Diagnostic labels in the digital world. Some pros and cons.
In the last decade, and even more so after the COVID-19 pandemic, we have become more aware of the importance of psychological health, and many find it more normalised to seek therapy. Today’s digital age, with social media, celebrities, and influencers, has brought about a significant shift in how we perceive and understand psychological health, and therapy is not only for “crazy people” anymore. We hear about people’s struggles, their problems, how they accept their problems, and how they try to manage them. This is a good thing as psychological problems can affect our lives just as much, sometimes even more, as physical problems. Diagnostic labels, once confined to the offices of psychologists and psychiatrists, have become increasingly normalised, and words like “anxiety”, “depression”, “trauma”, and “dissociation” has become a part of our daily vocabulary when we describe how we feel. While this shift has its merits and positive effects, the increased focus and daily use of diagnostic labels have also introduced some challenges that we need to be aware of. This article will explore the pros and cons of diagnostic labels, acknowledging their growing prominence in our digitally connected world.
What are diagnostic labels?
Diagnostic labels are terms used by psychiatrists and clinical psychologists to describe and classify specific psychological health problems that a person might be experiencing. A diagnosis specifies different symptoms, feelings, thoughts, or behaviours a person experiences or emits. Depending on the frequency, intensity, and affect these symptoms have on or daily life and life quality, a diagnosis may be given. A diagnosis does not necessary explain why a person is struggling, but can help describe what a person is struggling with, being a term used when an accumulation of symptoms are presented together.
The Normalisation of Diagnostic Labels
Celebrities, influencers and social media platforms have played a crucial role in breaking down the barriers surrounding psychological health discussions. Many prominent figures have opened up about their struggles and experiences with diagnoses such as anxiety, depression, or ADHD. This transparency has helped increase awareness and reduce the stigma associated with psychological problems and mental health conditions, encouraging others to seek help and share their own stories.
Furthermore, social media platforms provide spaces for individuals to connect with others who share similar experiences and diagnoses. Support groups and online communities have sprung up, offering valuable peer support and resources for those navigating the complexities of psychological health. However, this increased visibility of psychological health issues and diagnostic labels also raises important questions about their use, understanding, and potential consequences. For example, we can see celebrities promoting the use of anxiolytics and antidepressants, powerful psychopharmacological treatments. The use of medication for psychological problems can be a very helpful as a short-term tool in order to facilitate the implementation of changes and development of good tools and strategies, however, this must be evaluated in each specific case with a mental health professional. Advertising the use as something that will change your life and take away your problems can be quite damaging. Not only is it not true, to this day we do not have a pill that by itself can take away our psychological problems, there are more things necessary in order to treat a psychological problem, but also, if the use of medication is the only treatment plan one follows, then one will have to be on medication for the rest of one’s life, which has been shown to have limited effects. It is good to remove the stigma of psychopharmacological treatments, as they are sometimes necessary and not problematic. However, some clients have sought therapy thinking that they are in denial or have suppressed their problems as they are the only person in their friend group who is not currently on anxiolytics or antidepressants, thinking there must be something wrong with them. Here, we might have taken the normalisation too far, as medication should be a helpful tool when necessary, and not a basic human necessity.
The Pros of Diagnostic Labels
The use of diagnostic labels can be a helpful tool for professional, enabling communication between disciplines and different professionals. It can be helpful when investigating certain problems and treatments, and give guidelines on how to intervene when encountering psychological problems.
For many individuals it gives a sense of relief when receiving a diagnosis, as one feels there is now a word or an explanation for what one is going through, and that this is not something one is going through alone. The normalisation of diagnostic labels has provided validation and recognition to many individuals, and knowing that others have similar experiences can reduce feelings of isolation and encourage people to seek the help they need. Diagnostic labels serve as a common language, enabling individuals to communicate their experiences more effectively. When people use labels like «depression» or «social anxiety,» it facilitates understanding and fosters empathy, both within and outside the mental health community.
