Do you think the growing reliance on technologies like Zoom and social media for communication is going to have a negative impact on people's body image? What advice would you give to people who use these platforms a lot to help them avoid developing an unhealthy fixation on their own appearance?

Individuals were already pretty fixated on their looks for social media pre-quarantine. I have only seen it get worse. We have become hyper-aware of our appearance, even on digital platforms. Therefore, we are going to want to show how we are thriving, even though we may be in a spot of panic on the inside.

Being hyper-focused on our digital presence can also be a distraction from internalised anxiety and sadness that we are not consciously facing, either voluntarily or unconsciously. If I focus on how I look, I don't have to look at how terrible I feel.

People are concerned about how others are going to judge them, so they make absolutely sure they look their very best. This sends the message that they are thriving under quarantine, when they actually are not. This speaks to difficulties with vulnerability.

Pre-lockdown, how often did you encounter individuals who would be tempted to use cosmetic surgery and beauty procedures as a means of addressing their own body confidence issues? Are you expecting this trend to get better or worse as a result of lockdown?

I did not encounter a large number of folks using cosmetic surgeries and such to address body confidence issues; however, with the level of awareness some of us have about our bodies, I would not be surprised to see a rise in cosmetic surgeries and beauty procedures to address body confidence issues, as many of these will provide a super-quick fix to whatever perceived body issues individuals may be experiencing.

For those who are considering getting cosmetic surgery - what kind of questions would you recommend that they ask themselves before agreeing to surgery, in order to make sure that they are not doing so from a mentally unhealthy place?

I would encourage anyone who is seeking cosmetic surgery to take a very hard look in the mirror and ask themselves: "Why are you doing this? No, really - why are you doing this?"

Are you doing this because you feel that it will add value to your life, or are you doing this as a means of feeling better about yourself? Is the motivation coming from love or fear? I would suggest that folks make sure they are very clear as to the motivation behind their desire for cosmetic surgery.

With COVID-19 still a major threat and future lockdowns an ongoing possibility, what actions can people take to improve their self-image and body confidence at this current time? For those who are particularly struggling, what support measures and services would you recommend for them to explore?

We have seen a surge in online fitness programmes, which are so easily accessible. While it is not the same thing as a gym, it does provide some level of outlet to work on your body image issues.

The one thing we have all had to do is figure out new and innovative ways to do the things we used to do under quarantine conditions.

We would all also benefit from monitoring the way we talk to ourselves - is it very subjective and mean? Are there statements that are more positive, if not objective, that we can replace them with?

Acceptance is crucial in this process. If we look at the word acceptance, it means an acknowledgement of what is, not what we like. If we focus on approval over acceptance, we will get ourselves in quite the mental battle. Focus on greater acceptance of your body at the present moment (i.e., “This is where I am, and it's OK, and this is where I would like to be, let's get there”), and find out and take the steps to get to a more desirable goal.