Exploring Stress Management with Remote Counselling from BetterHelp

We thought that life was stressful before. And, we were right, it was. We had jobs and families, economic and political concerns. And then the pandemic and quarantine came. Many of us are changing the ways that we engage in hobbies or interact with friends. Some things that used to stress us may have been forgotten, usually, because they’ve been replaced with new or worse stresses.

I so many ways, technology makes our lives much more hectic and stressful. However, there are also a number of ways that technology can help us manage stress, particularly as we spend more time inside. In this article, we’ll talk about a few things that you can use technology to do to manage stress – even if you need some professional assistance with it.

Look for Positive Content Online.

If you’re reading this article, then you’re off to a good start. Blogs like this one are a great way to manage stress.

You may have heard that social media use can increase stress. And, for some people, it does. However, according to a study by the Pew Research Center, “internet = stress” isn’t quite accurate. It’s not that simple.

Just like dwelling on negative feelings isn’t healthy but talking with support groups (or supportive people) is, the internet can actually help to reduce stress. That is, provided that you use it in healthy ways.

Arguing about politics on Facebook or “doomscrolling” on Twitter might not make you feel better. But reading about how other people feel and manage stress can be beneficial.

Pick Up New Hobbies.

The internet isn’t just a place of great support, it is also a place of great creativity. Many hobbies are hard to keep up with during quarantines and social distancing. However, there are a great many hobbies that can be done from home just waiting to be discovered or rediscovered.

Sites like LifeHacker, WikiHow, and of course YouTube can all provide inspiration for new arts, crafts, hobbies and studies. A personal favourite YouTube Channel is Townsends. Hosted by a living-history enthusiast, videos posted to the site include cooking, construction, and craft ideas usually from the seventeenth and eighteenth century.

Then, of course, there are the apps dedicated to helping you learn a skill, like Duolingo or Memrise.

Find Apps to Manage Stress.

Reading blogs and making sourdough are great and all, but you’ve already been doing that for a few months now and you’re starting to get worried. There are a couple of platforms out there that are devoted to mental health – but still, stop a few steps short of talking to a therapist or counsellor.

Headspace is an app for helping people get into mindfulness mediation, which has been shown to help combat stress. The app also helps you manage your sleep hygiene, which can be an important part of stress management. Calm is a similar solution, though they both have their own strengths and weaknesses.

Meet with an Expert.

Keeping busy with solutions like those above is great, and it will probably be enough for some people. However, for some people, this isn’t enough. If you are concerned that feelings of depression or anxiety are getting in the way of how you live your life, it may be time to talk to a mental or emotional health expert like a therapist or councillor.

This may sound like a tall order. Even before the pandemic, getting in touch with a therapist or counsellor was difficult for many people. Many people who access these services do so by working through their primary care provider. This is a good system because in some cases it means that mental health services are covered by insurance.

Unfortunately, not all health insurance plans cover mental health services. Further, many people are having difficulty seeing their primary care provider – or, indeed, mental health providers – because of distancing restrictions around health centres.

Using remote conferencing, like that you may be using to hold work meetings or chat with friends from home, maybe a solution. If you already had a mental health provider, ask them if they do video calls. If you weren’t already meeting with a counsellor or therapist, consider reaching out to one remotely.

Talk to a Counsellor or Therapist on BetterHelp.

BetterHelp is a platform for remote counselling. The convenient and affordable platform allows the user to meet with a licensed and professional therapist or counsellor over any internet connection, including from mobile devices.

Users and counsellors can schedule voice and video calls, exchange text documents like reading material and questionnaires, and even converse in private and secure chatrooms between sessions. Users can select one of the thousands of counsellors or therapists and, if things don’t work out, switching counsellors is fast, easy, and free.

The site also has a blog full of free-to-access articles on mental health topics from medications and conditions, to historical figures and approaches. Users can even access reviews of the platform and specific counsellors before deciding whether or not to try out the platform.

Stay Safe and Be Well.

Stress impacts everyone differently, even when everyone has the same source of stress. Hopefully, this article has presented you with a wide range of options for managing your mental health during this unique period in history.

Post Written by Johnathan Jaehnig

Pin it!