Tag: mental health

How to Become More Resilient

On October 31, 2020

Many people want to become stronger and more resilient, but they may lack the knowledge to create that change in their lives. However, there are some real, actionable steps you can take to obtain your objective of developing a more resilient individual. This guide will help you get started.

Adopt a Sense of Purpose

Resilient people are driven by a sense of purpose, so it makes sense for this to be the first step in cultivating that part of your personality. Your sense of purpose can be anything. You don’t have to justify it to anyone else, but it should be meaningful and important to you. Your sense of purpose can focus on bringing about some type of social change, or it can be to change something in your own life.

Boost Your Confidence

Being resilient means using your talents and skills to help you tackle any challenge you may have to confront. This is why developing your abilities is an essential part of the process. It will require hours and hours of practice, but, if you work hard at mastering specific skills, your own self-confidence will also be strengthened. When you need to use those skills to overcome an obstacle, your confidence in your abilities will help you succeed.

Surround Yourself With Social Support

You’ll also need support from friends and family, so find people you can trust and add them to your social circle. You should distance yourself from those people in your life who seem to always have something negative to say. Even if they’re acting out of concern for you, consistent negativity will adversely impact your inner resilience.

Use Goal Setting to Attack Problems

When life does throw an obstacle at you, don’t let yourself fall into a panic. Instead, set small actionable goals that will help you work towards resolving the challenge. These goals should work together as a series of steps with each preceding goal making it easier for you to reach your next goal. In this way, you’ll resolve the problem with a natural progression of steps.

To be truly resilient, you can’t let yourself fall into a stagnant rut. Instead, you should consistently be learning and developing new skills. Don’t be afraid to challenge yourself to excel in new areas. The more skills you master, the more resilient you’ll become.

Tips on How to Become More Hopeful

By Marissa Elman

On September 28, 2020

In Marissa Elman, Mental Health

The current state of affairs has negatively impacted almost everyone, but these unpleasant circumstances aren’t permanent. It’s more important than ever to know that things will get better. You can maintain a healthier and more hopeful outlook by incorporating the following suggestions into your life.

Be Mindful of Your Mental State

If you wake up in the morning feeling grouchy or depressed, you can’t expect to have a good day. When you recognize negative feelings, particularly those that are unfounded, make a course correction. Determine that it will be a good day, and make a conscious effort to face the day with a positive and hopeful outlook.

Recognize That You Have Free Will

Most people go about their days accepting the events in their lives as unchangeable fate, but that’s far from true. In fact, you can change your life in both insignificant and significant ways through the choices you make. You can bring the changes in your life that will make you happy by paying closer attention to the choices you make. It’s never too late to make new choices or try something different.

Learn From Every Experience

No matter how difficult the challenge, there is always something to be learned from the event. For example, if you’re being bullied, you might decide to take self-defense training or start lifting weights. Every opportunity is a chance to make changes in your life and grow as an individual. As long as you can take something positive from a situation, you’ll be growing and improving your life.

Spend Time Doing What You Enjoy

When you do feel down or defeated, take some time for yourself. Whether you just spend a day in solitude or engage in a favorite hobby, you should do something that makes you feel good or content. Taking time for yourself is sometimes what’s needed to regroup and refocus your attention. You’ll return to the challenges in your life feeling reinvigorated and less stressed, which will give you the mental strength needed to face those challenges.

Remaining hopeful all of the time isn’t an attainable goal. Everyone loses hope from time to time, but the trick is to recognize that this is a temporary state of mind. Look for ways to strengthen your resolve and eliminate the stress in your life, so you’ll be able to return to a state of hopefulness.

How to Prioritize Self-Care While Working From Home

By Marissa Elman

On August 27, 2020

In Health & Wellness, Marissa Elman, Mental Health

To help prevent the spread of COVID-19, it’s suggested that individuals stay home when they can. Many businesses are turning to remote work as a way to help stop the virus from spreading, but the transition to work from home may be hard for some employees. Remote work requires making adjustments to workflow and scheduling. Employees making the transition will also need to decide where to set up a workspace in their home.

The Importance of Self-Care for Remote Employees

Self-care is essential for employees who work from home. Self-care is maintaining good health and well being, and there are various ways individuals can practice self-care. It’s especially important that remote workers engage in activities that promote self-care. With the pandemic, many people are concerned and worried, and when these feelings are combined with a new work environment, it can make it difficult to be productive.

