Ask any adult what they might want a bit more of, and you are likely to hear a similar answer: there never seems to be enough time.
Between work, staying fit, tending to our homes, and trying to stay ahead of finances, illness, and relationships, adults often feel overworked and undernourished, whether that nourishment comes in the form of a healthy meal, a few moments of peace and calm, or a solid few days of not having anything in particular to do.
Although most of us make plenty of time for the essentials of work, food, and sleep, many of us neglect our mental and physical health to make everything else fit in—and quickly feel the effects.
Fortunately, there is a way to maintain time and tend to our health.
From online fitness accounts to working out with friends, to using platforms like BetterHelp, making time for the pursuit of health does not have to be difficult.
Using Online Therapy Platforms
At first glance, it may seem a strange concept. After all, visiting with a therapist means lying on a couch, while a man in a corner nods solemnly, and occasionally jots down a few notes, right?
While some might have concerns about privacy in their homes or the legitimacy of privacy over an internet connection, online therapy platforms are held to the same high, rigorous standards required of in-office mental health professionals.
All therapists are required to demonstrate proof of their ability to practice, must adhere to state licensing requirements and guidelines, and must protect their clients’ identities and information carefully. The same is true of BetterHelp therapists and practitioners.
Freeing Up Time with Online Therapy: 4 Essential Time Savers
Although 1 hour each week may not initially seem like a significant thief of time, there are some important factors to consider when using an in-office therapist, which are mitigated by the use of online therapy. These include:
- In-person therapy requires travel time to and from the office. Traveling to and from a therapist’s office can take only an additional five minutes, or can escalate into an hour-long commute each way. With online therapy, you can cut down on travel, and save time by speaking with a mental health professional from your couch, kitchen, or room.
- Time spent finding compatible therapists can make therapy unappealing. Therapy is often a long-term professional-client relationship between two people, and as such, requires that both parties get along with one another. If you meet with a local therapist and find that the two of you are not a good fit, it can further draw out and complicate the process of securing therapy or counseling. With online therapy, if you discover that your current therapist is not a good fit, you can quickly and efficiently locate another therapist better suited to your needs.
- Flexible scheduling options can help people with inconsistent or unusual work or family schedules. Online therapy may provide greater timing flexibility than traditional therapy offices, and may better fit into people’s work schedules. This can save valuable working time and can allow people to arrange therapeutic intervention around existing timelines and commitments, rather than having to work within the narrow confines of office hours—many of which conflict with standard working hours.
- Delivery options may save time and energy. Some online therapists will provide a traditional therapy appointment, with a designated start and end time, while others allow for texts, emails, and other quick snippets of communication that allow people to quickly get in touch with a therapist without a full hour of discussion. Because of the flexible nature of scheduling and delivery, online therapy can be helpful for people who need smaller, less intense therapy sessions more frequently.
One of the most common reasons given for foregoing therapy or counseling is the time required; fortunately, there are increasing numbers of available avenues to provide therapy in settings apart from standard therapy offices.
Therapy is far more accessible now than ever before, and BetterHelp is among the companies leading the way.
Online Therapy: Fitting Therapy Into Your Busy Schedule
BetterHelp is among the top online therapy companies and may help mitigate some of the difficulties associated with engaging mental health services alongside a full life and busy schedule.
With a track record to rival that of traditional therapy practitioners and plenty of therapists practicing to offer a multitude of approaches and scheduling options, BetterHelp can make starting mental health treatment simple and straightforward.
While few would deny that mental health is an important part of maintaining overall health and wellness, therapy maintains an air of stigma or even one of little consequence and can be overlooked or seen as privileged or extraneous.
Add rigid scheduling practices and a lack of insurance coverage and mental health is often pushed to the side.
Thankfully, BetterHelp can remove many of the obstacles associated with enlisting the help of a mental health professional, especially for individuals who have unusual schedules or are juggling many different things, such as family, a new business venture, and the convergence of the two.
While mental health might not initially seem like a high priority, it is an important part of maintaining general health, and fitting in mental health treatment—or even mental health maintenance—is a vital part of self-care.
Using BetterHelp’s online therapy platform, people, couples, and families alike can fit online therapy into their busy schedules, and reap the benefits of convenient scheduling, a wide range of available therapists, and a consistent means of therapeutic access, even in the absence of available transportation, insurance, or the ability to gather in enclosed spaces.