Psyche & Soul 58: SIGNING OFF

Psyche & Soul 58

SIGNING OFF

Jose Parappully SDB, PhD

sumedhacentre@gmail.com

Podcast Link:

https://anchor.fm/boscom/episodes/2-58-Psyche--Soul--123-e15hk6o

Hello, this is Jose Parappully, Salesian priest and clinical psychologist at Sumedha Centre for Psychospiritual Wellbeing at Jeolikote, Uttarakhand (sumedhacentre@gmail.com) signing off with the final edition of Psyche & Soul.

……..

Dear Listeners,

This is the final podcast in the series Psyche and Soul. For the 57 weeks, I have been able to present regularly some psychospiritual reflections on these podcasts. In these reflections I used insights from psychology, sacred scripture as well as the socio-political realities of our everyday life to help us enhance our emotional wellbeing and our spiritual life – our psyche and our soul.

Thank you very much for your encouragement and appreciation which kept me going, week after week for more than a year. A special word of thanks to PT Joseph, the www.donboscoindia.com  web master, and CM Paul of Radio Salesian for facilitating the uploading of the podcast, and to Yesudas Karakkattu for composing and performing the Psyche & Soul theme song and background music.

All the 57 podcasts will be available on www.donboscoindia.com webpage, and www.anchor.fm/boscom  for you to access whenever you want. May these podcasts enhance your psychospiritual journey, take you deeper and deeper into your psyche and soul.

In this final podcast, No 58, I list the weekly podcasts under 8 themes.

Theme 1: Psychospiritual Wellbeing (5 podcasts)

1.      1.Foundations of Health and Happiness.

2.      2. Childhood Foundation of Healthy Relationships:  Trust

3.      3. Childhood Foundations of Healthy Relationships 2: Secure Attachments

4.      4. Threats To Healthy Adult Relationships: Insecure Attachments In Childhood

5.      5. Need Empathic And Admirable People Around Us

Theme 2. There were four podcasts Related to the Corona Pandemic (4 podcasts)

Covid:  A Time of Massive Disruption (19)

6.      6. Self-Care During Covid

7.      7. Coping with Stress and Anxiety During Covid – Physical, Mental and Spiritual Strategies

      Transformation through Community & Compassion (20)

Theme 3: Emotional Wellbeing (11 podcasts)

8.      8. Need Fulfilment and Emotional Maturation

9.       9. Living with Meaning and Purpose

1010 .  Self-Knowledge

1111. .  Self-acceptance

1212..  Balancing Autonomy and Dependence

1313.  Emotions, Health and Happiness

1414.  Living Gratefully

1515.  Generosity

1616.  Hope And Optimism

1717. Resilience: Thriving Despite Adversity

1818.  Stress: Prevention and Relief

Theme 4: Spirituality (6 podcasts)

2121.  Psychology, Spirituality and Religion

2222.  A Splintered, Distorted Spirituality

2323.  Holistic Spirituality: Wholeness, Not Flawlessness

2424.  Spirituality of Simplicity – “Downward Mobility”

2525.  Spirituality of Embodiment

2626.  Moving into the New Year with Hope!

Theme 6: Mental Health (12 podcasts)

2727.  Mental Health and Wellbeing

2828.  Enhancing Mental Health and Wellbeing Through Grateful Living

2929.  Enhancing Mental Health and Wellbeing Through Meaningful Living

3030.  Enhancing Mental Health and Wellbeing: Some Simple Practices

3131.  Enhancing Mental Health: 7 More Simple Practices

3232.  The Burden of Mental Illness

3333.  Major Depression

3434.  Schizophrenia - 1

3535.  Schizophrenia – 2: Symptoms and Dynamics

36.36  Schizophrenia – 3: Roots And Remedies. 

3737. Anxiety Disorder 

3838. Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Theme 7: Personality Disorders (5 podcasts)

3939.  Personality Disorders: What They Are.

4040.  Narcissistic Personality Disorder. 

4141. Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder.  

4142. Borderline Personality Disorder., 

4343.  Paranoid Personality Disorder

Theme 8: Midlife Dynamics and the Spiritual Journey (14 podcasts)

4444.  Awakening to Midlife

4545.  Midlife Journeying

4646.  Emotional Awareness of Mortality

4747.  Time for Reassessment

4848.  Reassessment of “Dreams. 

4949. De-Illusioning 

5050.  Redeeming the “Shadow”

5151.  (Re-) Emergence of Sexuality and Intimacy Needs

5252.  Sexuality and Intimacy Needs: Women’s Experience

5353.  Balancing the Masculine and the Feminine

5454.  Moving Toward Integrity 

5555.Atonement (At-One-Men)t. 

5656. Aging Gracefully 

5757.  Spirituality for the Post-Midlife Years

 

I conclude with some significant quotes from the podcasts, something I would like to leave as a legacy from these podcasts.

