So we see all stuck at home, only allowed out for limited reasons.  The kids are off school, you and your partner are probably working from home.  The usual stresses and responsibilities you have are cancelled; you can’t shop for fun, meet friends for coffee, go and see family or go to the gym, to name a few things. 

But in amongst all this stress, what can you do? What is the opportunity? What can you do that will make a difference in your life?

This free time stuck at home gives a rare opportunity.  I have heard many times in therapy ‘ I haven’t had time to think about what we discussed last session’ and that is a common and understandable barrier in our busy lives.  However, you now have free time that you are unlikely to get again, EVER!

So you can either binge on Netflix, become a TV expert, or you take the time for some in depth self development, knowing that you have the time, both mentally and physically, to devote to it.  

Therapy involves changes in insight, being reflective, learning new patterns of thinking and behaviour.  There will be elements of practical applications which might be more challenging to actually do right now, but the mental reflections, reading and exploration you could do make this a time of potentially tremendous growth and development. 

If you have worries about remote/online therapy, just bear in mind that if you are comfortable with video calls, then you will probably be very comfortable using this medium for therapy. 

So, you could either come out of this and resume your life as it was, or you could use the opportunity to learn new insights and skills, and heal any emotional wounds.  This could help you to come out of the lockdown with an increased strength, able to have greater impact and success.