We are all rightly focused on our physical health, but how's our mental health?

We have all seen the panic, some of us have unfortunately also experienced it. The recent rush to buy toilet paper has been extended to pasta, rice and (as of last night at my local supermarket) flour - assumed this is in case we need to start making our own bread?! In these extraordinary times it’s important to point out that panic buying is a result of mild (to moderate) anxiety. “I might be quarantined for 2 weeks, how will I survive?” to which the answer is simple; buy enough supplies to get through the quarantine period. Whether one actually need 60 rolls of toilet paper is another question of course, but on the whole, a very rational thought process for the context at hand. This level of anxiety is actually very useful.

Low grade anxiety helps to keep us focused, avoid complacency and ensure we adhere to the correct protocols to manage through the crisis. In Covid 19 terms, this looks like disciplined personal hygiene, correct social distancing and diligent health monitoring (note these are all physical tactics). As anxiety levels increase, decision making tends to become more difficult and behaviour deteriorates. At the mild end of the spectrum we see polite panic buying and at the severe end fighting in supermarket aisles! So the message? Be anxious, but not too anxious! Which brings me to the keep point of this article, how do we stay in that window of healthy anxiety without tipping over the edge?

One technique to try is psychological distancing which, in a nutshell, is taking a different psychological stance on an issue, event or experience thus creating “distance” between your emotions and the said ‘thing’. By creating this distance you are able to be more objective, grounded and optimistic about the outcome which acts to reduce the anxiety and fear - hopefully to a manageable level – or even prevent it entirely. Born out of social psychology, psychological distancing is an in-the-moment-technique which can be in response to what’s going on in your environment or to prepare you to function more effectively for an environment you are about to enter. Key to the technique is the role of the inner voice, in particular the stance from which your inner voice is projected. For example, instead of using the term “I” substitute this for your name and by taking this third person stance you immediately build in more distance between yourself and the issue at hand. When flipping “What can I do” to “Luke, what can you do” I am able to be more objective and less emotional about the issue as I am taking myself out of the hot zone (like swapping roles from central character to support actor) which gives me a different perspective, less emotions and ultimately more control over my thoughts and behaviour.

Psychological distancing can be used when dealing with an emotional issue, for example, when your team member has inadvertently put you in the hot seat with a key client. You might be fuming underneath and taking a first-person stance, “I can’t believe he did that; what have I done to deserve that; I have done nothing but try to work with him” does very little to take the emotion out of the situation. Much more helpful is to say to yourself, “Luke, there would be reasons he did that; Luke, how can you better understand this?: Luke, what’s the most constructive way forward” which (I hope you can see) takes the sting out of the issue and helps me to approach the situation in a much better frame of mind.

In terms of the current Covid 19 crisis, you can use the technique when you inevitably need to leave the sanctuary of your self-isolation to enter a potential contagion zone such as a supermarket. Rather than saying to myself, “I’m going to catch a virus; What will I do if I get sick; I don’t know how I will get through this” I will change it up to, “Luke, you are going to be ok; Luke, you will only be there for a short time; Luke, you will have the sanitiser and keep your distance from everyone around you” which results in a less anxious experience and a (much) more manageable psychological state. Simple I know, which is why it is so effective!

Whilst you are mastering social distancing, practice psychological distancing too. Be sure though to use the technique with your inner voice, the research has not focused on the effects of vocalising aloud, for a number of reasons one of which is the fact talking to yourself in the third person looks weird to others! So practice this in the privacy of your own mind, the technique can be extended upon and used in multiple subtle but powerful ways. For more information listen to this podcast featuring Ethan Kross , Professor of Psychology at the University of Michigan.  https://megaphone.link/CAD3068330015