"Put on something neat" - tips, opportunities and a creative project

Prof. Möller, let's imagine ourselves in March 2021: The crisis is over, or at least under control. How has it changed us and our way of dealing with the world?
A big question. I think we've learned what's important: solidarity, for example. The crisis is also a stress test for our relationships. We are learning who we can rely on. And our social environment will be more significant. Just as companies will consider ordering parts from China for 20 cents savings, we will think about whether it absolutely has to be a vacation in Thailand. By the way, I will be hiking the Kassel-Steig in the coming weeks.

Most people spend a lot of time at home now: no meeting with friends, no pub, no sports club, and many of us also work at home. What to do about camp fever?
We all need a firm structure. Get up at normal hours and put on something neat. Put on makeup or shave - what you would do if you went to work in the morning. Try to exercise, outside to the extent allowed or at home if necessary. Keep in touch with your friends by phone or internet. I'm on Skype every night at 6pm with alternating friends. At the same time, it's also important - especially in families - that everyone gets a chance to close the door behind them.

Some react calmly to the situation, some with fear or even panic...
Yes, there is a continuum between trivialization and dramatization. Often there is real cause for concern, but how well one can regulate one's emotional balance is learned. Everyone can do something about anxiety.

A few tips for the frightened?
Don't flood yourself with news; it's enough to update yourself morning and night, and then through the right, reliable sources. It also helps to ask yourself every evening: What did I experience today that was nice and good? Or to remind yourself of the difficult situations you have already mastered in your own biography. Those who are caught up in brooding can allow themselves a certain amount of time each day for bad thoughts and then say, "Enough for today, tomorrow I'll continue brooding."

Can we also take positives from the situation?
The general calm is also a good thing. For many, it offers the opportunity to slow down. We can also take a critical look at what we really need. In academia, for example, we now realize that it doesn't always have to be a business trip to a conference in Boston, but that you can also discuss things via video call.

As a university teacher, how are you preparing for the coming semester? It's not going to be a semester like any other.
We can use the time to build digital skills. It's also very beneficial to get away from the idea that you have to have a semester perfectly planned out. The form in which I can offer this or that depends on a whole host of factors that I don't yet have an overview of. We are all driving a bit on sight. But I am absolutely convinced that we have to continue, even in the university sector - under changed conditions. We will be creative. By the way, one example: my students in the master's program in clinical psychology and psychotherapy are currently barely able to do their scheduled internships. I am now developing a plan with partners on how they can get involved in telephone counseling. Not medical corona counseling, of course, but for dealing with problems or fears in crisis. That can then take the place of the designated internship.

What advice do you have specifically for students - how can they use this time to prepare for the semester?
What I just said about us teachers also applies to students: Expand your digital skills where it's still needed. Network digitally with fellow students and help each other out. Learn to improvise and get creative.

Prof. Dr. Heidi Möller is a psychologist, psychotherapist and professor for theory and methodology of counseling
A text on the telephone counseling mentioned can be found here.

Interview: Sebastian Mense