As you may or may not know, one of the most significant impacts this recent pandemic has made is on mental health. The increase of anxiety and trauma related fears across the world are staggering! And it’s not only to adults (as one would commonly think), but for children as well.
Most anxiety comes from an individual’s inability to have control over something. And what did every single person around the globe have in common? No one knew what was coming next or going to happen, it was out of everyone’s control. Many people froze because we were full of anxiety, not knowing or having control over what was going on in many areas of their life. Anxiety can affect your everyday life, mentally and physically. It can really take a toll on you, and many people don’t even know that they’re experiencing anxiety. In the beginning we didn’t know what was right or wrong, because we had no clear answers. Many of us became so isolated because of fear of the unknown, going to work, school, the store, or even for some people walking down the street was questionable. Fast forward to over 2 years later, we are still feeling the effects of the initial anxiety we felt in the beginning. Some people have found comfort in their “new normal”, which includes (but not limited to) staying home, working from home, attending church and meetings online, social distancing, not going into restaurants, staying away from places with larger crowds, sanitizing, and wearing masks. I have seen teens who used to hang out with their friends on the weekend rather stay home and binge watch tv while using social media to consume their time. I’ve seen children less interactive with people who aren’t from their immediate family, because they don’t know them. Adults who used to have friends and families over for large gatherings during the summer opt out, people who would rather be unemployed because they can’t work from home, or families who no longer get together for the holidays. I could continue and I’m sure you have plenty of examples to add.
The residual anxiety from this pandemic has left many in a place of not knowing where to go from here, or simply deciding not to do much at all about where they’ve been left behind. It’s easy to fall into habits that aren’t life giving and to stay stuck because we’ve found it to be comfortable. This is not to say that there aren’t many people who have been able to move past this and jump forward, allowing the anxiety and fears to no longer consume them. And I am not saying that if you fall into the category of feeling stuck that you are wrong, bad, lazy, or any other description others or maybe even you have labeled yourself as. This is just simply fact, and you are not alone. I even fall into the rut of not feeling motivated to move forward.
As a result of the explosive amount of people who experience anxiety, mostly related to the pandemic (along with countless other reasons), we are experiencing a shortage of therapists and social workers who are able to work with those who have reached out for help. It is common to call for an appointment to be told that they are no longer excepting new clients or that you’ll be put on a waiting list for months. Many counselors are overwhelmed with the workload given to them. Also, did you know that many counselors have counselors themselves?
With all of this being said, have you ever considered a Life Coach? Many people who need help tend to think of going to counseling. Yes, counseling is great! I highly recommend going if you need one. Another option you could benefit from is a life coach. Life Coaching is a relatively new field (in relation to counseling) and is starting to become more widely known. Many people have heard of life coaching, but don’t know exactly what they do. If you are unfamiliar, life coaches work alongside individuals (or in some cases groups), to help them move forward, creating goals, identifying their needs and what works best for them, as well as providing tools/resources and accountability. A counselor is someone who typically helps their clients with trauma and working through past experiences, where a life coach does not. Some counselors may also help set goals and progress from the work allowing you to move forward, but it is not their main focus.
There are many life coaches who specialize in different areas and have specific niches. If you decide to look for a life coach, you may want to find someone who specializes in the area that you need help with or are looking to move forward in. Some also offer coaching in multiple areas, where you can benefit from their multiple specialties. In the case of needing help with anxiety, a life coach, such as myself, would be able to help identify what the anxieties are, where they’ve come from, and what tools and resources you can use to manage the stress and anxiety. It needs to be said though, that at some point a life coach may refer you to counseling if there are some underlying causes to your anxiety that may need treatment through therapy. But a life coach can be very resourceful in managing anxiety.
If you hadn’t considered a life coach before, have you now? While therapists and social workers are at their maximum capacity, there are many life coaches waiting to fill their schedules.
You are welcome to check out my website Life Unlimited Coaching to learn more about what I offer and who I am. If you are interested in learning more or would like to set up a Free Consultation, just click on the link below and I will be in contact with you to set that up.
Life Unlimited Coaching 