In many healthcare systems, diagnostic labels are necessary for insurance coverage and funding allocation. A recognised diagnosis may ensure that individuals have access to the financial resources needed to support their therapeutic process.
The Cons of Diagnostic Labels
Even though there are many pros to the use and normalisation of diagnostic labels, there are some challenges we need to be aware of and take into account when using them.
Despite the positive aspects of normalisation, diagnostic labels can still carry stigma, even in today’s more open and accepting society. Prejudice and misconceptions about specific mental health conditions persist, leading to discrimination and social isolation. Some individuals may still avoid seeking help or disclosing their struggles due to the fear of receiving a diagnostic label, even though there is an increased awareness and normalisation of psychological problems. Sometimes receiving a diagnosis may also have a negative effect in other areas of a person’s life. For example, in some countries, you may have to pay extra for health insurance if you have received a diagnosis.
Diagnostic labels can introduce biases into both treatment and perception. Clinicians may focus on the label rather than the individual’s unique needs and strengths, and the specific functions the problems may have. We would therefore focus more on description of the problem and its symptoms instead of its specific cause and current maintenance. Additionally, the labels may even reinforce the experienced problems as they become a part of the identity of the person. For example, a person might avoid or be exempt from certain situations because of their diagnosis, when maybe they would have been able to manage it more or less well. It may also make it more challenging to get better, as one might focus more on the diagnosis than the treatment, making the diagnosis last forever when it does not have to.
The increased use of diagnostic labels in our daily vocabulary has led to a potential risk of overpathologisation, where normal variations in behaviour and emotions are labeled as disorders. This can result in unnecessary medicalisation and treatment. For example, nowadays we more often hear “I am anxious about the exam” and “that made me really depressed” instead of “I am nervous” or “I am sad”, which are perfectly normal emotions we sometimes need to have and experience. These emotions are not problematic or something that should be treated, as negative emotions are a necessary part of human life, as long as it does not start to affect your daily functioning or general quality of life.
The diagnostic process is not foolproof. Misdiagnoses can occur due to the complexity of mental health conditions, overlapping symptoms, or inadequate assessment methods. An incorrect label can lead to inappropriate treatment, sometimes even making a person feel worse. Also, it is important to remember that all individuals and their struggles are different. Two people with anxiety might need two completely different interventions, even though you could give them the same diagnostic label. If we use a standardised treatment plan or protocol with a certain diagnosis, we might not help the person in the best way possible. While labels can be empowering, they also have the potential to reduce individuals to a set of symptoms, overshadowing their uniqueness, function, and complexity. Additionally, our problems are not static and should be continuously evaluated. The symptoms we displayed when we received the diagnosis change, especially with adequate treatment, and we may therefore not fulfil the criteria of the set diagnosis anymore.
It is not to say that if we limit the use of diagnostic labels it means that a person’s struggles or problems are not that serious and it is the person’s fault they are going through it. A diagnosis should not be necessary for a problem to be serious or require attention and treatment. We always do our best with the resources we have in that moment, but sometimes our best might not help us enough to start feeling better, and may also lead to other negative consequences.
Balancing Act: Using Diagnostic Labels Wisely
In this new era of normalised diagnostic labels and the influence of the digital world, it is essential for psychologists and individuals alike to approach them with care and consideration, and be aware of their pros and cons. Removing stigma and normalising psychological problems is essential, and social media platforms are a great tool in order to achieve this. However, we need to be careful on how it is done, so we do not overpathologise normal negative emotions or problems, as this can then turn into even worse problems. We also need to be careful about who we listen to and follow on social media, as there are a lot of misinformation about psychological problems in social media.
