Psychologist's advice for those who don't know how to move on

Currently, people experience stress and significant emotional turmoil more often. It is normal to grieve, cry, and be angry.

Allow yourself to experience emotions and do not blame yourself for them. Whatever personal or global tragedy may occur, life goes on, but coping with it in such a state is difficult for many. To help yourself and alleviate stress, you need to understand your emotions and direct your thoughts towards problem-solving and concrete actions.

Psychologists recommend the following:

1. Rule out depression, because if it is confirmed, specialist intervention is necessary. It is important to know how to recognize it. Signs of depression:

— depressed mood;

— fatigue, laziness, lack of energy, sluggishness;

— loss of pleasure from positive things;

— negative thoughts about oneself: self-criticism, self-blame, thoughts of worthlessness;

— physical signs: sleep disturbances, changes in eating habits, and weight.

If such signs are present, it is worth getting checked by a specialist. If there is no depression, but life is difficult and all bearings are lost, then work should be done in four areas (emotional state, physical state, spiritual state, goal setting and finding bearings).

2. Emotional aspect

Negative emotions, which are natural but can harm the psyche if they get out of control, prevent us from living "as usual." Emotions need to be processed. First, identify what you are feeling (e.g., fear, anger, or resentment), and understand the cause of this emotion. Analyze how this emotion affects you and your life. Separate yourself from the emotion, realize who is in control. Get rid of the emotion through creativity (e.g., a drawing, poem, or song), by screaming into a pillow, or by crying; do not hold back, free yourself.

3. Physical aspect

The body is inextricably linked with our psyche, so physical release will also be a release for the psyche. In severe emotional states, you should incorporate physical exercise into your life (running helps well), monitor your sleep and nutrition, and take care of your body.

4. Goal setting and finding bearings

It is important to realize that in crisis situations, our brain transmits the worst-case scenarios to us, sometimes completely unrealistic or unlikely. These images evoke a storm of negative emotions and prevent us from thinking clearly. It is worth trying to visualize positive or neutral scenarios of future development in your mind. Then, analyze how you can bring yourself closer to this and write down an action plan. After that, you can start improving your life every day, in small things, doing what depends on you.

5. Spiritual Aspect

Faith in God, the Universe, or a Higher Power always gives hope and meaning to move forward even in the most difficult times, presenting difficult situations as lessons for the improvement and development of our personality. Seeking meaning in higher things allows us to more easily cope with losses in worldly life.

SI "Rossonsky RTCGE", 2023.