Sometimes, stable mental health can feel pretty much impossible. Right now, for example - the pandemic has a nasty way of wearing down our emotional wellbeing. Don’t Be A Monster works to give everyone the tools they need to handle big emotions - especially the difficult ones. Here’s a look at some of the best tips for staying well right now:
Self-Care and Self-Kindness
The way we treat ourselves makes a massive difference on our attitude:
Start by coming up with your own self-care toolkit you can turn to in tough times.
Commit to healthy habits like regular exercise and a nutritious diet.
Treats, such as a relaxing bath or a favorite book, are gentle coping tools that can reset bad moods.
When It’s Hard
These coping tools can help with the seriously difficult times:
If you’re experiencing an extremely intense negative emotion, try using the diver’s response to trigger a calmer emotional state.
You can also use intense exercise to get through a bad moment, but be mindful of overexercising, which can become its own problem.
Changing your environment - going outside, putting on loud music, lighting a strong-scented candle - is also a really effective way to get out of an intense headspace.
When It’s Impossible
You don’t have to do this alone:
If you don’t have any success managing your mental health on your own, or if you just want extra help, look into finding a therapist.
Teletherapy is a great resource for mental health care in the pandemic.
There’s never any shame in turning to a professional. Mental health is a medical issue: You wouldn’t treat your own broken bone, so you shouldn’t have to treat your own depression, anxiety, or other mood disorders.
The constant stress we’re all facing isn’t good for us, and it’s important to deal with it in healthy ways. Give yourself the time and space to process your emotions. Spend time cleaning out your social media feed of any people or pages that make you feel badly (and follow Don’t Be A Monster for some much-needed positivity!). Reach out to mental health professionals for support and advice if you feel you need to. When we give ourselves the care we need, we work toward living our best lives.
About the Guest Author:
Sophie Letts is an active mental wellness advocate. She has been practicing meditation for five years, and her practice has helped her in many ways, including improving her ability to focus and reducing feelings of anxiety. She created (and writes guest articles on behalf of) meditationhelp.net to help others get started with meditation, dispel meditation myths, and provide the resources others need to connect with their bodies, calm their minds, and embrace their true selves.
Interested in guest writing an article? Email info@dontbeamonster.org.