Magic amid a pandemic: how to create a festive atmosphere in 2020

Psychologists assure that there is an opportunity to feel the joy of the New Year, hope for the best and a sense of magic, even in a pandemic and isolation.

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The year 2020 is coming to an end, which, without exaggeration, can be called one of the most difficult over the past few decades. Many months of anxiety for the life and health of both one's own and those of loved ones, quarantine restrictions, financial difficulties and constant uncertainty have led to a record level of depression and suicide. According to Statistics, in Japan, more people died as a result of suicide in October 2020 alone than from coronavirus for the entire period of the pandemic. Such operational data for other countries is not yet available, but it seems that the situation in them is not much better.

Disturbing signs

In turn, the Russian clinical psychologist Olga Podolskaya, who has been working as a life coach in the United States for the past few years, notes: a deterioration in mood against the background of current stress is quite natural, but it is important not to miss the moment when the situation requires contacting a specialist.

«The human psyche is really bad at accepting instability. The illusion of basic security, which allows us to exist and act constructively in an unsafe world, in general, was destroyed this year. Many people compare this feeling to the fact that we live above an open abyss or swim in a stormy sea on a swaying ice floe. In a word, the perception of life for many has acquired an unstable color. You should be wary if the state of gloom, anxiety and fear lasts for two weeks hopelessly", - the psychologist explains.

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According to Olga Podolskaya, despite all the negative manifestations of the current crisis, the human psyche tends to rejoice at the good and be distracted from gloomy thoughts.

«The psyche of a healthy person sees not only the horrors of a pandemic, but also bright moments. It is natural to be anxious these days, an uneven mood under abnormal circumstances is the norm and should not be alarming. But usually a person can switch from worries to the rustle of the wind, the beauty of nature, communication with friends, even virtual, favorite smells, good news and so on, and feel the joy of all this. If you lose the ability to enjoy something for a long time, this is a signal that you need to see a specialist."She warns.

Another warning sign is gratuitous tears and at least one suicidal thought. Olga emphasizes: in this case, it is not worth checking whether this state will be protracted.

«One such thought, even if you do not intend to implement it, is a sufficient signal that you are in danger. In this case, the help of a psychotherapist or even antidepressants is required, which can only be prescribed by a doctor.", - the psychologist notes.

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We and they

Working with both Americans and Russian-speaking immigrants, Olga draws attention to the fact that people from the post-Soviet space are, on average, more resilient than local residents. However, according to her, this is not related to nationality.

«Those who got into immigration and went through it to the end, without turning down - these are people of a certain psychotype, in principle, possessing increased endurance. Immigrants from any other country have the same properties. These are people with heightened adventurism, optimism and stress resistance, and these qualities certainly help to survive difficulties.", - says Olga.

At the same time, comparing his experience of work in the United States and Russia, the psychologist does not believe that the difficult conditions of Russian life or historical upheavals were able to "temper" the nation and develop a kind of "emotional immunity."

«I would say that the Russian nation as a whole is quite traumatized. We are used to surviving in crisis situations, and this is our strong point. However, most of us do not know how to somehow please ourselves, enjoy life, and this is the weak side of the Russian people. Many Russians in the current crisis situation do not allow themselves to experience all their feelings. An attempt to suppress feelings, in turn, overloads the psyche, and such a psyche is more prone to breakdowns", - the psychologist warns.

Delighting body and soul

If a person's psyche copes with lasting stress, he, as the psychologist notes, most often intuitively finds ways to cheer himself up.

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«The advice here is quite simple: you need to bring joy to the body, relax, notice something good, go for walks, even alone. Any novelty helps, primarily the one that relates to the body: new tastes, delicacies, perfumes, creams, and so on. At the same time, the only criterion that is important when choosing products, smells or colors is to choose what you like", - notes Olga Podolskaya.

According to the psychologist, there are no universal recipes here. For example, green is calming, but in the dark, and especially against the background of falling resources, a person may have a desire to cheer up, and orange or red colors are best here: for example, the sight of a tangerine loved from childhood, a red dress or smart dress Christmas sweater.

“Speaking of food, bananas do contain substances that help the body release serotonin, but in such small quantities that, unfortunately, they cannot protect us from serious depression. Either way, one of the important ingredients in creating a festive feeling is to provide joy to the body. You should not overeat fatty, salty or spicy foods, or drink a lot of alcohol, as it is a depressant and can only worsen the condition. However, a little champagne won't hurt anyone", Olga advises.

Another important tip to help you experience the magic of New Year is to slow down without asking too much of yourself.

«December is a magical, pre-Christmas time, a time to prepare for the holiday, which is our main task this month. It is important to remember that January 1st is just a date. You should not make a deadline out of it, trying to complete all projects by this date. When people rush to complete everything they have planned by a specific date, they are exhausted and do not notice the magic hidden in this time of year. Therefore, there is no need to rush, on the contrary, it is important to enjoy every moment of silence, calmness and slowdown", - reminds the psychologist.

Summing up

The biggest temptation of the outgoing year for many may be the desire to "fill" it with black paint as a terrible, hopeless or at least wasted time. It is against this perception that Olga Podolskaya warns.

«In every, even the blackest year, there are bright moments. It could be a good walk, a postcard from a close friend, success at work, a touching drawing of a child, and so on. When we sum up the results of the year, it is important to pay attention to them, and this will help return hope for the best. If we think only about the bad, we thereby create a depressive prognosis for ourselves, and against its background it will be impossible to believe in the good. In a word, there is more in our life that we keep focus on", - the psychologist explains.

At the same time, Olga warns against overly detailed planning for next year, given that the state of uncertainty has not yet passed, and too much in the next, as well as in the outgoing year, still does not depend on us.

«Even just staying in mental health and surviving is already a pretty good plan for next year. I would recommend focusing primarily on pleasing yourself and seeing the good. This is the main thing that we can do in such conditions.", - Olga Podolskaya recommends.

According to the psychologist, there are no special techniques in order to pay attention to the positive moments, and in a healthy state only intention is enough for this.

“If a person does not have any personality disorders, and he sets a goal to notice the good and focus on it, he will succeed. The most vulnerable category now are people who have had some kind of similar violations. In general, they held on, but after 9 months of stress it becomes especially difficult for them", Explains Olga Podolskaya.

Olga emphasizes: we are not talking about mental illnesses, but about the peculiarities of perception, for example, the prohibition, unconsciously instilled in childhood, to notice the good, the habit of denying oneself joy or making too high demands on oneself.

«For such a person, simple advice to focus on the positive may not help. It is better for him to turn to a psychologist - not in order to master some special techniques of such concentration, but in order to remove the barriers that prevent this. Unlike physical injuries, which can be irreversible, such as an amputated leg, the human psyche is capable of recovery.", - the psychologist is sure.

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