Ways to Practice Self-Care When Working Remotely

Individuals can maintain good health and well being while working at home with self-care habits that include setting boundaries, getting enough sleep, keeping your workspace organized, and sticking to a routine.

Setting Boundaries

Setting boundaries that help you keep your work life and home life separate is beneficial. If you’re not working, refrain from checking work emails and notifications until it’s time for you to work again. Remote workers will also benefit from having a dedicated workspace that’s free of clutter and distractions.

Getting Enough Sleep

It’s suggested that adults get eight hours of sleep each night to promote good health and mental wellness. Getting to bed at a regular time creates a routine that can boost focus during the day.

Keeping an Organized Workspace

Keeping an organized, clean workspace can help remote workers with productivity. Not only will keeping a workspace clean and disinfected promote productivity, but it also helps prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Sticking to a Routine

Remote workers should stick to their routines as much as possible. Individuals who exercised before or after work should try to maintain their routine when they’re working from home. Remote workers who used to have a long commute can use the extra time to sleep in or take up a new activity.

The Importance of Self-Care During Difficult Times

By Marissa Elman

On June 17, 2020

In Health & Wellness, Marissa Elman, Mental Health

The past few months have been stressful for many, resulting in uncertainty, increased anxiety, and depression. Social distancing, while keeping us safe from COVID-19, can result in social isolation for some. Within the last month, the country has erupted in civil unrest caused by racism, which affects all members of our communities. During these difficult times, self-care is extremely important, and here are some practical tips that can help.

Reaching Out

Connecting with others helps to encourage healthy relationships, especially at times when we feel more divided. The age of technology has made this easier by increasing our options for making connections, whether through phone, video platforms, or simply writing a letter. Connecting with others increases the likelihood that stressors will be coped with in a way that reduces adverse health consequences. Plus, social support can influence a person’s ability to activate their own individual coping skills.

Journal

Sometimes, people aren’t always available for us to reach out to, and a journal can be a way to practice some healthy introspection. A journal provides us with a safe space for us to record and discuss our feelings. When journaling your feelings, remember that it’s okay to not feel okay amid the things that are happening in the world. It’s also a good idea to remind yourself how you have managed difficult times in the past.

Gratitude

Make gratitude part of your daily practice. Plan to do positive things such as offering help to others. Many people find that volunteering can boost your sense of connectedness and self-esteem. According to Dr. Taylor-Desir of Mayo Clinic, studies have shown that the practice of gratitude can shift our focus from negative emotions to more positive ones. In addition, gratitude increases neural sensitivity in areas of our brain linked to learning and decision making and can contribute to improved mental health over time.

Less Screen Time

Some people may turn to social media and news feeds during this time to stay up to date with current events, however, too much of this can be detrimental. Take time to get away from social media and unplug from the news. Try spending more time in nature, doing yoga, or meditating. If you’re feeling exhausted by the news, it may be a sign that you’re spending too much time exposing yourself to too much negative information.

The Impact of Mental Health on Overall Wellness

On June 10, 2019

In Fitness, Health & Wellness, Marissa Elman, Mental Health

Within the past few decades, the understanding of the relationship between physical and mental health has become more evident due to advancements in the fields of psychiatry and psychology. Before this revelation, the healthcare community and society viewed these two as separate entities. However, with recent research, there is a strong correlation between the two. Put simply, taking care of your physical wellness is not sufficient to live a healthy life; you need to ensure you are healthy both physically and mentally. Additionally, there seems to be a connection between those with mental health conditions and physical health disorders, further enforcing the importance of better mental health care.

Patients diagnosed with Schizophrenia are two times more at risk of death from heart disease and three times more at risk of death due to respiratory disease. This relationship is also seen in the reverse. Patients diagnosed with Psoriasis, which is a skin condition that results in dry, scaly, silvery plaques on the surfaces of knees and elbows, have a 1 in 3 chance of experiencing anxiety and depression. 1 in 10 psoriatic patients have contemplated suicide, and 1 in 3 experience problems in their relationships with loved ones.

Mental Disorders affect roughly 20% of the total population, and around 4% have a severe mental impairment. This population is at a higher risk of developing chronic physical illnesses, physical injury, accidents, violent tendencies, and suicidal thoughts or actions. The current issue is that the healthcare system is inadequately capable of dealing with mental illnesses while also treating physical ailments.

Patients often are unable to receive adequate care for their mental illnesses. This allows physical illnesses to recur since patients with mental illnesses have higher morbidity rates than mentally healthy patients. Typically, standard insurance plans do not include mental healthcare coverage, so patients may not be able to receive the care they need when it is most important. This drives healthcare costs ups since underlying mental illnesses go unchecked. Also, society views mental illnesses in a negative light that treats it not as a disorder but more like a conscious choice.

