Article Lists Self-Care Tips for the Pandemic
An article by John C. Norcross , Ph.D., distinguished professor of psychology at The University of Scranton, and Scranton alumna Colleen M. Phillips ’97, published online by the Journal of Health Service Psychology offers tips for “Psychologist Self-Care During the Pandemic.”An article by John C. Norcross , Ph.D., distinguished professor of psychology at The University of Scranton, and Scranton alumna Colleen M. Phillips ’97, titled “Psychologist Self-Care During the Pandemic: Now More Than Ever,” was published online by the Journal of Health Service Psychology. The article offers “nine research-supported, practitioner-friendly methods of self-care to manage anxiety” among psychologists – and humans – during the pandemic.
Among the nine tips is “Practice Daily Gratitude,” for which a classic three good things in life intervention is suggested that recommends “writing a brief daily note about positive things about the last day, making a daily entry of good things in a gratitude diary, or identifying those things as one falls asleep.”
According to the authors, “moments of happiness and other positive emotions occur every day even during a pandemic, but we often fail to absorb and internalize them. We also fail to record them to remind ourselves of them later. Making note, both in mind and in writing, helps the positive emotions stick.”
Other tips include: limiting media intake of COVID-19 coverage; maintaining a schedule or routine; and refocusing on your mission and privilege of practicing psychology; among other interventions. The authors say these “techniques must be embedded within broader self-care regimens and resilience strategies.” The full article can be seen here.
An internationally recognized expert on behavior change and psychotherapy, Dr. Norcross is the author of “Changeology,” in addition to more than 400 scholarly publications and 25 books that he has co-written or edited. A Fellow of 10 professional associations, he has been honored with APA’s Distinguished Career Contributions to Education and Training Award, the Pennsylvania Professor of the Year from the Carnegie Foundation, the Rosalee Weiss Award from the American Psychological Foundation, and election to the National Academies of Practice. Dr. Norcross joined the University faculty in 1985. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Rutgers University and his master’s and Ph.D. from the University of Rhode Island. A board-certified clinical psychologist, he performed his clinical internship at Brown University School of Medicine.
Phillips serves as a mental health court coordinator for Lackawanna County. She earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from The University of Scranton and her master’s in psychology from Iowa State University.
