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- Allie Volp
- BBC
Published photo, Alamy
When the difficulties intensify, it may seem that a smile on your face is the best way to deal with the crises. But in fact, this method can be harmful to our sanity, and luckily there is another way to deal with adversity and challenges.
Over the past year the coronavirus epidemic has taken several phases, it was terrifying, then disturbing, and finally we realized that our lives afterwards will not be the same in the long run. The methods used to deal with the epidemic have also evolved according to the evolution of its phases. But there were major differences in the way we dealt with isolation.
Some have seen that it is not possible to adapt to the crisis without looking at things positively. Many of us took advantage of the quarantine to take advantage of the slow pace of life and reconsider his life, or felt grateful because he always kept his job or felt the value of the positive things in his life, although he tried to strike a balance between supporting the education of children at home and working remotely and keeping family members safe.
There is no doubt that maintaining optimism and expressing gratitude is difficult to be counterproductive, but over-optimism, or what is called over-positivity, can lead people to believe that negative feelings are a manifestation. of failure or a sign of weakness, not to mention That there is nothing left … Annoyed by meeting someone who feels overly optimistic at a time when the two are struggling to face a grim reality .
Published photo, Alamy
Positive behavior has its benefits, but too much positivity can negatively impact your mental health
Jessica Mead, a doctoral student in the Department of Psychology at Swansea University, conducted a study in her early forties last spring to measure changes in the level of satisfaction and happiness of people in the UK. It was natural for levels of satisfaction and happiness to decline in light of the pandemic, but Mead and his colleagues concluded that optimism while recognizing the inevitability of tragedies helped increase the ability to effectively cope with the shock of the epidemic.
The study researchers asked participants to rate the extent of their agreement with certain phrases such as: “I have learned to face and adapt to whatever fate puts in my way.” and “I accept the things that cannot be changed in my life.” The researchers found that participants who strongly support these statements display tragic optimism. People who realize that life is not without difficulties and preparing to face life’s adversities, were more able to adjust to midlife than others who denied the existence of difficulties and challenges.
Mead also found that optimistic people despite tragedy and suffering, envisioned things like their relationships with friends and family to search for meaning. She points out that finding meaning in times of turmoil is a more complicated process than quick fixes to escape crises, like playing video games for a few hours.
From psychological pressure to psychological maturity
Our view of the difficulties and challenges not only affects how we cope with the impact of the epidemic on our daily lives, but will also affect our personality in the months to come, after the epidemic has ended.
Some people who find it difficult to cope with trauma may develop PTSD, and many mental health professionals have expressed concern about the increase in PTSD rates after the epidemic subsides. Mead says urging people to be absolutely optimistic and grateful at a time when they are going through serious difficulties won’t help them learn from crises and will not positively affect their personalities after the crisis.
While no one denies the benefits of positive crisis management, an overabundance of positivity can inherit feelings of guilt and shame or cause people to deny their true feelings.
On the contrary, some people have seen a positive change in their personality after exposure to trauma, as the trauma has helped them discover their potential and change their outlook on life, in what has been called PTSD. We can also achieve this goal with optimism despite the tragedies, accepting the feelings of sadness and pain that plague us because of the pandemic and employing them to improve our personalities.
Paul Wong, psychologist and professor emeritus at Trent University in Ontario, says the road to this transformation can be tricky, but life right now is not easy. He says, “It is normal to feel lonely, or with remorse, or to be anxious and afraid, because these feelings and feelings are part of human nature.”
But instead of letting these negative emotions take over and destroy us psychologically, or ignore them altogether, being optimistic while acknowledging the inevitability of tragedies in life will make us accept loneliness and anxiety as part of our very life. if it requires daily effort. But then we can learn to enjoy isolation, appreciate the value of society, or discover our goals and objectives once the epidemic has subsided.
Some may find it easy to be patient with unhappiness and accept difficulties with open arms, but being optimistic while recognizing the inevitability of tragedy and suffering, while it takes intense effort, can help us see a glimmer. of light at the end of the tunnel, and endure trials until we reach it.
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