About the author
GAmalie Hylland is a health psychologist at Sinews. She specializes in behavior analysis and modification, working with adolescents and adults. She has experience working with a variety of issues, including anxiety management, phobias and ruminative thoughts, assertive and social skills development, self-esteem, procrastination, self-harm and obsessive compulsive behavior. Her orientation is behavioral therapy, integrating evidence-based techniques and tools to help change the thoughts, emotions and behaviors that cause us problems.
Division of Psychology, Psychotherapy and Coaching
Psychologist
Adults
Languages: English, Spanish and Norwegian
The Power of Language
We have all experienced it. The power language can have. Just by emitting certain types of words in a certain order a person can make us cry, laugh, smile, or explode. They can make us feel good, or they can make us feel absolutely terrible.
Language is a great tool we have as human beings. It allows us to communicate with others in a more efficient way, plan and anticipate what will happen in the future, and reminisce about the past. It can help us to express our emotions and explain our behaviours so people around us can more easily understand what we are going through. However, language is a very powerful tool, and we should therefore be aware of its powers.
All language is learnt. We are not born with a language, but we are born with the ability of its development. From the moment we are born, we embark on a journey of learning language. As infants, we begin to absorb sounds, gestures, and expressions from our caregivers, gradually building our vocabulary and understanding of syntax. Language is a social construct, passed down through generations, and it evolves as society changes and differs depending on the context you find yourself in.
Language also gives us the power of emotional time travel. For example, if we think about things that happened in the past that made us sad, we start feeling sad in the present moment. Maybe not to the same degree or with the same intensity as we felt in the past, but we start feeling worse than before we started to think about the sad thing that happened. If we think about something exciting than is going to happen in the future, for example a fun trip, we start getting exited in the present moment, even though we have not yet travelled anywhere. This can be both helpful to us and give us some challenges. When we think about positive things that have happened or that will happen, it can help to motivate us to do the behaviours necessary in order for it to occur or occur again. When we think about negative things that happened in the past, it may help us to find different ways to go about what happened so that we do not have to experience the negative consequence again. However, sometimes we might take this to a more extreme level where we start to think about all possible negative scenarios that may happen in the future, something that makes us feel bad without actually being helpful for us.
Language is not innocent. The words we use are conditioned with different emotional responses. This means that when we say a word, we also feel an emotion. For example, if somebody tells us we are very pretty or very ugly, those two words will provoke different emotional responses in us; we would feel good if they called us pretty and bad if they called us ugly. If somebody tells us we are pretty or ugly in a language we do not understand, we do not feel any different as these words have not yet been learnt or conditioned. This is also why we often feel more when speaking or hearing our native language compared to a second language we have learnt, as our native language tends to have a greater emotional association and therefore provoke stronger emotional responses than languages we learn later on. Sometimes it can therefore often be easier to say difficult things in our second language as the words do not provoke as strong emotional responses as in our native language, keeping our emotions more easily in check. This can also make it trickier when learning a new language as we have not yet learnt how to properly use the most adequate vocabulary or expressions depending on the context. We might say things that sounds more offensive than what we intend to, or we are not able to provoke the desired reaction in the other person that we wish to.
Language not only shapes emotions but also plays a role in guiding our behaviours. The way we describe and label actions can influence how we perceive and respond to them. For example, someone who habitually uses the phrase «I’m a procrastinator» might start to associate themselves with this label and make it their identity. This does not only describe the typical avoidance we do of tasks, but it may facilitate an even greater avoidance as this is “who we are”. The same goes for all negative words we pair with “I am”, such as “I am stupid,” “I am ugly,” etc. We are not stupid. There are many times we might say or do stupid things, but that is not enough in order to label our whole identity as stupid. We can definitely find many exceptions where we have not done or said something stupid, so “I am stupid” is not a good word for us to use to describe ourselves. When we say “I am” + a negative word, it may lead to behaviour changes that limit ourselves. If I repeatedly say that “I am stupid”, that might influence how often I raise my hand in class or make new suggestions to my boss. By being aware of our language, we can reshape our self-perception and encourage positive behaviours. Instead of saying «I’m bad at public speaking,» one might choose to say «I’m working on improving my public speaking skills.» This change in language can foster a growth mindset and empower individuals to take action towards self-improvement.
