The human being is in constant interaction with the environment, where social exchanges occur in different ways. In this relationship, in this “organism-environment” meeting, the experience is like a creative and expressive process that takes place in the tension of this meeting, which is still a “novelty”.
In modern society, there is a privilege of the universal and of rationality, believing in a rational and lasting planning of the social and political order. This society is aimed at profit, technological advances that lead to a social organization that is increasingly based on the “new”, the “pleasant” and the “immediate”.
In this context, the human being develops and is emotionally structured from experiences with different types of groups: family, school, religious, organizational, among others. For the Gestalt-therapy approach, talking about experience implies talking about contact, encounter, assimilation of differences, where the subject is facing the “new”, and it is up to him to adjust, “adapt” in the best way he can at any given time.
Contact does not always mean physical contact, as the person can get in touch with himself in the face of experiences (questioning himself internally), in addition to the constant organism-environment interaction, in an intricate relationship with the other. For there to be interaction, the individual needs to be receptive, to be patient, to be “attentive to what he feels”, attentive to what the environment provides him at a given moment, he also needs to open himself and the world in a conscious way of himself and also of this everything around you.
Social skills that man can develop
In the interaction with the world, man can develop social skills that will be part of his interaction with others, among them we can mention:
- Empathy: Ability to put yourself in the other’s shoes;
- Understanding: Understand the personal and social situations of others;
- Positive Thinking :Expecting that the experiences “unfold” in the best way, that everything will be fine;
- Self-control: Ability to control impulsivity, the will, among other emotions experienced, to express them in the best way;
- Communicate and express yourself with others: Ability to communicate what you feel, as well as express emotions and to talk to people in a calm, fluid way;
- Conflict resolution: Ability to open up to seek conflict resolution in a way that does not generate either physical or verbal aggression;
- Assertiveness: Express your opinions respecting the opinions of others, knowing how to put yourself in front of others.
- Autonomy in decision making :Ability to decide without depending on the opinion of others.
Some of these skills are experienced more frequently in the work context, others can occur in various social situations that require an internal mobilization of the individual, the fact is that they become part of the individual, composing their personal dynamics when dealing with everyday situations .
What changed with the Pandemic
With the arrival of the New Coronavirus, the “accelerated” society, which aims at the immediate, profit and advanced technology, suddenly becomes a society with new priorities and parameters, where the “search” for life, health and individual protection.
In this intricate context, man is faced with other values and behaviors to be cultivated and lived as being the most “appropriate” to the current moment, among them we can mention:
- Solidarity,
- Understanding with the pain of the other,
- Postponement of immediate satisfaction,
- Empathy,
- Self-care,both physical and psychic,
- Other forms of social interaction and demonstration of affections. You should leave aside expressions such as handshakes, hugs, kisses, among others that lead to physical approaches in some way.
Emotions are triggered and unusual events occur frequently, such as, for example, virtual funerals, remote meetings as the only contact alternative, use of masks, gloves, alcohol gel in a prominent position in the market.
Anyway, in this tangled context, psychological symptoms emerge, even leading to psychological disorders, thus a large part of the population is vulnerable to:
- Anxiety,
- Fear,
- Females,
- Depression- Sadness ,
- Symptoms,
- Among others.
Each one tries to adapt as he thinks he can or does, using personal skills or trying to acquire others due to the events.
Feeling and acting are related. How to deal with losses? How to interact now? What to look for? Which professional goals should be prioritized? And the personal ones? Many questions arise in the face of this “new”, and at some point the individual must contact you, to experience and deepen the social skills that you have in order to use them in the new daily life.
Feelings, emotions, anxieties and even the emergence of new pains that emerge often lead to an impasse when the individual is faced with new social experiences hitherto unknown.
Adapting to a new reality
The psychotherapy in the Gestalt approach becomes a great ally in the quest to adapt to this new post-pandemic reality because from the therapeutic relationship, the client has the opportunity to “test” new forms of living situations.
In a “boldness”, through the experiments with the psychotherapist, the person can expand his behaviors in a creative way, in a “realizing” the tangle of emotions that surrounds him in the new routine.
The new reality has raised fears, anxieties, phobias and even more severe depression in several people. There is a need to “reinvent” in the face of such an unusual new, leaving the human being to use their social and even emotional skills in their daily lives.
The social skills listed above are of paramount importance at this time, given that there has been a change in social relationships due to isolation, a change even in the way of communicating, of maintaining contact with others.
It is worth mentioning that for Perls (1988) the study of the way man works in his environment is the study of the contact frontier between the individual and his environment. It can be understood here that people from now on must adapt to the environment, seeking a new way of interaction. This implies changes in work, social relationships, family relationships and personal relationships, covering the different areas of the individual’s life as a whole.
Dealing with emotions in the here-now is a process that involves deepening oneself and improving social skills already acquired and even acquiring new ones. It also means getting in touch with the support base you have, be it family, friends, boyfriend (s), spouse (s), co-workers and even even the help of a professional in psychotherapy, so that you can adapt and go through this new moment in the best possible way, always aware of yourself, of your real needs and possibilities in the now.
