Mental Health Awareness Month

In honour of World Mental Health Awareness Month, I’d like to share some of my strategies for coping with stress and improving my overall well-being. Before we dive into it, let’s remember two key points: (1) Sadness is a natural part of life, but when it remains bottled up without release, it can become a concern. (2) Stress has both healthy and unhealthy aspects. For instance, feeling anxious before an important deadline can signal that we need to slow down, which is a healthy response. However, feeling anxious without a clear reason, like on a Sunday morning, might be a sign of unhealthy anxiety or depression.

As long as you’re not hurting yourself or anyone else intentionally, there is no right or wrong way to achieve a task. Here are the ways I try to manage my anxiety:

Identifying Triggers: I cannot emphasize enough how important this is! Understanding what triggers my anxiety helps me manage it better. Always identify them so you can take measures to avoid.
Healthy Diet: Eating well and following a balanced diet is linked to reduced stress and anxiety, especially for those with underlying health conditions and food allergies. I don’t eat gluten or fast food. I do love my fries though and they have plenty of gf options nowadays if you have a sweet tooth or a big fan of desserts.
Me Time: Whether you’re an extrovert or an introvert, personal time is essential. For me, it means disengaging from external pressures, letting the world fade into the background and indulging in activities I enjoy, even if it’s doing nothing.
Controlled Breathing: Practicing controlled breathing can be done anytime, anywhere, and helps manage stress. But if you can set aside some time for yoga or meditation, then even better.
Avoidance: Psychologist Lisa Damour is one of my favorites. As she says, “Avoidance feeds anxiety,” and I agree. This also applies to procrastination, which may be an art to some, but the longer I put things off, the harder they become. Completing tasks sooner rather than later makes me feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulder. Do a check list, it helps a great deal.
Conversations with Loved Ones: Talking with loved ones, who bring a sense of calm and peace, can be very therapeutic. Avoid folks who consistently make things complicated and are big on gossip.
Managing Distractions: Our society is flawed and full of distractions. Normal. We need to learn how to ignore things that are unimportant but often tempting. I am learning how to better control my emotions, let go of things beyond my control, and prioritize what matters.
Faith and Prayers: Whether you’re a Muslim, Jewish, Christian, Hindu or a Buddhist, if your faith is important to you, then definitely use prayers as a way to seek relief from stress. For me, prayers also mean having a conversation with God. Not everything in our world can be explained with Science – it’s all interconnected and the Universe works in mysterious ways.

I would like to end this post w a video I was watching earlier from RSA. It nails the difference between sympathy and empathy. I know I struggled w it back in middle school; not having a clue how to differentiate. Love their animations!

Via RSA, UK