Mental Health Articles

Healthy Living Mental Health Care Tips for Winter

The winter months can be very challenging for many people. Besides the stress of the holidays, money, and just feeling like you don’t have enough time to do what needs to be done, we lose the luxury of getting outdoors to de-stress. And losing precious hours of daylight doesn’t help either.  But there are a few ways that you can still take care of yourself and your mental health during the winter months. Here are a few of those tips.

• Watch your news intake. If you feel negatively impacted by the news, limit your exposure. Some people spend hours in front of the television watching cable news and getting fired up by the political drama. Try limiting your news exposure to 15 minutes, then shifting your attention to something more uplifting. The same applies to scrolling through social media apps. Limit your time and move on to a more rewarding activity.
• Bundle up and go outside. Regular exercise is not only healthy for your body, but also for your mind. As little as 15 minutes of moderate exercise a day can boost your energy, help you sleep better and improve your mood thanks to chemicals that are released in your brain. Being in nature has also been shown to relax your mind.
• Meditation is a good practice, even if only for five to ten minutes a day.
• Start a gratitude journal. Keeping a gratitude journal can significantly elevate your mood and mental outlook. At the end of each day, write down at least one thing that you are grateful for that day. It can be as minor as, “I enjoyed the sandwich I ate for lunch.” What tends to happen is the nature of your thoughts will change. You’ll start paying more attention to the happier moments, shifting your narrative from negative to positive.

In the News: The Pandemic and Your Mental Health – Part III

(…Continued from Part II)

Unfortunately, some disorders related to mental health, thrive in isolation situations. Lockdowns created more opportunities for domestic violence and child abuse fueled by drugs, alcohol, and financial struggle. 

Relapses of addiction, eating disorders, obesity due to inactivity, and overall suicidal thoughts/actions were also exacerbated by the pandemic; all disorders that are related to mental health. 

So, many will ask, where do we go from here? The most obvious answer is to talk about it. Seek out friends, family or even a professional to get your thoughts out. Oftentimes, counseling is enough for people to realize that they are not alone in their thoughts of anxiety or depression. 

Others may need to seek medical advice and can benefit from a prescription medication to help get some relief. Another great way to help combat mental health conditions, is to find something that helps you take away those feelings of grief, anxiety, or depression – take up a hobby, exercise, or do something positive for someone else.

And most importantly, don’t be afraid to reach out! If you are afraid that you or someone you know might hurt themselves or someone else, call 911 immediately.

Some other numbers to keep handy include:

• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline:

1-800-273-TALK (8255)

• Crisis Text Line: Text “Home” to 741741
• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline: 1-800-662-HELP (4357)
• National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Helpline: 1-800-950-NAMI (6264)

In the News: The Pandemic and Your Mental Health – Part II

(…Continued from Part I)

Reading those types of statistics can make anyone even more depressed, but there are some good things and positive statistics that have come out of the pandemic, too.

• 76% of Americans believe that their mental health is just as important as their physical health.
• 45% of Americans received some sort of mental health service in the past year.

According to a CNN report, “The mental burden of the pandemic has facilitated more honesty and empathy around mental health, which is key to dismantling the stigma that deters some individuals from seeking help.”

Another positive aspect is that people have been reaching out for help or even serving others – as being kind has its own mental health benefits. Telehealth also has seen an uptick when it comes to mental health counseling. Telehealth can be more accessible and easier for some people, thereby having a positive effect and utilized by more people who are suffering.

Talking about mental health is also key to breaking down the barriers to getting help.  Many of us saw this play out with the recent Summer Olympic Games with gold-medalist Simone Biles speaking out about her mental health issues and her decision to pull out of some of the events she was to compete in. Other athletes, celebrities, and figure heads, all joined in to support Biles and speak out about their own experiences with mental health conditions.  Experts suggest that “normalizing” mental health has many more positive effects on the public.

The CNN report goes on to say that “Every time we talk about public health, we should talk about mental health. And every time we talk about COVID-19, we should talk about mental health." 

(…Continued in Part III)

The Pandemic and Your Mental Health – Part I

Editor’s Note: This is a three-part article on The Pandemic and Your Mental Health. Should you experience any feelings of self-harm, please seek medical help.

It’s no wonder that we have been hearing more and more about mental health over the past two years.  The pandemic not only threatened our physical health with concerns of contracting COVID-19, but it also threatened our mental health with thoughts of anxiety, worry, stress, and so much more.

Many of the strategies used to ensure that our physical health was/is preserved during the pandemic – separation, isolation, distancing – are huge risk factors in creating mental health issues. On top of that add in grief from losing loved ones because of COVID-19, fear, uncertainty, job loss or work-from-home/no contact with your peers, this has all created the perfect storm for an already anxious world to become even more anxious

Studies conducted over the course of the pandemic about mental health has unfortunately shown an increase in various areas including:

• 73% of healthcare providers feel their family’s life is at risk because of their job during the pandemic.
• 64% of people indicated feeling anxious in general because of the pandemic.
• 58% believe social distancing is a reason to be concerned about their mental health.
• 63% of students (in California) said they’d had a mental breakdown in the past year.
• Domestic violence incidents rose by 8.1% from 2020 to 2021 – though experts suggest this amount is more of a “floor than a ceiling” as many domestic violence incidents go unreported in the United States.

(Continued in Part II…)

In the News: Do You Have Caregiver Burnout?

For several years now, we have seen a “role-reversal” where many adults are finding themselves in the role of caregiver for their aging parents and/or siblings. Oftentimes caregivers are so busy caring for others that they forget to care for themselves or their immediate families.

Experts refer to this condition as “caregiver burnout.” The symptoms of caregiver burnout mirror the symptoms of depression and stress, but they may also include:

• Withdrawal from friends and family.
• Loss of interest in activities that you used to enjoy.
• Changes in appetite, weight, or both.
• Getting sick more often.
• Using alcohol or sleep medication too often.
• Feeling blue, cranky, or hopeless.

But what causes caregiver burnout? Besides neglecting themselves, burnout can also be caused by:

• Role confusion – if you have been a caregiver for a long time, you can forget how to be a parent, spouse, or friend.
• Lack of control – you may feel like you lack the skills, money, or resources that your loved one needs.
• Unreasonable demands – you may take on too much, mainly because you are the taking on the task alone.
• Unrealistic expectations – you may expect your care to have a positive effect on your loved one, when in fact it might not.

While caregiver burnout is the harsh reality for so many, all is not lost. You can reverse the burnout you feel simply by knowing your limits, asking for help, setting realistic goals, and most importantly taking time for yourself.