In the final post on my series on the useful theories of psychoanalysis I end with some current thinking and practice which has evolved since attachment theory. In essence there has been a movement from classical psychoanalysis towards a more relational and...
2022 Another New Year Another New Normal
John Bowlby’s Attachment Theory
John Bowlby’s Attachment Theory Attachment Theory is a well-known and widely accepted concept in human development and psychotherapy. British psychiatrist John Bowlby developed it in the 1950s. The crux of attachment theory is that the early emotional bonds between...
The Helpful Ideas of Donald Winnicott
The Helpful Ideas of Donald Winnicott Continuing my series on the founders of psychoanalysis I'm exploring Donald Winnicott this month. Donald Winnicott (1896-1971) was a paediatrician who then trained as a psychoanalyst, first to adults and later to...
The Importance of Melanie Klein
The Importance of Melanie Klein Melanie Klein was a groundbreaking and highly creative psychoanalyst. She was born in 1882 in Vienna but spent most of her life in UK, dying in London in 1960. Her life was fascinating, with many losses and tragedies but...
Carl Jung – Is He Relevant Today?
Carl Jung – Is He Relevant Today? Carl Gustav Jung was born into a religious family in Switzerland and studied to be a doctor. During these studies he became fascinated with current philosophy, anthropology and psychological theories and work in...
How Freud Is Still Relevant Today
How Freud Is Still Relevant Today Prompted by last month’s blog on Narcissism, this is the first in a series on some of the founding members in psychoanalysis and some of their ideas, many of which, I believe, are still useful for us today. Widely...
Narcissism
Narcissism The term 'narcissism' is banded around a lot. But what does being a narcissist actually mean? And how do we work out if we are in a relationship with one, or even if we might be one ourselves? Origins of Narcissism The term narcissism comes from...
The Art of Self-soothing 4: Using Our Senses
Using Our Senses This final post in my series is about using our bodily senses to self-soothe. There are lots of ways that we can self-sooth by looking. Sight Natural Vistas As I’ve already mentioned in a previous post, nature and landscapes are very calming. For...
The Art of Self-soothing 3: Creativity
Creativity is a sure way to self-soothe. People have lost themselves in creative pursuits since time began. Getting in touch with our creativity is a way of reaching something within ourselves. By allowing this to develop we can usually make something bigger than...
The Art of Self-Soothing 2: Nature
This month’s way to self soothe is by being in nature. It’s long been known and proven that being outside and preferably in nature can improve our mental health. Take a Short Walk The simplest ways are often the most effective. Such as going for a short walk from your...
2022 looks set to be another unique year. Here in the UK, covidwise, we start the year arguably in a better place than 2021. As Omicron continues, it’s becoming the new normal to take a lateral flow test before meeting family and friends.
But many of us are still anxious about covid, finding and keeping work and the increasing cost of living.
But this year children have gone back to school and hospitality continues to remain open. These are sentences I never thought I would have to think, say or write.
We now expect the unexpected. What will the next announcement say? How long do we need to self-isolate for now? Should we risk booking holidays abroad?
Keeping a safe distance when talking to people has become automatic. We either don’t embrace the friends and family we used to, or tentatively check with them first. The lack of physical connection and reduction in social contact has led to isolation in older people especially, and an increase in online interaction compared to face-to-face for younger people.
It’s hard to tell exactly what the consequences of these changing behaviours are in the long term but early indications show them to be detrimental, the mental health of young people being particularly affected.
So, we start 2022 with inevitable mixed feelings. Hope that we are out of the worst of the pandemic and hope that we will be able to settle into a structure, routine, and familiarity. This helps us feel safe and secure.
I’m reminded of Maslow’s pyramid of Hierarchy of Needs where the base need is physiological (food, clothing, shelter), moving up to safety (job security and health), then social needs (love and relationships), then esteem (belief in self) and finally self-actualization (living an authentic life).
At the beginning of the pandemic, we witnessed genuine fear that our basic needs might not be met: remember the empty shelves as people hoarded supplies leaving nothing for others? Such is the primal need for survival. Then came job losses and people unable to pay rent or mortgage.
Reflections
As we continue to emerge from the fog of the recent past, we can start or continue to reflect on this hierarchy of needs:
Maybe this is the time for some reflection…
Maybe this year is the year for asking larger questions…
What’s important to me now?
Am I in the right relationship?
Do I need to change where I live?
Or how I earn a living?
Is it time to rethink some of our friendships and relationships? Make more effort in others?
How is our health?
Do we need to spend more time looking after ourselves?
Self-actualization is at the peak of Maslow’s pyramid. Maslow (1943) describes this level as ‘the desire to accomplish everything that one can, to become the most that one can be’. This may feel like a long way off. But maybe we can just think of a few small things we can concentrate on this year to help us live more at ease with 2022.