Hey guys. Today has been a shocking reminder how important mental health is and how it has to be your number one priority especially during the times we are living in.
IMPORTANT : If any of you, are suffering from a bad mental health phase, please know you are not alone and that many around you are also going through the same whether they express it or not. YOU DONT HAVE TO SUFFER IN SILENCE. Help is available. Help is just a conversation or phone call away. Somebody will listen to you. If you ever opened up and were ignored, don't give up. Please try again. Don't bottle up your feelings. Don't suppress it. Talk to someone.
1.There many of us who want to help and reach out but don't know how to do it without coming off as intruding.
This might help. Remember to reach out especially to people living alone during lockdown. All the questions you can ask and how to start difficult conversations casually.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CAtk-IClcHN/?igshid=uj03smrhof9d
2. Physically going to therapy can be hard during the current times so here's a list of online resources for mental health during lockdown.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B-WbhT3pjST/?igshid=1d27uwxcbnca0
3. Now this is MAJOR. This is iCall's crowd sourced list of therapists covering many cities. It is a comprehensive list and you can take your pick according to your preferences.
4. If you're having difficulty sleeping or have been anxious, try the Headspace app. For sleeping, meditation, it's perfect.
5. If today's news has been particularly triggering, take a step back. You don't need to consume every piece of news on social media. There are some completely unethical pictures circulating around so if you're emotionally compromised, it's better to keep away for a while. You're missing out on nothing. It will still be here when you feel better.
6. Sometimes in our eagerness to help somebody we fail to grasp the depth of the situation. If you are not a professional, there are some cases where your words could have a completely different effect if you're not careful. So if you feel like a friend needs actual help, always refer to therapy. You are not equipped to handle it and it's not your fault if you can't help. Just encourage therapy.
6. Now as someone who's been in the field of mental health here's a few tips if you're feeling particularly down.
a. Try to wake up as early as possible. Sunlight helps a lot. Sit under sunlight as much as you can. The more sunlight you get in a day, the better you'd feel.
b. I know it can be particularly exhausting and a lot of work to even get out of bed. But try. Our personal hygiene suffers the most during our muddled mental health phases. So brushing and taking a bath instantly levels you up. Know that you have to brush and shower - if not today, then tomorrow, if not tomorrow then the day after - so let's try to start today. If you can't do both, do one. You don't have to take a bath everyday if it's hard - every alternate day is enough. Try to find a pattern that matches your energy levels.
c. DECLUTTER. Often our surroundings play a huge part is subconsciously affecting our mental space. If your house or room is cluttered and dusty and in a disarray, it affects on a deeper level. Declutter and clean. Start small like a book shelf and then your room. Instant boost to your mood.
d. Take a walk. Nothing clears your head like taking a walk. If you can't go outside, walk inside. If your head feels too heavy, stand up and walk. Take a trip to the kitchen, fridge. Dont stay still. Urge yourself to walk.
e. Make your own bed. One feels better if they do one productive thing everyday. Start small. Fix your bed early in the morning.
f. Start writing/ do journals. Write anything. Absolute gibberish will also do. Put anything you want on paper. Reasons for your sadness, anger, anguish, anxiety.. I promise you once you're done for the day, you will feel lighter. A client of mine had a particular time of the day when she used to cry and pour her heart on paper. Everyday without fail and slowly after months, the crying stopped and the writing became more positive and self affirming. This works.
g. Get back to things that make you happy. We all have happy thoughts associated with things. It can be a book, movie,or a friend. Reconnect with your happy thoughts.
h. Talk to someone you live with and tell them you're not feeling well. We all need to be taken cared off once in a while.
i. Everyday take time out and brush your hair. Do it for 15 minutes and slowly. It's therapeutic.
j. Sugar. If you have no health issues, you can turn to sugar to turn your mood around a little. Icecream or a chocolate a day is not bad and indulging in it will not harm you. Consider it a treat.
Self care is the only means to feel better and get back into the groove. If you can't do it alone, ask someone to help. A little help goes a long way.
Every single time you feel like you are losing the plot, know that many around you feel the same and it's okay to feel this way. ITS OKAY TO NOT BE OKAY all the time. It's important to feel it, try to acknowledge it and make an effort to come out of it. We often get stuck in a rut and when this continues for days, weeks or months, we should get clinically diagnosed. Trying to get out of it on your own - that's the goal. Once you learn how to, you can do it again and again.
Upheaval in mental space is normal and EVERYONE goes through it regardless of how strong you think they are. Some express it, some dont. But its part of cognitive, developmental psychology and general psychology. No human being can be in one state of mind all the time. So don't overthink things. It's normal. You're normal. Reach out and talk to people about how you feel. Remember you're braver than all your circumstances. Try and keep trying.
Take care, everyone.
Kabhi Neem Neem Kabhi Shahad Shahad
Debate Mansion
126