Change is always hard, whether it is planned or not. It can be exciting, yet the unknown can be a source of worry and anxiety. If it is a sudden change, then how greater is the anxiety? Since the beginning of 2020, COVID-19 has changed the way of doing life in a short amount of time for the entire world. This change has caused governments to have to figure things out on the go, which also causes minor to big changes to happen constantly. How do we adjust and keep ourselves steady during this time of constant changes and as we go into the unknown? How do we adjust to a pandemic while trying to adjust in a foreign, or new-to-us, country? The First Steps The beginning of that change and adjustment starts with acceptance. Research has shown that avoidance or denial is associated with psychopathology, such as depression and anxiety. Additionally, a comprehensive review of studies has shown that acceptance and being mindful of situations have influenced a positive quality of life. Acceptance does not necessarily mean agreeing with, liking, or thinking positively about a thing. It can mean just being okay with it or being aware that this new change cannot be controlled. When we start the process of acceptance, we make space for a new perspective and come up with the energy to adjust. We are able to see change as an opportunity to try something new. It could be a new routine (sports or things you do daily), a tradition, or even trying a new hobby. It could be a chance for you to start the project that you didn’t have time for. Creating a routine can be a good way to prioritize and organize the changes. It gives you a sense of control and to some certainty, as a routine is made to be predictable and consistent. Plus, it’s in our DNA to like routines. In between those routines, I would like to invite and challenge you to find and add little joys! Some examples are Taco Tuesdays, a drink of hot chocolate or tea after you are done with the day, spacing out for a few minutes, getting a massage, taking a bubble bath and more! Don’t Forget to Connect Being in a foreign country during these times can be especially difficult. There is more time to think, which could lead to more time to think about home and missing home. If we miss home and our families, why don’t we bring home to the place where we are? Were there some traditions you did with your family members back home? Then bring those traditions here! Of course, some modifications might be done, but continuing tradition with family and friends here would bring home to you. Finally, make time to connect with friends and family. Having people who share memories with you and who know you is very powerful. By connecting with people who know you well, it can help make your time away from home easier and perhaps even give you moments to relax. Conversations with them can be a time to be comfortable. By connecting with them, you can ask how they are adjusting to their new living situations and get ideas from them! Nevertheless, if you feel that none of this helps and you are in need of specialized support, don’t hesitate to contact the AHS inquiry team (+82-2-749-7915 / info@ahskorea.com) and set up an appointment with the wonderful therapists there. For more information on COVID-19 Ministry of Health and Welfare The Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare provides up-to-date information in English about the COVID-19 situation in Korea. World Health Organization The World Health Organization provides information and resources about the global situation around COVID-19. Seo Jung is an Associate Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with Adaptable Human Solutions, a private mental health clinic that provides English counseling and psychotherapeutic services. Currently, Adaptable Human Solutions has offices in Seoul and Pyeongtaek and they also provide counseling via telehealth (secure online counseling). If you would like to find out more about Adaptable Human Solutions, visit their website at www.ahskorea.com. For more details on counseling services, please email info@ahskorea.com or call 02-749-7915 to schedule an appointment.

The post Adjusting to the New Normal appeared first on South of Seoul.