The power language can have is something politicians are very aware of. By pairing two words together, for example “women” and “stupid” or “immigrants” and “crime”, you start creating associations between the words and therefore also between the emotions they would provoke. Even though we would not think women are stupid, when repeatedly presented with the combination, it may still have an effect we are not completely aware of, and it may start to influence our behaviour, for example when selecting new personnel for a job. We also know that immigrants are not necessarily criminal, but if we often hear the two words paired together, we start associating the word “immigrant” with similar negative emotions as the word “crime” provokes in us. This may then change our behaviour towards or in the presence of immigrants, even though we know immigrants are not criminal and we do not want it to affect our behaviour.
As we can see, language is not innocent but a very powerful tool. By making ourselves more aware of its powers, we can lower the negative influence it may have on our behaviour. And use this to our advantage and not limit ourselves. By choosing our words more carefully, even though the way in which we say things may seem similar or irrelevant, we can avoid giving ourselves unnecessary limitations and help us to feel better and use it as we intend to.
About the author
Amalie Hylland is a health psychologist at Sinews. She specializes in behavior analysis and modification, working with adolescents and adults. She has experience working with a variety of issues, including anxiety management, phobias and ruminative thoughts, assertive and social skills development, self-esteem, procrastination, self-harm and obsessive compulsive behavior. Her orientation is behavioral therapy, integrating evidence-based techniques and tools to help change the thoughts, emotions and behaviors that cause us problems.
Division of Psychology, Psychotherapy and Coaching
Psychologist
Adults
Languages: English, Spanish and Norwegian
Toss and turn, toss and turn: Why can’t I sleep?
Sleep is an essential aspect of our overall well-being, yet many individuals struggle to achieve restful and deep sleep. Sleep hygiene, a set of habits and practices aimed at promoting quality sleep, plays a vital role in ensuring restorative rest and maintaining good health.
What happens when we sleep and why is it important?
Sleep is a complex physiological process vital for memory consolidation, emotional regulation, and physical restoration. During sleep, the brain and body undergo essential repairs, allowing us to wake up feeling refreshed and reenergised, and lower our probability of developing health problems such as cardiovascular problems, or a weakened immune system. If we have a disrupted sleep pattern, not only does it increase the likelihood of developing health problems, but it can also affect our mood and overall well-being and quality of life.
There are several physiological processes involved when we sleep. We all have an internal biological clock, known as the circadian rhythm, which helps us to regulate our sleep-wake cycle. It is influenced by external factors such as light and darkness. Disruptions to the circadian rhythm, such as irregular sleep schedules or exposure to artificial light at night, can lead to sleep disturbances and health problems. This is also why we feel jet-lagged when travelling to other time zones, and why we might struggle with shift work. In order to help us sleep well and stay awake, we are also influenced by different hormones. When it is time to sleep, our body will release more of the hormone melatonin, which makes us sleepier. When it is time to wake up, more cortisol will be released, making us more prepared to start our day.
What then is interrupting my sleep?
There are many different factors that may influence our poor sleep. Some general examples of what tends to make it more difficult for people to have a good sleep quality, is an irregular sleep schedule or having a high physiological activation. Changing our sleep schedules everyday makes it more challenging to have good quality sleep, as you then work against your internal clock and hormone release. Your body might not be prepared to fall asleep when you go to bed. If you have been stressed most of the day and had a high physiological activation during the whole day or just before going to sleep, it would also be more difficult. You are then preparing yourself for a possible dangerous situation, and your body would not allow you to enter deep sleep as you must be prepared to fight or flight.
How can we develop a good sleep hygiene?
Sleep hygiene encompasses a range of practices that facilitates healthy sleep patterns and promote better sleep quality. There are several things we can do in order to increase our sleep quality, here are some general examples.
