Dr. Simone’s Mind Space

Group Development

Group development

 

Working in groups is something most of us are familiar with and most likely also have experience with effective and difficult groups. Working in a group that’s stuck and consumed by group conflicts can be very challenging and impact one’s own metal well-being. It’s very frustrating for all members of such a group, yet solving group conflicts is complex and takes time.

Research has shown that teams go through definitive stages during development. Bruce Tuckman, an educational psychologist, identified a five-stage development process that most teams follow to become high performing. He called the stages: forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning.

Depending in which stage a group is situated, different interventions are effective and can improve productivity.

 

💌 listen to the podcast, link in bio!

 

First steps to more productive work groups:

 

1. Identify stage of group development
2. Assess roles of group members
3. Know your team members strengths and weaknesses
4. Give your team members ownership (micro-management decreases innovation and motivation)
5. Incorporate some team building exercises
6. Good work environment

 

#podcast #research #groupdevelopment #coaching #corporate #performance

#covid19 #womenentrepreneurship #drschwankinsights #drsimonesmindspace #psychology  #zurich #switzerland

 

@drschwank

Study abroad homesickness

Studying abroad is an exciting experience of life, a time to expand the horizon, get in touch with a different culture, and identity exploration. Many students experience culture shock and suffer from homesickness in the beginning of the semester. That’s quite normal, life abroad is often drastically different from back home, so many new impressions and reflections on one’s identity.

A whole new dynamic has come with studying abroad during the global pandemic. Being in quarantine, isolation during traveling is a unique and very challenging experience. Mental health and well-being during quarantine is very important.

 

Things you can do to keep your body and mind in balance:

 

1. Bing structure into your day
2. Stay physically active
3. Improve your immune system with food and physical activity (vitamin D, zink)
4. Sleep is the best medicine
5. Get out into nature
6. Maintain social contacts (corona safe)
7. Get engaged in charity, helping others increases happiness
8. Focus on the things you can control and not on things you can’t control.

#podcast #research #adolescence #peers #covid19 #womenentrepreneurship #identity #development  #drschwankinsights #drsimonesmindspace #psychology #loneliness #mentalhealth #moncle # #zurich #switzerland #stockholm #sweden #disstockholm #studyabroad #quarantaine #isolation #homesickness #cultureshock #emergingadults

 

@drschwank

@disstockholm

 

 

Being an adolescent during the pandemic

The group, that’s impacted extraordinarily much due to the pandemic are adolescents. Schools are closed, meeting friends limited, social gatherings, sports, parties canceled. Being stuck at home with parents working from home, stressed themselves can cause tension and arguments. The life of the parental generation has changed yes, home office instead of working from the office, but the life of adolescents changed much more dramatically. Even if they’re not a risk group, they pay the price out of solidarity for the older generations and risk groups.

Adolescents are supposed to be out and about with their peers. Peers are the most important group during adolescence and crucial for identity development.

Being in a constant battle between their own needs of meeting friends vs. the risk this behavior implies for their parents and grandparents is not to be underestimated.

The future of adolescents is uncertain.

What will happen once they graduate high school?

Will they be able to attend university, find an aprentiship?

How will university and work look in the future, when physical attendence remains limited or cancelled.

 

Society’s lack of understanding of this age group is concerning. We all have to emphasize with adolescents, be more tolerant for their social interactions with their peers, and not dismiss their needs.

 

#podcast #research #adolescence #peers #covid19 #womenentrepreneurship #identity #development  #drschwankinsights #drsimonesmindspace #psychology #loneliness #mentalhealth #moncle #zurich #switzerland

Single during the holidays

In the previous podcasts I’ve discussed family conflicts and challenges to meet relatives during the holidays. Today, I’ll talk about singles during this time of the year. The year 2020 has been an extraordinary year for everyone, but especially for singles. Meeting a romantic partner was limited to primarily online dates, random coincidence such as meeting someone at a friend’s party, at work, on a flight, in a café, bar, restaurant, almost impossible. Now the holidays are around the corner and many singles ask themselves how to get past these days.

 

Ideas for singles over these holidays:

 

Helping others brings joy. Bake cookies for elderly neighbors or offer to run errands for them.

 

Get engaged in after school activities for children (many parents are extremely exhausted).

 

Be active, go for walks, runs, skiing!

 

Organise activities with friends ahead, don’t wait until the last minute to make plans.

#podcast #research #holiday #christmas #covid19 #womenentrepreneurship #single  #drschwankinsights #drsimonesmindspace #psychology #loneliness #holidayblues

#moncle #zurich #switzerland

 

@drschwank

Holiday tension

Conflict with family members over the holidays are common. High expectations that aren’t met, traditions that not everyone enjoys equally, new and old family members that collide. Conflicts over the holidays can be managed.

 

Tips to work with family conflicts during the holidays:

 

Time outs! Agree to give each other space.

 

Dealing with conflicts when everyone is agitated isn’t going to work. Calm down your nerves, then unite again.

 

Agree to disagree! Not everything needs to end in a consensus.

 

The repair is more important than the actual conflict.

