Dr Kate Alessia, Clinical Psychologist & Social Worker in Hindmarsh, South Australia, Australia | Psychologist

Dr Kate Alessia, Clinical Psychologist & Social Worker

Locality: Hindmarsh, South Australia, Australia

Phone: +61 400 444 040

Address: 1A Station Place 5007 Hindmarsh, SA, Australia

Website: https://katealessia.com/

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24.01.2022 Social distancing can be very challenging for people who are naturally highly social. However, too much time alone (or trapped with a very small group of people) can be stressful and unsettling for anyone. One of the things that helps is maintaining normal wake/sleep cycles and regular mealtimes and routines. It might be tempting to stay up late and binge on Netflix or play computer games, but allowing the times you go to sleep and get up to drift from normal patterns is lik...ely to lead to feeling cranky and out of sorts. It's tempting to snack throughout the day when constantly at home. However, not only is this unhelpful for our waistlines and blood sugars, but it can mess with our mood. One of the functions of mealtimes is to punctuate and structure our days. Continuing to eat nutritious meals at our usual times helps us feel that the world is more manageable and less overwhelming. Wherever possible, keep exercise routines going, even if in modified format. If exercise isn't part of normal life, now might be a good time to introduce it. Not only does exercise enhance physical functioning, but it also lifts mood and provides a sense of achievement.

24.01.2022 Physical isolation from others is essential at this time to protect the entire community, particularly the most vulnerable. However, social contact is also essential. There are many ways that social links can be maintained and even enhanced, in the absence of physical contact. Although electronic connections cannot replace the impact of physical contact such as hugs, we are fortunate to live in a time in which there is a myriad of ways for maintaining links with others. The v...arious communication formats offer differing types of connections and now is a great time to use a diversity of communication tools. Texts, memes, and emojis offer a quick means of communicating ‘I’m thinking of you’ or checking in without seeming intrusive. They offer the opportunity to share an immediate response to something in your day. Likewise, sending a quick photo is a great way to communicate something about what you’re doing or what has captured your imagination while simultaneously reminding the other that they matter to you. Although texts are great and in some ways non-intrusive because they can be responded to at the time of the recipient’s choosing, phone calls offer the added connectivity of voice. When we engage in a vocal conversation, there are extra dimensions provided by tone of voice, pacing of speech, back-and-forth exchanges, and the bouncing of ideas and concepts off each other. This cannot be accurately replicated in text conversations. Video calls offer the added dimension of body language and facial expression, which is such an integral part of normal human interactions and often helps prevent misunderstandings. Although video calls (eg FaceTime, Zoom) cannot totally replicate or replace in person conversation, they do provide a richness of exchange that can be lacking in texts or calls that are solely voice. This time of physical isolation might be a great time for old fashioned letters to make a comeback, as they allow for leisurely thought in their construction and indicate that a great deal of effort has gone into their production. Some people claim that there is something more personal about handwritten offerings. Consider posting cards, post cards, printed photos, or newspaper cuttings as a way of letting another know that they’re in your thoughts. If you don’t want to leave the house to post items, carefully compose a well-thought-out email, perhaps using a journaling format when you detail your activities of the day or your thoughts about life. Alternatively, you might like to send presents, gifts, or trinkets that have been chosen with thought. These could be mailed to the recipient, or if they live close enough, placed in their letterbox or by their front door. Just because we are physically distancing, there is no need to be socially distant - in fact it’s crucial that we’re not!

19.01.2022 One of the downsides of self-isolation, whether one is working at home or not, is a sense of purposelessness. Many people are finding that the lack of normal routines and external demands leaves them struggling to identify how they want to fill their time. Although there may be many things they think they ‘should’ do, it can be difficult to choose what to do and when. This is not the case for everyone. Many people are so highly stressed by loss of employment or inadequate emp...loyment that they are busy chasing other job possibilities or income streams. They long for the sense of holiday boredom and lassitude that some people are posting about on social media. For both groups, too much thinking and too little rewarding activity is problematic. As humans, we have a need for a sense of purpose and achievement. Although it can useful to have an overarching sense of purpose (eg caring for the sick, contributing to society), it is as important to have a sense that our days matter. Feeling at the end of the day that we have achieved something, no matter how trivial, is grounding and reassuring, and contributes to better sleep. To feel better about life, each day do something that provides a sense of achievement. It does not matter whether that achievement is of interest, relevance or importance to anyone else. What matters is that we have a sense of having done something worthwhile to us. It can be as simple as scrubbing the shower tiles, tidying that cupboard you’ve been meaning to sort for years, or culling the clothes in your wardrobe. It could be cooking up soups and meals to freeze or baking cakes and biscuits. Alternatively it could be a larger-scale project such as painting the hallway or erecting a new garden shed. The point is to do something that provides you with the sense that your time and energy have resulted in an outcome which you can celebrate.

18.01.2022 This year has been disastrous is so many ways, but perhaps it has taught us the value of the small things. Let's keep celebrating the many minor things that enrich our lives.