Advancements in psychiatry in recent decades are bringing treatment modalities to the forefront that are now being considered at the time of diagnosing patients. Ohio State Harding Hospital has included a focus on nutrition and spirituality when treating their patients. Harding Hospital is a prime example of how patients could be treated in the future that will allow for a more holistic approach to treatment. Focusing on treating the patient will allow patients to remain illness-free for longer. Learning from hospital systems that have already adopted the view of mental and physical well-being is the most effective way to treat patients holistically.

Treating both mental and physical ailments is essential for patients and providers alike; failing to do so will result in a decrease in quality of life and negative long term effects.

Signs That You Are Mentally Strong Marissa Elman

Signs You Are Mentally Strong

By Marissa Elman

On November 2, 2018

In Health & Wellness

There are a lot of misconceptions about what it means to be mentally strong. In fact, ironically, most of the behaviors that many people associate with weakness are actually true signs of strength. This is due to that fact that in our society, we typically value “toughness” over “true strength.” When it comes to acting tough, it is all about external appearances which involve creating this persona meant to convince other people that you are impervious to pain. However, true mental strength involves working on your character and being willing to be vulnerable. Unfortunately, most people confuse their openness and honesty with frailty when it is the exact opposite. Let’s take a look at a few signs that while viewed as weaknesses, are actually signs of mental strength.

Kindness

Many times, people think that being kind means that you are a pushover or a people pleaser. However, the reality is that showing compassion for others, giving someone the benefit of the doubt, or spending your spare time to help a friend in need with a project can be a sign of strength. It often takes a lot of courage and confidence to show kindness and mentally strong people are willing to take those kinds of risks.

Acknowledging Your Weaknesses

There is a difference between recognizing and speaking the truth and putting yourself down. Through the acknowledgment of your faults whether it be not knowing how to confront people or struggling to be organized can show that you are strong enough to admit your imperfections. Recognizing your weaknesses can also help you take steps in the right direction. You can delegate the tasks you struggle with and develop a plan to succeed despite these shortcomings.

Asking For Help

Revealing that there are things you cannot do on your own is a real act of courage. This could be asking your boss for assistance on a project or reaching out to a mental health professional. Asking for help requires a lot of humility and strength of character. Most people who are mentally strong do not go through their journey alone as they surround themselves with others who can offer assistance along the way.

Failure

Succeeding at everything you do only means that you are living too far inside your comfort zone. If you are making mistakes and failing, it means that you are challenging yourself—a true sign of strength. Your failures are not proof that you are not strong enough to succeed. You should view them as proof that you are pushing yourself past your limits.

What You Should Do on Your Mental Health Day

By Marissa Elman

On September 6, 2018

In Health & Wellness, Marissa Elman

Taking a mental health day is important for all people. Employees who feel as though they are just constantly spinning on the wheel are likely to encounter burnout. When taking a day off to rejuvenate, individuals should take into account useful ways to spend their time.

Maintain a Routine

While a mental health day might seem like the perfect opportunity to sleep in and lounge on the couch, having some sort of routine is important. A routine consisting of sleeping properly, eating healthy foods and exercising can help individuals to feel energized. Also, people who spend the day eating junk and sleeping may realize at the end of the day that they wasted their time.

Go Outside

Unless some serious storm is underway, spending the entire day indoors isn’t the best idea. Even if individuals go for a stroll around the block or walk up to the corner market for a cup of coffee, experiencing nature can help these people to recharge. Of course, even more time can be spent in nature. Individuals might decide to go for a mild hike at a nearby park or to explore an outdoor attraction that recently opened.

Engage in a Hobby

All too often, people think that some strict end purpose must exist for every action that they take. However, it’s so healthy to have hobbies that do not end up in monetary gain, a higher title at work or something of that nature. Just taking the time to participate in activity for fun and leisure is important. This hobby can act as a catalyst for future moments of relaxation.

Set Aside Work Tasks

It might be tempting to open up the work email just once on the mental health day. Unless some truly serious reason exists for doing so, it’s important to keep that inbox closed. Individuals who take off from work but then end up working for a part of the day are not really giving themselves the necessary time off from tasks of their jobs.

A mental health day is meant to give people time to explore and to relax. While maintaining a routine is important, that routine should not include work. Individuals should take the time to better get to know themselves and the things that make them happy.

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