“Acceptance of oneself is …the acid test of one’s whole outlook on life.” Carl Jung

“If you have a WHY to live for, you can live any HOW.” Nietzsche

 “If the only prayer you ever say in your life is ‘Thank you’, that is enough” Meister Eckhart

 “There are only two ways to live your life: as though nothing is a miracle, or as though everything is a miracle.” Albert Einstein

 “Split the wood, and I am there. Turn over the stone, and there you will find me.” Jesus, in the Gospel of Thomas, #77)

 

Thank you once again, for listening, for your support and appreciation. May your life be healthy and happy!

Theme Song “Listen to the Spirit.” Lyric by Jose Parappully SDB.  Sung by Yesudas Karakkatttu SDB

The Spirit is in us, around us!

Speaking to us…

Through all that happens to us

And around us.

Inviting and exhorting us

To health and wholeness.

Come let us listen to the Sprit

Let’s grow in our psyche and soul.

Background music: Composed and performed by Yesudas Karakkattu, SDB

Jose Parappully SDB, PhD

sumedhacentre@gmail.com

 You can listen to a podcast of this psot at:

https://anchor.fm/boscom/episodes/2-6-Psyche--Soul---We-need-to-reduce-stress-and-anxiety-19-ehqc7k

Hello, this is Jose Parappully, Salesian priest and clinical psychologist at Sumedha centre, Jeolikote, with another edition of Psyche & Soul.

This week end we shall focus on some protective measures against stress and anxiety during these Covid times.

Ravi is a top level professional, admired not only for his innovative ideas but also for his genial personality and collegial style who has been forced by Covid -19 to work from home.

Few days ago Ravi emailed a close friend. “I am not the person I was. I don’t know what is happening to me,” he wrote.  “I find myself getting irritated quite unnecessarily. I find fault with my wife and criticise her, which I had consciously avoided in the past. I even blame her family. Two days ago I shouted at my two children for silly things which made them cry. I am feeling ashamed of myself.”

Covid -19 pandemic can be a stressful time for many. Ravi would not be alone in what he is experiencing. Uncertain times normally lead to stress and even to feeling overwhelmed.  Loss of routine and structures that sustain daily rhythm, inability to connect with people, not being able to go out, having to work from home isolated from colleagues, loss of a sense of safety, worry about contacting the infection, or lack of access to hospital care for other illnesses, and need to be alert and cautious, and especially uncertainty and unpredictability about the future lead to high levels of anxiety.

During times such as this we can be overwhelmed not only by worry but also by other emotions such as fear, anger, hopelessness, sadness and grief.  There can also be feelings of discouragement and being out of control. It is easy for the stressed-out mind to conjure up worst-case scenarios.

Relationship Strain

When we are deprived of social interaction with those other than we live with, there is increased potential for relational friction with those who are close by. When we do  not have much to keep ourselves busy and occupied (or, preoccupied) as when deprived of the daily hassles of travel and work, we have ample time to notice negative features in those we live with which we may not have earlier. When this happens, our mind tends to go back over memory lane and pull up more and more unpleasant situations and incidents involving the other. This can lead to bickering and recrimination that strain the relationship, leading to further emotional alienation.

Fear of Stigma

In case we had tested positive and recovered, there can be fear of social stigma. We fear that those who know of our condition are going to avoid us.

Increased Stress Levels

All this can lead to increased stress which in turn impairs our physical and emotional wellbeing.

The psychological effects have been already mentioned. Physical responses may include headache, stomach-upsets, muscle tension, fatigue and sleeplessness. It can also lead to poor cardiovascular function, and higher levels of blood pressure. It can aggravate existing ailments.

Stress increases the activity of genes involved in causing inflammation and decreases that of genes involved in antiviral responses, which is especially relevant in this time of Covid-19.

HELPFUL STRATEGIES

There are number of things we can do to stay healthy and happy during the pandemic. 

1.      Stay Positive: Fight Negativity

We need to make a special effort to weed out negativity and focus on the positive. Because persons can be high-strung during isolation, fault finding is easy.  We need to consciously choose to focus on the positive, and look for opportunities to express appreciation. Blaming, accusations, fault-finding are especially hazardous during confinement.

Too much watching, reading or listening to news about COVID-19 can cause us to feel anxious or distressed. Seek information updates at specific times during the day-- once or twice would be enough.

In terms of fighting negativity it is helpful to look for reasons to be grateful. We cannot be grateful and negative at the same time. Gratitude has also many health benefits. The positivity that gratefulness creates boosts the immune system with resultant health benefits. Even during these difficult times there is so many things for which we can be thankful.

Writing a gratitude journal (listing the gifts and blessings) at the end of the day is a helpful exercise. We may even begin to see blessings in the pandemic itself, seeing opportunities where we were earlier only seeing obstacles.

2.      Connect with Friends and Colleagues

Studies have shown that in times of social isolation, more than connection with our family members, what helps ward off loneliness is connection with our friends and colleagues. Hence keeping in contact with our friends and acquaintances outside immediate family is important. This can be done easily today through the means of communication available to us. An easy topic for conversation with friends and colleagues is discussion on how we and others are facing this imposed isolation and how our lives and our work are affected by it.

