improve your life so that when you do re-emerge into the world at large, you will have gained a better perspective, position, and quality of life than you had to start with?
Remote counseling for addiction is just one way that you can help to proactively take steps to improve your life during a period of seclusion.
Remote counseling may be a great stepping stone to face-to-face counseling
Attending a face-to-face counseling session can sometimes be daunting in the sense that you need to drive to a specific location, meet a stranger, and talk about very sensitive issues face-to-face.
If you know that you need to make some changes in your life and feel that counseling could do you a significant amount of good – but are insecure about the process – remote counseling could be a great stepping stone in the right direction towards therapy.
With a remote counseling session you can get to know your counselor, can ease into the process from the comfort of your own home, and can familiarize yourself with what it entails so that the prospect of a face-to-face counselling session is less daunting in the future.