Growing up, dreams of living abroad for school or for work were always accompanied by a wistful sense of excitement, adventure, and the awe of untouched potential. Truly, as an expatriate myself, these have been some of the best parts of my overseas experience. However, to a lesser extent, living abroad also comes with tough challenges such as cultural adjustment, being away from the family, lifestyle changes (some for the better, some not so), and then some. Having lived across three different countries over the past two decades, navigating these spaces has become somewhat easier (though not perfect) and I am lucky that my family fully supports my wanderlust and we are pretty good with keeping in touch. However, these past few months with the COVID-19 global pandemic, have proved to be the most difficult and challenging in terms of being away from home and my loved ones.  “Home isn’t where you’re from, it’s where you find light when all grows dark” – Pierce Brown. To provide some context, I grew up in Singapore and spent most of my life there. I come from a close-knit family and several times a year, we would have family gatherings with all my extended relatives, on both sides of my family. It is a Singaporean thing; we love festivities, and being a small nation, it isn’t difficult for everyone to get together for big family meals. My immediate family moved to Australia about 15 years ago and are currently based there. So, my family is pretty much spread over two countries with Mum and my younger siblings in Australia, and Dad (my parents are divorced) and my extended relatives whom I am just as close to, in Singapore.  These past few months, watching the COVID-19 pandemic unfold across the globe, I have never missed my family so much. It hit the hardest when the worldwide spread intensified. Travel restrictions increased, borders closed, flights reduced, and, in some places, completely ceased. I found myself keeping up with news of COVID-19 in two countries (three, if you count South Korea) and I, like many others, could only watch helplessly as the numbers of infections climbed. It wasn’t just about the disease either, but the consequences of the pandemic – panic buying, loss of jobs, xenophobia. Suddenly, it was no longer a simple matter of booking a flight and getting on a plane if I needed to be with my family to provide aid and care for them or vice versa. I know that I am not alone in saying that being away from my loved ones and not knowing when I can physically be with them again has not been easy. We are all learning to navigate these uncertain and complicated times. These are some strategies that I’ve come across that have been helpful for me and I hope that they will be helpful for you too.  Keep in touch and making time count Living in the age of technology and being able to send a quick message to, or video chatting with my loved ones on Whatsapp (or any of the other gazillion messaging apps) has been a lifesaver. Having been guilty in the past of putting this off in favour of other seemingly more important (i.e. more immediate) things, this has become a priority. Someone once said to me that the time we get with each other today, we will never get again. This was said in the context of physically isolating together and families suddenly having to spend a lot of time with one another. I am not personally in that situation, but what she said really resonated with me. I can still make memories together (thanks to technology) with my loved ones at this time. Present moment awareness refers to the act of being fully engaged in what one is doing at the moment, and the research supports its effectiveness in lowering stress and improving moods. So, I am more focused on being present in these calls and enjoying being in the moment with my family. It has brought us so much closer. It also helps me to check-in on how they are doing, which then allows me to moderate how worried I should be (or not) for them.  Have a sense of community Keeping connected to communities has been another godsend. It is probably unsurprising that numerous studies have long found that we tend to not do well when we are lonely and socially isolated. During this time, a lot of us are here somewhat by ourselves, and we become each other’s family away from home. I’m not just referring to our individual circles of friends, but to wider communities and organizations (e.g. SIWA, ANZA, AWC, Internations, etc). Talking about common worries, frustrations, and supporting one another can help us to feel less alone as we check in on one another, and normalise and validate each other’s feelings. Caring and supporting our community also allows us to exercise some sense of control in relation to this global pandemic. I might not be able to help my family overseas to the extent that I would like, but there are people here that need help too and I can help them. Communities don’t always have to be in the same physical location either. I have friends who are part of foreigner communities in other countries, and through apps like Facebook, we try to uplift one another in little ways that we can. One friend of mine posts a funny meme every day, another started a Facebook page to collect stories of kindness, yet other posts ideas/activities to keep kids from being bored at home.  Have self-compassion and breathe These are unprecedented times and it didn’t come with a manual. It’s okay to feel like you don’t know what to do. It’s okay to not have all the answers. It’s okay to not have it together all the time. We are only human (i.e. imperfect) and it’s okay to have human moments. Research shows high levels of self-compassion to be related to better overall psychological mental well-being as well as lowered levels of depression, anxiety, and stress. So, allow yourself the space to be human, breath through it. What does that mean? Breathing is underrated. I remember the first time someone told me to “Keep Calm and Breathe” – to which I believe I reacted by clenching my teeth and saying, “It’s not that simple” (clearly, this was before I became a therapist *wink*). It truly isn’t. Breathing to feed our bodily functions and breathing to soothe ourselves is different. The former is automatic and we do it without thinking. The