What can I do during the day or evening?
Regular physical activity promotes better sleep. Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise most days of the week. However, avoid vigorous exercise close to bedtime, as it may make it harder to fall asleep. Be mindful of your diet, especially in the evening. Avoid heavy meals close to bedtime, as they may cause discomfort and disrupt sleep. Consider a light snack if you feel hungry before bed, but avoid large meals. Try to limit naps during the day. While short daytime naps can be refreshing, long or late-afternoon naps may interfere with your ability to fall asleep at night. If you need a nap, keep it short, preferably under 30 minutes, and avoid napping too close to bedtime.
What can I do before I go to bed?
- Implement a consistent sleep schedule. Maintaining a regular sleep schedule, helps regulate the circadian rhythm. Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time each day to establish a consistent sleep-wake cycle. This may be challenging as we tend to have plans later in the evening during the weekends, but it is helpful to not change more than one hour in each direction. If one day you go to bed a lot later than usual, try not to sleep in too long the morning after. “Catching up on sleep” may make it more difficult for us to establish a stable pattern, as we then more easily change our rhythm.
- Associate bed with sleep and relaxation, nothing else. Your bed is for two things, sleep and sex. Make sure to not work, scroll on your phone, or watch TV in bed. We then associate the bed with being more activated, something that can make it more difficult to fall asleep.
- Try to limit your caffeine and alcohol intake in the evening, and especially before going to bed. Even though alcohol can make you feel more tired at first, it can disrupt sleep patterns and lead to fragmented sleep.
- Develop a relaxing routine before bedtime to signal to your body that it's time to wind down. Between 30 minutes and one hour before your bedtime, make sure to stay away from screens and do more relaxing activities, such as reading or breathing exercises. Try to think about more neutral things, or at least to not think about topics that are stressful.
What can I do when I lie awake in bed?
When you are lying in bed and cannot sleep, try to focus on relaxing and not so much about falling asleep. If we constantly look at the time and calculate how many hours there are left until we have to get up, we become more anxious and activated, something that makes it even more difficult to fall asleep. Therefore, you should avoid looking at the time, as you do not feel more relaxed by knowing how little sleep you will get in the end and how much this will mess up your day. Paradoxically, telling yourself that you should not fall asleep facilitates its initiation. It is therefore better to tell yourself “You are just going to lie here and relax, this is good for you. Do not fall asleep, just lie here and relax”.
In order to help maintaining the association between our bed and falling asleep, it is important to not stay hours in bed tossing and turning. If you have stayed in bed more or less 15 minutes without falling asleep, leave the bed for a couple of minutes before you lay back down. During this time, it is important to not do an activity that activates you, but for example get a glass of water, go to a different room and then back, etc. Do not look at screens or check what time it is. Getting up every 15 minutes is quite frustrating, however, it will make you associate your bed with sleeping, something that will facilitate you falling asleep.
Changing a whole sleep pattern requires time and a lot of patience. There may be many other reasons for why a person might struggle with initiating or maintaining sleep than what has been presented here. If this is something you struggle with and has started to affect other areas of your life, it may be helpful to seek therapy to receive an individual analysis and treatment plan for your specific case.
About the author
Amalie Hylland is a health psychologist at Sinews. She specializes in behavior analysis and modification, working with adolescents and adults. She has experience working with a variety of issues, including anxiety management, phobias and ruminative thoughts, assertive and social skills development, self-esteem, procrastination, self-harm and obsessive compulsive behavior. Her orientation is behavioral therapy, integrating evidence-based techniques and tools to help change the thoughts, emotions and behaviors that cause us problems.