13.01.2022 It appears likely that in South Australia and many other states the period of enforced isolation is soon to come to an end, although for people with compromised immune systems or those in the most at-risk groups, self-isolation might have to continue for much longer. It can be tempting with the lure of greater freedoms on the horizon to feel both a sense of imminent freedom and a greater agitation about being unable to resume life as we knew it. It can also be easy to become... lax about maintaining the strategies that have proved effective against covid-19 frequent handwashing, physical distancing, restricted movements which increases the risk of a second wave of infections. To cope with the sense of imminent change and the possible boredom and lassitude that has set in for some people, now is a good time to take stock. Consider whether there are tasks that you intended to do during this time of isolation that you haven’t yet invested in. Perhaps it’s appropriate to take action while there’s still the opportunity it do so. Have you drifted into habits or routines that don’t support your physical or mental health? If so, what changes can you make to increase your wellbeing? Does your life need more novelty? What can you do to create more ‘colour’ and variety in your life? That could include experimenting with cooking different types of meals, re-arranging the furniture, de-cluttering, signing up for an online yoga or dance class, gardening, playing your old CD collection, or reaching out to a friend with whom you’ve lost contact. Think about whether now is a good time to set a personal challenge. This could be to learn a new skill, develop an existing one, build physical strength (eg daily push-ups), start a habit you’d like to carry forward (eg daily meditation), or focus on an attribute by which you’d like to be known (eg generosity, honesty, gratitude, courage). Start to plan for increased freedoms by identifying the activities that you will most appreciate when restrictions are lifted. Perhaps write a list of the people you want to see and places you want to go when you have the opportunity.

11.01.2022 As we all move into physical isolation from others, it is important to focus on the opportunities this presents to nurture ourselves while we protect ourselves and others in the community. Whether we find ourselves unemployed or working from home, the time saved in preparing for and travelling to work can be used in creative ways. - Experiment with new rituals, such as making a cuppa in your favourite mug and sitting in a pleasant place with a view to enjoy it, whether that i...s outdoors or in. - Perhaps start your day with yoga or stretches, using the time you would typically spend in commuting to care for your body. - Take extra time to prepare and eat breakfast, choosing whatever food is nutritious and desirable, rather than what is quick and convenient. - Possibly start the day by doing a crossword, solving a puzzle, completing a sudoku. Focus your attention on something intellectually challenging to have ‘time out’ from the world and stressors. - Check in with a friend or family member, focusing on light conversation or humour, rather than doom and gloom. While at home, think about how you can nurture each of your five senses. For example: - Play your favourite music, check out new playlists, revisit old CDs, or listen to nearby birds. - Wrap yourself in a cosy blanket, wear your favourite trackpants, or take time to apply body lotion. - Surround yourself with your favourite scents, whether that is perfume, flowers, onions frying, or your dog. - Eat a favourite treat food slowly, noticing the smell, taste, and texture. Take the time to relish every mouthful and note the different tastes as it moves around your tongue and mouth. - Set up the place in which you spend most of your day so that you are looking at things that give you pleasure, trigger happy memories, or are soothing.

10.01.2022 Finally my website is almost finished. Check it out - katealessia.com

08.01.2022 True listening is such a gift and such an honour.

07.01.2022 Structure down lockdown can help a lot. Devise your own structure including the things that are important for you.

06.01.2022 We live in challenging times. We need to be gentle with ourselves.

05.01.2022 If you haven't yet seen 'Embrace', now is your chance to view it for free on 7plus. It's a great opportunity to befriend your body and stop judging your worth by your body size.

03.01.2022 For many, possibly most, people, an extended period of restriction to home can trigger or exacerbate anxiety. It is easy to feel on edge or agitated when we feel unable to do many of the activities that usually stimulate and satisfy us. There are many things that can be done to reduce anxiety. Sites such as Be Well Plan [https://www.bewellplan.com/], This Way Up [https://thiswayup.org.au/], and Black Dog Institute [https://www.blackdoginstitute.org.au/] are offering online re...sources to assist with mental health. Something simple we can each do is cultivate an attitude that focuses on what we have and what we can do, rather than the restrictions that we currently face. Rather than remind ourselves of who we’d like to be hanging out with, where we’d rather or what we’d rather be doing, we can adjust our outlook to seek the best in what we currently have. After all, if we have a roof over our head and sufficient food to eat, we are amongst the luckiest people on the planet. And if we’re healthy, it’s a definite bonus. Take stock of what opportunities this period of enforced isolation offers. Maybe you’ve been developing a pile of books that you intend to read ‘some time’. Perhaps you’ve been downloading recipes for years but have never got around to trying them. Possibly you have multiple old CDs or songs you’ve downloaded that you haven’t played for ages. Maybe the garden could do with a bit of loving attention. Perhaps you’ve always intended to learn or brush up on another language. Possibly it’s time for cleaning and culling, to make life simpler in the future. Look around and identify ways to enhance your environment and your life. Make a priority of taking time each day to appreciate the amusing, interesting, intriguing, or touching things that happen. Cultivate an attitude of gratitude for what you have. It’s so easy to lament what we can’t have, while taking for granted what we have - after all, how many of us would have predicted last year that our freedom to associate with our loved ones would be restricted like it is? To assist in developing a more supportive - and less anxiety ridden - attitude, consider signing up to the free Grateful in April emails. Check out the website https://gratefulinapril.net/

02.01.2022 How we speak to ourselves and what we say has enormous effects on our wellbeing. Talk to yourself as you speak to a friend.