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What Will Be Most Important To You In 10 Years?
Ten years ago, when I was in my early twenties, I always wanted to make lots of money, move to a big city, live in a fancy apartment. But universe came up with something even better! I met my husband, I became an uncle and I moved back to the area I was born. So now I can definitively say in 10 years from now my husband and my family will still be most important to me. Unconditional love is nothing money could buy.
If immortality was granted to 1 million individuals worldwide, what would be a fair selection process?
I’m not sure if immortality is something that anyone should pursue. The older I get, the more I realize how time flies. That scares me. But living forever? I am not sure how to feel about this. Possibly the fairest selection process would be if those individuals would be individuals that helps the human race having a good life. Maybe bees or other useful animals should be chosen…
We need some positivity, what are some good things that has happened to you lately?
I got a new colleague at work and we get along really well. I’d even dare to say we’re about to build a good friendship which makes me very happy. Besides that, my youngest niece started to talk. That’s just so adorable and cute. When she says something it just makes me smile a lot. In general, I love listening to what my nieces and nephews have to say. They are all at an age where they are nearly free from any prejudice which is a very nice thing.
How is your mental health doing in this current pandemic?
It’s an up and down. Working as a psychologist/therapist I mostly deal with the mental health of others. We tell our patients always to be mindful, to live in the present. I just realize how this is kind of difficult for myself right now, as universe kind of hit the pause button. I start to think a lot about the future and the past, not really being in the present. I realize how I start doubting some choices I’ve made in life and how it’ll affect my future. I realize I was not as mindful as I might “expected” it from others.
What are you most looking forward to doing once we get on the other side of this pandemic?
I’m really looking forward when social distancing is over and we can get in touch with others again. I am looking forward to see my family and friends again giving them a big hug.
If you were the last person on Earth, what is the first thing that you’re doing?
I’d move to a seaside cottage in the middle of nowhere. The ocean just has something that easily calms me.
As a psychologist, do you think that this pandemic will have a lasting mental health effects through generations to come? How will this be managed?
Nowadays we know that e.g. the experiences made by our grandparents during WWII have had an effect on our own mental health. So yes, I think this pandemic will also have a lasting effect through generations. Most important is, that everyone in need for psychological help should get easy and quick access to this help. I can only speak for Germany, but here people have to wait up to 6 month or longer to get access to therapy.
One reason is, that as psychologist you have to get a special license to be allowed to treat people that have no private but statutory health insurance. Those licenses are very rare and limited. Politics need to act now and should make more of those licenses available that more psychologist would have the chance to be allowed to treat statutory insured people. So, we need way much more capacity to treat people, which is yet not given…
Will The Next Generation Be In A Better Or Worse Position Than Ours?
Well, that’s up to our generation! If people keep voting right-wing parties into our parliaments I am not sure if future generations will be in a better place. It’s sad to see how (sorry for the strong language) fucking bad people treat (political) rights and freedoms that the previous generations have fought for and established for us. I think most of us just got used to this freedom that we kind of got lazy and political uninterested, as life was just comfortable the way it was.
We take many things for granted, such as freedom of speech or freedom of travel, that we forget that these are things people fought for as it was not always just granted to do so. I think we should be more often thankful for those freedoms. And I think we should focus every once in a while, more on our communities and not just constantly on ourselves. That’s possibly a good thing happening right now during this pandemic.
Is It Better To Have Loved And Lost, Than To Have Never Loved Before?
One of my favorite quotes is “He who fights, can lose. He who doesn't fight, has already lost.” So I think having loved and lost is better than never have loved. I have loved and lost before. It made me a stronger person. It helped me to figure what I really want and what I don’t want in a relationship. Once you get over the pain of losing a lover, you might come to a place where you make peace with this whole situation and think about the good times you had, rather than the pain that was caused. And that’s a good thing.
What Does It Really Mean To Love Someone?
For me, love is not a thing that is kind of endless. You can love more than one person at a time. Love means sharing your dreams and sorrows with each other, and to support each other to pursue your dreams. It means trusting each other. It means planning a future together. It also means to hold back your own needs at times, to support your loved ones when needed. And that’s something you can do with either your friends, family or with your lover.
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