The Wish Bowl Chapter - 1

Summary

Wish Bowl is a series introduced by The One-Liner that integrates the real story of individuals’ wishes with psychological analysis by a Psychologist of that particular behavior.

Chapter 1 deals with the story of an individual who wishes to get rid of anxiety and live a good life with her family members.

1. Think Great

How much do we wish for every day? Why do we even do that quite often? Is this a human tendency? Or a thought that can be ignored?

According to John B. Watson, a psychologist from the John Hopkins University,

“many human wishes are such a character that we cannot even put them into words.”

But not every wish has greed in it. Some desires are even so situational that people find them hard to ignore.

When I asked one of my friends what she wished for the most now, she said that she wanted to get rid of the anxiety which she has been facing after getting infected by Covid 19.

Sounds logical because she is affected by it; and as a result, it is<span “> harming her productivity in the workspace.

She later adds, during that time, she had so many negative emotions against people around her and it was hard for her to share those thoughts with anyone who hadn’t been through it equally. It wasn’t easy at all.

Psychologists say that,

Whether situational or biological instinct (especially during a pandemic), wishing for something can signify hope and act as a coping mechanism by giving us the comfort we need.

Covid 19 pandemic has led to highly significant psychological distress among the general population, which can often lead to anxiety, feelings of hopelessness, helplessness, and worthlessness.

Even positive changes in your life can also lead to anxiety, and it can take time to get back to normalcy.

Staying indoors for a more extended period can lead to feelings of restlessness, annoyance, financial pressures, isolation, boredom, and disinterest. These feelings are entirely natural and reasonable and reflect our desire for survival.

1. Reframing Negative Thoughts to Positive Thoughts

“No one likes me” to “I Like Myself” or “I’m a bad person” to “I did something bad.” Chronic negative thinking can lead to a lot of distress. Reconstructing or reframing these thoughtscan be very effective in creating a positive attitude.

2. Affirmation

Constantly repeating something can make you believe in it. Positive affirmation can help to boost your confidence and stay strong during challenging circumstances. For example:

“I’m strong, and I can get over this” or “I’m proud of myself.”

Well, Feelings of post-lockdown and post-recovery anxiety are common and require time to get used to the “new normal,” but it’s essential to do what we can and take care of our mental health.

One can always reach out to the mental health professionals, trustworthy family members or friends during the time of distress.

” Self-care is not selfish”; it’s a priority.

So, let’s get this correct!

Shreedevi Kulkarni is a counseling psychologist with expertise in adolescent counseling, child counseling, and skills training. She has experience as a Psychology lecturer and believes in empowering her students through experiential learning.

She is a B. Tech in Mechanical Engineering and always believed that a creative idea backed with technology could make a difference. Her inquisitive nature helps her curate impactful ideas and would help make a difference to the business community and society at large.