Division of Psychology, Psychotherapy and Coaching
Psychologist
Adults
Languages: English, Spanish and Norwegian
Procrastination, a Student’s Worst Enemy
Every year I have a plan, to get organised and to not wait until last minute. I’ll start studying for my exams from day one. Every year, this plan fails after a couple of weeks. Come exam time, my eyelids rarely get to close, my stomach has no idea when to expect food, a stable sleep schedule is a mythical utopia, there is no difference between the moon and the sun, and my poor coffee maker really gets to sweat. I feel stressed, exhausted, and angry at myself for allowing this to happen once again.
Procrastination is very stressful and it makes me feel awful, so why do I keep doing it every single year? Why do I never learn?
Why do we procrastinate?
Procrastination is a common struggle that many individuals face in their personal and professional lives. It involves putting off tasks or decisions that need to be completed, often leading to unnecessary stress and decreased productivity. Procrastination is a complex behavioural pattern that can be maintained by various factors. The reason for its maintenance is varied depending on the person, but here are some general examples of what we typically see in the clinic:
- High effort: as humans, we tend to do behaviours that require less effort, save energy, and give us pleasure. Studying is a behaviour that requires a lot of effort, therefore it is harder for us to initiate the behaviour and maintain concentration for a long time.
- Perfectionism: sometimes we want our work to be as perfect as possible, something that will require an even higher effort to initiate and maintain the behaviour of studying. We therefore often find ourselves in a situation where we will do something perfectly to the last detail or to not do anything.
- Immediate negative feelings: when we start studying, we will often experience immediate negative feelings, such as stress, boredom, feeling overwhelmed, or feeling that we are stupid for not understanding well what we read. If we avoid studying, we will not experience these negative feelings, something that makes it more likely that we will avoid it. Also, if we do something else instead, like watching Netflix, scroll on our phones, or hang out with our friends, we are immediately entertained, something that tends to win the competition when presented with the alternative of being stressed and bored.
- Past learning experiences: many times, even though we have left everything to the last minute, we pass the exam or assignment. Therefore, we do not have the learning experience that procrastination does not work as we then in the end are not able to hand in the assignment on time, or to pass everything.
- Excuse for not passing or obtaining a “bad” mark: if we really try our hardest to do well and to pass everything and in the end we don’t, that will probably provoke a lot of negative emotions, and maybe the feeling of failure, stupidity, or disappointment. If we leave our studying to the last minute, we can tell ourselves that the reason for not doing well is just because we started too late, not because we would not have been able to do better. This may soften the blow when receiving disappointing results.
Procrastination is something we often detect that we are doing, and it makes us feel very guilty as we know that we should be studying. So why do we not study then, when not studying also gives us negative emotions?
Chores, often we find genius ways of lowering the guilty feelings, none of which actually includes studying. For example, students never tend to have tidier flats or cleaner clothes that during the exam period. These are chores that are not fun to do but something that is necessary, so we feel better about procrastination as we spent our time doing something productive and essential, but that was not as bad as sitting down to study.
“I’ll do a double study session tomorrow”. Instructions that we give to ourselves might also lower the guilty feelings we experience. I do not feel too bad about not studying today if I can make up for it tomorrow. A problem with this is that if it was too difficult to do a study session today, it is not going to be easier to do it tomorrow, especially not if I double it. The required effort will then be even higher and it will be even more difficult to initiate the behaviour, and therefore it is more likely we will procrastinate more.
When do I start studying?
Usually, when the deadlines or exam date are approaching, the more stressed we become. When the stress reaches a level where it provokes more stress in us to avoid studying than actually study, that is when we are finally able to sit down and get some work done. However, it does not tend to be a pleasant experience.
What can I do to lower the chance of procrastinating?
Organise your study space:
- Make sure to have a clean study area without too many distractions like pictures, decorations, or things that you do not need for studying.
- Leave your phone out of reach so you would have to move to get it. Often we pick up our phone without realising it, so it is good to increase the effort to do so, so that we do not do it automatically.
- The only thing you should be doing in our study area is studying. You should avoid studying in bed, where you relax, or where you do fun activities, and you should also avoid doing fun activities or relax where you study. This will help you to associate the specific area with studying, something that will help you stay concentrated.