latter is a skill and like all skills, needs to be practiced for us to get good at it. For me, it has since become invaluable, and it is something that can be used anywhere. Whenever I am feeling overwhelmed, or upset, I spend some time taking slow, deep, mindful breaths, deliberately relaxing, and let the breaths center me as I slowly let those emotions go with each one. This, is breathing through it. There is also a slew of scientific evidence around the benefits of mindful breathing on calming the emotional centers of the brain, regulating blood pressure, improving the immune system, as well as our metabolism! Practice Gratefulness Research has shown a relationship between gratitude with improved outcomes in terms of increased pleasant feelings, life satisfaction, as well as reduced stress and depression among other things. Practicing gratitude helps me to not dwell only on the negative and sometimes ugly aspects of the current global situation. Our lifestyles have changed in so many ways in response to this virus and it is unclear if and when it will go away. Focusing on the sacrifices and the inconveniences is natural but does not help my moods in the long-run. So, I look for things to be grateful for. I am grateful for the company of my kitty cat (my faithful sidekick in my wanderlust adventures), I am grateful to have something to smile about at least once each day (hard not to do with a friend that sends memes daily), I am grateful that the skies are clearer these days, I am grateful for technology without which I cannot stay connected with my loved ones, I am grateful that they are as safe as they can be, and I am grateful for the people who go out of their way to make things better for others in this time of crisis.   Know your resources Since the onset of this pandemic around the globe, I’ve also come across different stories of how lives have been impacted. A lot of people went back to their home countries, but a lot of people also stayed due to circumstances beyond their control, such as having medical issues that limit the possibility of travel, having children that are either too young to travel or too vulnerable health-wise to do so… the list goes on. Reflecting on these stories, it is clear that it is also very important to know what and where your resources are to get help and assistance. These can be formal such as the respective embassies of different countries or informal such as Facebook groups of expats from particular countries but living in Seoul/South Korea. Once again, the research demonstrates that we do better mentally and emotionally when we have access to support. Speaking of resources, we at AHS are a resource that you can tap on too. Remember that we might be apart from our family and loved ones, but we are not alone. If you are going through a difficult time in the midst of this global health crisis. Reach out to us, so that we may journey with you, and support you through it. Seek additional support when needed These are unprecedented times, and it is normal to feel overwhelmed by the situation and your emotions. If you need additional help for your mental health, AHS has licensed therapists who are ever ready to support you through these challenging times. Telehealth options are also available to support those who are practicing physical distancing, or self-isolation. Contact our inquiry team at 02 – 749 – 7915 / info@ahskorea.com to find out more. For more information on COVID-19 Ministry of Health and Welfare The Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare provides up-to-date information in English about the COVID-19 situation in Korea. World Health Organization The World Health Organization provides information and resources about the global situation around COVID-19. Genevieve is a Registered Psychologist with Adaptable Human Solutions, a private mental health clinic that provides English counseling and psychotherapeutic services. Currently, Adaptable Human Solutions has offices in Seoul and Pyeongtaek and they also provide counseling via telehealth (secure online counseling). If you would like to find out more about Adaptable Human Solutions, visit their website at www.ahskorea.com. For more details on counseling services, please email info@ahskorea.com or call 02-749-7915 to schedule an appointment.

The post From One Foreigner to Another: Coping with Living Away from Family During COVID-19 appeared first on South of Seoul.

As the number of COVID-19 infections rises across the globe, it is hardly surprising that our mental health has also increasingly taken a toll. Anxieties are elevated as there are many uncertainties at this point, and life as we know it has seemed to change indefinitely in recent months. Here in South Korea, people have had to wear masks when out in public, schools have been closed, and students have had to switch to online learning. Businesses and companies have also had to implement work-from-home policies in order to slow the spread of the disease through safe and physical distancing. Considering this, most of us have been staying home and limiting our social contact for an extended period of time. Without a clear end in sight, it is normal that our general moods and wellbeing have gone down over time. This post provides some helpful strategies to combat low moods due to COVID-19 as we adjust to a new normal. Listen to the BlogCast Don’t want to read? Listen to the South of Seoul BlogCast which provides accessible content through the use of AI technology. We don’t have time to read each article but we do our best to make more of our content accessible. If you would like to join our Accessibility Team apply to volunteer with South of Seoul. Please note that the pronunciation of some Korean words may be inaccurate due to AI technology’s limitations. Limit COVID-19 media exposure We are constantly being bombarded with information about COVID-19. We hear it on the news, we hear it on the streets, we also get a dozen notifications on our devices, every day.  