5 Questions with Dr Suzi Gage
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Dr Suzi Gage is a British psychologist and epidemiologist who is interested in the nature of associations between lifestyle behaviours and mental health. She is a senior lecturer at the University of Liverpool and has a popular science podcast and accompanying book, Say Why to Drugs, which explores substance use.
Over the stay at home period, what ideas or reflection have emerged that have surprised you?
It took me a long time to get used to this new normal. I initially found myself extremely anxious, unable to concentrate, and regularly overwhelmed. However there are some things I like - I have to do a lot of travelling for work, and actually it's really nice to not have to spend hours a week on a train. I quite like the enforced slow down we've all had to do - we can't go out, so lots of people are 'going in', thinking about who they are, and what is important to them, both personally and more broadly.
What is the most powerful effect you can have on another person?
Unfortunately it's probably the ability to make a person feel bad about themselves. I know that if someone says something negative about me, or something I've done, I'm far more likely to take it to heart than if someone pays me a compliment. It's why I love that Kurt Vonnegut quote 'god damn it, you've got to be kind'. You never know what's going on in someone else's life, so always try and give them the benefit of the doubt. Or the quote from Thumper's mum in Bambi 'if you can't say something nice, don't say nothing at all'.
Do you have a mantra, ritual or daily practice?
At the moment, I'm trying to get used to working at home - often I'm working in the same room as I'm then going to spend my relaxation time. As such it can be really hard to get any division in the day. I'm trying my best to always turn off my laptop at 5.30pm. Then I sit and play the piano for half an hour or so. It's such a great way to draw a line under the working day, and in a way it's like mindfulness - you can't think about anything else and you have to be in the moment, or you make more mistakes.
How do you keep your mental health in check?
The piano is definitely helping. Regular contact with friends and family also helps. I also did an online CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) course last year, and that really helped me to better understand worry and anxiety, and how to split up worries into those you have control over, and those you don't. It's hard at the moment with an invisible threat like a virus, as well as the pressures on employment, income and everything else, but worrying about stuff you can't control really doesn't help. I'm also finding that doing practical things is helping, so I'm working with colleagues at Uni to support the incredible medical and nursing students who are being fast-tracked out into the NHS to help - I don't have those skills, but I can help them in other ways.
What are you grateful for in light of the global crisis?
So much. Mine and my loved ones health, the internet allowing me to keep in face-to-face contact with the people I love, even if I can't be with them in person. Where I live in Liverpool - having space in our house to allow my partner and I to work without getting in each other's way. Cuddles with my cat. My partner is a musician so has lost all of his upcoming work, but my job is secure and we're incredibly grateful for that.
Dr Suzi Gage’s new book “Say why to drugs” is available here https://www.amazon.co.uk/Say-Why-Drugs-Everything-About/dp/1473686229