Prepare your studies:
- Plan and organise your work and assignments. Prioritise what you will do depending on urgency or importance. It can be helpful to use calendars and lists to get a clear overview of what needs to be done.
- Break down your tasks. Large tasks can feel overwhelming, something that may facilitate procrastination. Break the tasks into smaller, more manageable steps, and focus on one step at a time.
- Change tasks, study method, or subject during your study sessions. The longer we sit with the same thing, the more tired we come. Making a change can help to stay concentrated for longer.
- It is better to plan your studies according to time and not task. It is difficult to control whether we will finish writing an article or finish studying a unit, but we can control how long we sit down to study.
- To help initiating your studies, implement a transition activity. If we go straight from a fun activity to studying, we might never get there. Do something more neutral before studying so the transition is not that hard (for example, go to the bathroom, get a glass of water, etc.).
Time management:
- Make sure to not overestimate how many hours you should sit down and study. As humans we have a maximum capacity of how long we can maintain our concentration. It is better to study fewer hours more often than to study many hours in one day. Quality is better than quantity!
- To help initiating a study session, tell yourself “I only have to study 10 minutes”. This will lower the effort of sitting down, and when we first sit down it is easier to continue after the first ten minutes have passed.
o Include breaks in your study sessions. A recommended pattern is 50 minutes studying -> 10 minutes break -> 50 minutes studying -> 10 minutes break -> 30 minutes studying. This may vary depending on the person, so it is important to find a pattern that is a good fit for you. - To help with time management, use alarm clocks. Then you do not have to pay attention to the time, something that can be quite distracting as well. Don’t forget to put an alarm for when the break is over also, this is an easy one to forget!
- If one day you are not able to study as planned, do not add extra hours to the day after. If it was difficult to study a couple of hours today, it will definitely not be easier to motivate oneself to study four hours tomorrow, and we will probably procrastinate again...
Verbal abilities:
As humans, we have a great capacity to use language to motivate us, something we should take advantage of.
- Anticipate positive consequences you will get if you sit down and study now. “if I study now, I will feel great as I’ll be up to speed with my work”, “If I study now I will be able to cross it off my list and do something fun afterwards…”
- After you have studied, give yourself positive feedback for your studying behaviour. Do not focus on everything you did not get done or still have to do, but focus on your studying behaviour and everything you were able to do because of it.
- Focus on the process, not the outcome. We cannot control how much we do or the results we get, but we can control our behaviour. Think of what you can do, not what you should have done.
Rewards and gratifying activities:
- Plan a reward/fun activity that you can only get/do if you sit down and study. It should depend on your behaviour (which you can control), not the results (which you cannot control). For example, you get to meet your friends for dinner if you have studied for two hours (not if you finish writing an article). It is important that you do not get the reward/do the activity if you were not able to study the time you had planned.
- Make sure you always have something fun planned during the day you need to study. If you wake up with a plan of studying all day and nothing else, getting out of bed is going to be hard.
Avoid perfectionism
- Perfectionism can make it trickier to get started or to move on. Sometimes it is better to get something down on paper even though it is not good, as we can always go back and change it later.
- Set realistic expectations to what you can achieve. It might not always be possible to do your best or to get the best marks as life consists of more things than your studies, something that may compete with our attention.
If you notice that your procrastination is getting out of hand and you find it difficult to change, this is something we can work on in therapy. We would evaluate what is maintaining the procrastination in each specific case, and develop an individualised plan in order to help changing the undesired pattern.
About the author
Amalie Hylland is a health psychologist at Sinews. She specializes in behavior analysis and modification, working with adolescents and adults. She has experience working with a variety of issues, including anxiety management, phobias and ruminative thoughts, assertive and social skills development, self-esteem, procrastination, self-harm and obsessive compulsive behavior. Her orientation is behavioral therapy, integrating evidence-based techniques and tools to help change the thoughts, emotions and behaviors that cause us problems.