At times, it can seem like COVID-19 is all consuming and ever present on our minds. This is natural, as it is an important issue. We’re concerned and we want to keep abreast of the situation. However, it also follows that our moods can be negatively impacted by all the information that we are constantly and at times intrusively taking in. By limiting our exposure to COVID-19 related news and talk and focusing on other things, such as self-care, spending time with family, or doing work, we can moderate our low moods and give ourselves a break. For instance, set a time every day to ‘clock-out’ on COVID-19 news (e.g. 1pm every day). There is no FOMO (fear of missing out) as the news still will be there tomorrow. What might be a good ‘clock-out’ time for you? Look for the silver linings News and social media feeds are saturated with negative information about COVID-19 around the world. However, it is important to remember that throughout history, wherever there was calamity, there were also inevitably, stories of hope. Communities have come together more often than not and helped one another for the greater good. This situation with COVID-19 is no different. By being deliberate and conscious in looking for these stories of people doing good, and of hope, we can maintain a balanced view of things. The algorithms on social media are designed to bring up more of the content that we view/click on. In this situation, it makes negative news easier to access. Our brain functions in a similar way. The more we focus our attention on the negative, the more our brain becomes hardwired to seek out negative information, which makes it easier for the bad stuff to catch our attention. This is how sometimes we have trouble in coming out of our low moods. By consciously tuning our focus to good news, we are helping our brain to be balanced in the type of information it gives its attention to. What are some stories of good or hope that you have come across? These are some of our favorites. ・ Happy Birthday to an 80-year-old woman from their window・ 12-year-old-twins play violin concert in quarantine・ Some of the heroes rising from coronavirus pandemic・ Give a bit・ Pizza sent to a hospital to thank doctor Find ways to contribute One of the biggest consequences to protecting ourselves and others from COVID-19 is the changes to our lifestyle. Having to limit our physical social interactions, not being able to go to places of entertainment, school closures, and working remotely from home etc., can give us the sense that we are losing control. However, contributing to the community, even in small ways, can be empowering in the global fight against COVID-19 and help to balance out low moods. Donate to your local food bank, help your elderly neighbor navigate shopping for groceries online so that they don’t have to go to the store, or purchase gift cards from your local small businesses to help them stay afloat (you can use them after physical distancing restrictions have passed). What are some ways that you can give back? What are some ways that you can show #covidkindness? Remember they don’t have to be big ideas; little things go a long way too. Keep to a routine Dress up for the mental space that you want to be in. Routines and structures help us to regulate our mood by keeping ourselves busy, giving ourselves something to look forward to, and by providing us with a sense of predictability. If you are working from home, separate your workspace from your resting space and keep to specific hours for work. If you are staying at home for physical distancing/self-isolating, wake up and go to bed at the same time daily, schedule time to do some light exercises to keep active, keep to regular meal times, and aim to have a variety of activities throughout your day. What does your #stayhome routine look like? Take time for self-care Looking after ourselves is important to maintain a healthy frame-of-mind, particularly in this situation. Some examples of self-care include: taking time to do activities that you enjoy, working out at home, scheduling regular breaks, keeping up with healthy eating, maintaining a regular schedule if you are self-isolating or working from home, finding time to relax, mediating, practicing mindfulness, and journaling down your thoughts and feelings. What are your favorite activities for self-care? Is there anything that you have been meaning to try but haven’t yet? Maintain social connections The World Health Organization has moved away from the term ‘social distancing’ and uses ‘physical distancing’ instead. This is because while we must keep away from one another physically in order to help manage the spread of the coronavirus, it is equally important for us to remain connected socially. There is an abundance of research that shows that our mental health suffers when we are socially isolated. So, leverage on information technology to continue to connect with one another. Whatsapp, Skype, Zoom, and Facetime are some great apps to start with to keep connected. Who might you connect (or reconnect) with today? Seek additional support when needed These are unprecedented times, and it is normal to feel overwhelmed by the situation and your emotions. If you need additional help for your mental health, AHS has licensed therapists who are ever ready to support you through these challenging times. Telehealth options are also available to support those who are practicing physical distancing, or self-isolation. Contact our inquiry team at 02 – 749 – 7915 / info@ahskorea.com to find out more. For more information on COVID-19 Ministry of Health and WelfareThe Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare provides up-to-date information in English about the COVID-19 situation in Korea. World Health OrganizationThe World Health Organization provides information and resources about the global situation around COVID-19. Genevieve is a Registered Psychologist with Adaptable Human Solutions, a private mental health clinic that provides English counseling and psychotherapeutic services. Currently, Adaptable Human Solutions has offices in Seoul and Pyeongtaek and they also provide counseling via telehealth (secure online counseling). If you would like to find out more about Adaptable Human Solutions, visit their website at www.ahskorea.com. For more details on counseling services, please email info@ahskorea.com or call 02-749-7915 to schedule an appointment.

The post How to combat a low mood during COVID-19 appeared first on South of Seoul.