3.      Reach out to Help

Reaching out to help those in distress has personal benefits. There are so many ways we can do this. Helping others creates positive feelings in us and boosts our immune system, decreasing our vulnerability to illness. It is nature’s way of rewarding our generosity.

4.      Create a Pleasant Environment

Creating a pleasant environment in the space to which we are confined is especially important. We can do this first of all by avoiding negative and critical conversations. Planning and executing common activities (a celebratory event is especially helpful) brings joy and togetherness.

Busy parents who otherwise have not had enough time to spend with children are given a golden opportunity. Play with them, do fun things with them. Read stories to the very small children.

A clean environment matters. Studies have found that when we are surrounded by clutter, the visual chaos affects our brain. It gets in the way of our ability to process information. Research has also shown a cluttered home environment increases the levels of the stress hormone cortisol.

The way we dress also has an impact on our feeling of wellbeing. Since we do not need to go outside or work in an office, we might tend to be too casual or even shabby in our dress. Dressing up, as though we were going to office or visiting friends, will put us in better frame of mind and energize us.

While doing things together is important, it is also helpful, even necessary, to create some personal space where we can be by ourselves do things undisturbed by others. The solitude that such personal spaces provide can also help us devote time and energy to projects we are interested in, but could not find time earlier.

A quiet space is especially important for us to engage in meditation, which is very helpful to reduce stress and anxiety and create positivity.

5.      Fight Boredom

Reduced activity caused by absence from our place of work and the hassles of travel leaves time on our hands. Not knowing how to utilize it can lead to boredom and irritation.

Having a structure helps. Create a schedule for various activities and stick to it. Go to sleep and get up (even if we choose to sleep longer) at the same time every day.

6.      Exercise and Relaxation

Physical activity improves overall health, reduces risk of diseases, and can make us feel better and function better.

Exercise energizes mind and body, reduces anxiety and increases feelings of wellbeing. Even short spells of physical activity are beneficial.

Even though outdoors are the best for exercise, it can also be done with great benefit within the narrow space to which we might be confined during the lockdown. Yoga, qigong, tai-chi, and simple aerobics, besides beating boredom, help stimulate and strengthen the immune system. Acupressure - rubbing or tapping some specific pressure points in the body helps release tension, lessen anxiety and improve blood flow.

Dancing is another way to exercise. It relaxes body and mind and creates a good mood.

Listening to music has a calming effect on the nerves. So, pull out our favourite music CDs, plug in the head-phones (not to disturb others around) and let the music flow.

Tending to plants is another stress reliever. Some of us may have potted plants inside the room. Some may be even more fortunate and have a garden to tend.

Settling comfortably with a favourite book can be both exciting and relaxing. It can also promote mental wellbeing. Studies have linked reading to improvements in depression symptoms, as well as mental flexibility and brain function.

7.      Surrender

There are many things over which we have no control. We do not know how things are going to be. Worrying about things over which we have no control is a futile and useless activity, which only increases our stress levels.

In this context surrendering in faith to a God who loves and cares for us can relieve stress and anxiety. The Prophet Isaiah reminds us of God’s protective presence during difficult times. He says:

Fear not…

When you pass through the waters I will be with you;

And through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;

When you walk through fire you shall not be burned,

And the flames shall not consume you….

Because you are precious in my eyes,… and I love you.

Fear not I am with you.” (43, 3-5)

……

What do these words of Isaiah evoke in us as we struggle with our anxieties and fears? How do they move us? What are the feelings rising to surface as we stay with these words and images?.....

As we conclude, we could imagine God being with us, and place ourselves in the caring and protective arms of God and enjoy for a while the security and comfort this provides.

…..

Have a pleasant weekend, feeling safe and secure in the arms of God. Stay Safe. Stay Blessed. Bye for now.

EASTER -THERE IS LIFE AFTER DEATH, HEALING AFTER THE PAIN

The silence of Holy Saturday is shattered by the cracking sounds of the the stone shattering, and the emptiness filled by the fullness brought by a totally unexpected, never-before-happened event - the crucified and entombed Jesus bursting forth from the tomb in a blaze of glorious light.

The simple but powerful message of Easter: "there is sunshine after the rain, there is laughter after the pain"; there is life after death!

"He has risen from the dead and now he is going before you to Galilee" (Gospel of Mathew, 28, 7)

About 750 years before Christ, the Prophet Hosea wrote:

"he has torn us to pieces, but he will heal us; he has struck us down, but he will bandage our wounds; after a day or two he will bring us back to life, and on the third day he will raise us up and we shall live in his presence." (Hosea 6,1-2).

May those infected by the Covid-19 experience the healing, and may all our woundings (psychological, economic, relational etc. ...) during the time of lockout be bandaged, and may we all experience the newness and aliveness that Easter symbolizes.

There is life after Corona! -- A life that is transformed by the Corona!