Division of Psychology, Psychotherapy and Coaching
Psychologist
Adults
Languages: English, Spanish and Norwegian
How to stop worrying about the future?
What if I fail my exam? What if I don´t get a job? What if I get cancer? What if…? Worrying about the future is a common experience for many people. It can be difficult to let go of the unknown and the things that are out of our control. However, worrying about the future can lead to stress and anxious feelings, so why do we keep worrying about the future when it makes us feel bad?
As humans, we have an incredible capacity for thinking, analysing, and problem-solving. Our ability to anticipate future challenges helps us to prepare for the future by making sure that many of the uncomfortable things that potentially could happen in the end does not happen, as we thought about it, prepared for it, or was able to avoid it. This is a great thing, however, many of us have started to overdo it which is now making us feel very stressed and anxious.
Why do I overthink when it stresses me out?
There are many different reasons for why we might overthink, but something we see frequently in the clinic is that imagining things that may happen in the future gives us a false sensation of control and lowers the uncomfortable sensation of uncertainty that may come with not knowing what will happen. If we can think of everything that might happen, we may be more prepared to face the anticipated feared situation, and even lower the probability that what we are fearing will actually occur. However, in many cases, what we imagine might happen is never actually going to happen, and anticipating and imagining it makes us feel even more anxious.
So, how can I try to stop worrying about the future?
Focus on what you can control: Invest time and energy in what you can actually control. There are many things in life that are out of our control, but we can learn how to better control our reactions and responses. Instead of worrying about the unknown, focus on what you can control and take action when you can. For example, you cannot control whether you will pass an exam or get a job, but you can control whether you study (something that will increase the probability of passing the exam), or whether you send out job applications (which will increase the probability of getting a job).
Ask yourself three questions:
- Do I have any evidence that the thing I worry about will happen? This might be a tricky question to answer, as we are often very good at finding evidence where there are none. Do you find any evidence to the contrary? Has it happened before? Has it happened to other people? See if you can find any alternative statements that might seem more likely, for example “it is difficult to find a job, but I have gotten jobs before, it might just take a while”. If there is no evidence to our worry, then it is better for us to think about the more appropriate and likely alternatives or statements.
- In the case that you do find evidence supporting your worry, ask yourself whether it is actually important. Would the consequences be so terrible? Would it affect many areas of your life? Could things be ok even if the thing you worry about were to happen? Often, we give too much importance to things that in the end might not matter long-term, so it is important that we evaluate whether this will actually have a significant impact in our life, and if it does not, then it is not helpful for us to continue to think about it.
- If you can find both evidence and importance to your worries, ask yourself whether it is useful for you to keep worrying about it. Will it help you to solve your problems if you continue thinking about it? Will anything change? Will it lead to an action that changes the consequences? Does it make you feel good? If the answer is no, then it is better to think about the things you actually can do something about. If the answer is yes, great, let’s put action into motion, and only think about it when you are actually going to do something about it.
Seek help
It can be very difficult to stop worrying about the future. If you are struggling to stop and it is starting to affect different areas of your life and wellbeing, it can be helpful to seek the support of a mental health professional. They can help you develop coping skills and strategies to manage your worries and fears in a more helpful way, so that you only worry when it is useful for you.
About the author
Amalie Hylland is a health psychologist at Sinews. She specializes in behavior analysis and modification, working with adolescents and adults. She has experience working with a variety of issues, including anxiety management, phobias and ruminative thoughts, assertive and social skills development, self-esteem, procrastination, self-harm and obsessive compulsive behavior. Her orientation is behavioral therapy, integrating evidence-based techniques and tools to help change the thoughts, emotions and behaviors that cause us problems.
Division of Psychology, Psychotherapy and Coaching
Psychologist
Adults
Languages: English, Spanish and Norwegian