 

#podcast #research #holiday #christmas #covid19 #womenentrepreneurship #family #drschwankinsights #drsimonesmindspace #psychology #tension # holidayblues #conflicts

#moncle #zurich #switzerland #matchalatte

 

@drschwank

Family reunions during the holidays

Families plan how to meet during this unique year of the pandemic. How to celebrate their holidays when only limited numbers of members are allowed to meet.

How can family gatherings be held this year?

The smaller, more specifically selected holiday gatherings might bring something positive, as you can be more selective coho to meet. Yet, if the only people to meet are the ones you’d rather have to be blended with other more favorable family members, it’s difficult.

Needing to take decisions on how to manage to follow the restrictions put in place by the governments and still be able to practice traditions.

People around the world have to take such difficult decisions, which puts a strain on everyone. The tensions that have existed prior to the pandemic might escalate, due to everyone’s nerves lying blank after almost a year living under the constraints of the pandemic.

 

 

What can we do to get as smooth as possible through the holiday season?

 

Get a good mix of time together and alone.

 

Spend time attentively doing something together.

 

Bake, cook, play games, decorate the apartment/ house together.

 

Take walks or go for a run, do physical activity together or alone.

 

#podcast #research #holiday #christmas #covid19 #womenentrepreneurship #family #drschwankinsights #drsimonesmindspace #psychology #tension # holidayblues

#moncle #zurich #switzerland #matchalatte

 

@drschwank

Holiday Season

It’s this time of the year when some of us cherish the cheers, holiday spirits and others would prefer it to be January so dearly. The holiday season brings up a lot of emotions and feelings difficult to contain. So many expectations and unmet ones are very hard to accept. A time where some of us feel more lonely than any other time of the year and this year even more so.

 

What are things to cope with the holiday season?

 

Helping others is always a good idea. It increases happiness and reduces feeling lonely.

 

Focus on the things you can change, rather than the ones you can’t.

 

Create your own ritual, tradition that is unique to you.

 

Try to say no when it’s too much for you, rather than tag along.

#podcast #research #holiday #christmas #covid19 #womenentrepreneurship #family #drschwankinsights #drsimonesmindspace #psychology #loneliness

#moncle #zurich #switzerland #matchalatte

 

@drschwank

Latest research: pregnant women during COVID-19 Part 2

In today’s episode, part 2 of the latest research on Swedish pregnant women during COVID-19 pandemic, I’m discussing together with my colleague Assistant Prof. Ewa Andersson ways to improve care for pregnant women. Topics discussed in this episode are:

• Partner support
• Pregnant women’s worries
• Loneliness
• Powerlessness in perinatal care
• Restrictions in society
• Media and COVID-19

 

Pregnant women around the world are facing an incredibly challenging time. There’s a need for healthcare professionals to better meet women’s and their families needs, to improve perinatal outcomes.

#podcast #interview #globalmentalhealth #quarantine #isolation #research #pregnantwomen #fathers #baby #research #reproductivehealth #genderequality #covid19 #womenentrepreneurship #emergingadults

#womeninglobalhealth #drschwankinsights #drsimonesmindspace #psychology #advocay #stockholm

#sweden #karolinskainstitutet #moncle #zurich #switzerland #matchalatte

 

@drschwank

@karolinskainstitutet

@mammatillmamma

@plingan

Story of an International Couple

Today’s episode discusses how it is to live as an international couple together with my husband. The excitement to be different, the benefits of a multilingual home, the enrichment of having access to different cultures, traditions, and places to call home. Yet, of course there is also the part of misunderstandings, lost in translation, racism, accusations, and the challenges to build a bridge between the different backgrounds.

 

#podcast #globalmentalhealth #couple #couplesconflict #conflict #covid19 #seduction #sex #datenight #happyrelationship #womenentrepreneurship #internatioalcouple

#womeninglobalhealth #drschwankinsights #psychology #adovcay #shanghai #stockholm #zurich #switzerland #opitimalperformancekreis2 #karolinskainstitutet

 

@drschwank

Latest Research: Pregnant Women During COVID-19 part 1

In today’s episode, I’m discussing the latest research on Swedish pregnant women during COVID-19 pandemic. A second episode will follow together with my colleague Assistant Prof. Ewa Andersson. Pregnant women around the world are facing an incredibly challenging time. There is a lot of uncertainty on antenatal visits, delivery, their family being present during birth, and the concerns related to entering hospitals during the pandemic. In our research we’ve interviewed pregnant women in Swedish about their experience to be pregnant during the ongoing pandemic. They’ve described their concerns not having their partner present at delivery, as well as feeling forgotten by society.

#podcast #interview #globalmentalhealth #quarantine #isolation #research #pregnantwomen #fathers #baby #research #reproductivehealth #genderequality #covid19 #womenentrepreneurship #emergingadults

#womeninglobalhealth #drschwankinsights #drsimonesmindspace #psychology #advocay #stockholm

#sweden #karolinskainstitutet #moncle #zurich #switzerland #matchalatte

 

@drschwank

@karolinskainstitutet

@mammatillmamma