Many clients from different countries come to my office, both face-to-face and virtual. What do they have in common? Incredible anxiety and a great lack of finding his way to be able to move on. The pandemic, the confinement, the economic crisis, the war provoked by Russia in Ukraine, the high instability and, finally, the instability of the labor market generate this anxiety. The question is the following, do we have influence on these phenomena? The only thing we can do is continue living in this unstable world and try to find our goal, develop our mental and labor capacities to be able to face the world around us.
The symptoms of anxiety, fear and mental disorders have no borders. According to research carried out by the Faculty of Psychology of the University of Buenos Aires1, 12% of Argentines suffer from a mental disorder, while 54% of the participants state that they are experiencing a crisis. I think this number is a bit small and should have increased in 2023, with the rise of economic instability. In addition, the most disturbing thing is that more than 50% of those who require psychological treatment do not do so, for various reasons.
Crossing the pond, we will see that, according to research by the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work2, more than 27% of the EU population is suffering from stress, depression or anxiety. If we examine more precisely, 37% of Spaniards and 30% of Italians suffer from anxiety or depression, while Denmark and Germany have the lowest rate, with 18%. Although less than 30% of Spaniards and Italians have the possibility of receiving psychological help, on the other hand, due to a more developed health system, more than 67% of Finns and Danes have access to this type of help.
If we compare the countries of the European Union with Argentina, we see that we all experience anxiety. And how can we get out of this? Without a doubt, it is necessary to establish contact with a psychologist to determine if there are no more mental disorders or traumas that are not related to the current situation. There are various tools that one can use more easily to continue forward. I suggest asking yourself a few questions:
Where does my personal influence on what is happening around me begin and end?
Why am I thinking about the economy and politics if I don’t have so much influence on what is happening?
How does it make me feel if I keep reflecting on this?
What can I do to not think about this?
What are my strengths to face a certain situation?
Why am I taking everything personally?
If one answers these questions and feels better or lighter, the next step is to ask other questions so as not to experience this state of anxiety again.
What made me happy?
What things calm me down?
Who can I talk to about my concerns and not go back into the anxiety spiral?
How can I change my current status?
Is it time to make decisions for change?
Is it better to wait a little for everything to stabilize?
Are there other things I can do in life that give me professional and personal satisfaction?
Anxiety is a major problem and there are many tools that as a coach I can offer to reduce anxiety in the present and in the future. It is required to contact a psychologist or psychotherapist to determine if there is no hidden psychological disorder in our soul that comes from childhood or youth, or from a traumatic situation, before going to an executive coach. I always ask my clients if they had any contact with a psychologist or psychotherapist, since it is extremely essential for me to diagnose a disorder so as not to cause harm to anyone. In the same way, an executive or life coach asks many questions, provides many tools and exercises in order to empower his client to use their own resources to face different situations in daily and work life.
If you want to know more about coaching, go to my website: pw-communications.org/es or I invite you to connect with me via WhatsApp.
+34 657 13 58 36
Sources:
1. Applied Social Psychology Observatory. Survey of the psychological state of the Argentine population. December 2022.
2. OSH Pulse – Occupational safety and health in post-pandemic workplaces, Flash Eurobarometer Report, European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, 2022
by CEDOC
