It has been a very special time for all of us, due to the global pandemic and uncertainty about the current situation and about the future. It has been very challenging for me, as it is now already more than one year since last time I was home in Russia with my family.

In order to keep myself motivated and keep going, I have been learning studies  on mindfulness and positive psychology topics, writing business psychological articles and did several Mindfulness courses including Mindfulness Stress Reduction and Cognitive Therapy course.

During all this time I have felt very much connected to other people.

All of us are looking for love, care and support, looking for some stability in life and motivation to keep going. This realization has given me inspiration and ideas for developing my wellbeing project – the platform of self-discovery and personal growth called MindCare.

I have intended to choose some particular direction for my project, relying on the school of psychology and psychotherapy that is close to my vision, so that I could adapt its practices and techniques to my future work. 

After learning Viktor Frankl’s psychology of meaning, I have found my school of therapy. It is profound and truly transformational, and Viktor Frankl’s experience in the concentration camps shows the incredible inner strength and the power of hope that help face and stand any challenges. The therapy of meaning can be called a healing therapy, as it helps shift the focus from the difficulty itself to our attitude. We are learning to see the meaning for us in any situation, learning to see an opportunity for growth and development where it might seem impossible. 

There is some meaning and value in this particular moment.

I am going to get a deeper knowledge and understanding of Viktor Frankl’s theory of meaning. There is no doubt that meaning is connected to many aspects of our life. More than this, it predetermines such important factors as motivation, productivity, high performance, efficiency, inspiration, positive mindset and good mental health. It is especially interesting for me to see the correlation of Frankl’s theory with the studies of mindfulness, as a lot of people are now living on autopilot, not being even aware that there is some meaning and value in this particular day, in this particular moment. 

Most of us have long term goals at work, maybe big personal goals like buying a house, which sometimes seem very far away and probably even unrealistic to happen due to the global situation. People might get depressed and frustrated because of this uncertainty, but it is crucial to remember that there is meaning and purpose in every day, and here Viktor Frankl’s concept of dereflection could be highly effective. When a person is overly focused on a particular goal and putting all their energy into it, they might be easily burnt out and exhausted. 

What does dereflection mean?

Dereflection presupposes redirecting our attention from the goal or the problem itself to the things which are necessary and realistic to accomplish now, at this very moment. Thus, we are shifting our focus to the tasks needed to be done right now, to the current commitments. We are redirecting our full focus onto the solution, rather than the problem itself. I find this concept and this strategy absolutely powerful. 

I am stepping into this new path to learn and explore Viktor Frankl’s psychology and philosophy. Getting deeper knowledge and practice, I am going to become a Logotherapist and help people see and find the meaning in their own lives. Every day. In every moment.