What Is Mental Health?

Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. Mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood.

Over the course of your life, if you experience mental health problems, your thinking, mood, and behavior could be affected. Many factors contribute to mental health problems, including:

• Biological factors, such as genes or brain chemistry
• Life experiences, such as trauma or abuse
• Family history of mental health problems

Early Warning Signs
Not sure if you or someone you know is living with mental health problems? Experiencing one or more of the following feelings or behaviors can be an early warning sign of a problem:

• Eating or sleeping too much or too little
• Pulling away from people and usual activities
• Having low or no energy
• Feeling numb or like nothing matters
• Having unexplained aches and pains
• Feeling helpless or hopeless
• Smoking, drinking, or using drugs more than usual
• Feeling unusually confused, forgetful, on edge, angry, upset, worried, or scared
• Yelling or fighting with family and friends
• Experiencing severe mood swings that cause problems in relationships
• Having persistent thoughts and memories you can't get out of your head
• Hearing voices or believing things that are not true
• Thinking of harming yourself or others
• Inability to perform daily tasks like taking care of your kids or getting to work or school

Mental Health and Wellness
Positive mental health allows people to:

1. Realize their full potential
2. Cope with the stresses of life
3. Work productively
4. Make meaningful contributions to their communities
5. Ways to maintain positive mental health include:

Getting professional help if you need it

• Connecting with others
• Staying positive
• Getting physically active
• Helping others
• Getting enough sleep
• Developing coping skills

Why is mental health important in the workplace?
Having strong resilience in the workplace is fundamental to maintaining positive strategies for maintaining mental health and gives individuals the ability to self-generate positive emotions from physical activity, which forms a biological resource for habitual, long-term physical and psychological health benefits.

Do not feel ashamed or upset, seek the help that is available to you. There is Betterhelp for you. “This stuff is real, and it’s OK to not be OK. I’ve been home for treatment for over a year, and I’ve had multiple panic attacks, but they’re way more manageable. It’s OK to just admit you need help.”
Mental health concerns are often not “clear-cut” or “straight-forward”; mental health issues are more than just receiving a diagnosis and then going to treatment – they involve a lot of ups and downs, learning, growing, and a lot of hard work. Open this topic up for discussion provides an opportunity for everyone to learn more about mental illnesses, their symptoms, and effective treatment options so that we can all work towards living a happier, healthier life.

Discussing the topic of mental health can open a person’s support network. For example, telling a close friend or family member about a mental illness can provide a person with yet another person to share their worries and concerns with, and someone to reach out to if they need immediate help.

It can happen to anyone

Many times in our lives we feel like we are not going to make it.. we struggle with our jobs, our marriages, finances, etc. We then feel sad and alone and before we know it we are ill mentally.  This starts a downward spiral of depression, anxiety and panic attacks.  Mental health illnesses can happen to anyone, anywhere or anytime.

We hate the thought of leaving our houses to go and get help with a medical professional so we keep it to ourselves and let it fester and then we explode and mess up relationships around us...

no, just me...

ok then ;)

The world of counseling is diverse and offers many types of therapy. Each person who enters treatment has different mental health issues and thus different emotional needs. All human beings have struggles and life challenges. Depending on what an individual is dealing with or which mental illness the person has, can determine what sort of therapy will work best for them.

When I first got sick with depression and anxiety, I dreaded having to leave my house and go out anywhere especially to a doctor and have to tell my story all over and over.  Almost every day I had wished there was a way to reach out to my dr digitally,  I only had a phone, I could not even email and the receptionist would never let me talk to them and sometimes I had to wait weeks to get in to see them.

If you struggle with mental health you need to reach out to someone, with the technology that is available now it is so much easier to reach out to someone and you can reach out to them thru Telehealth.

This is the use of digital information and communication technologies, such as computers and mobile devices, to access health care services remotely and manage your health care. These may be technologies you use from home or that your doctor uses to improve or support health care services.

Some people are hesitant because they feel online help may not be "real", who are you really giving your money to, will this information be shared online somewhere?  The answer is YES, it is real and NO they do not share your information it is the same as going to an office somewhere, still confidential.

As with anything you can do online, why not get advice online, no one has to know where you go or who you see, it is a win for us all especially if some days it is hard to go out in the real world, I am not saying to hide out every day but some days it is much easier to hide out than to face people and be judged.

Like anything online, you do have to be careful, just because they say they are a counselor and you give them your payment info and then your identity is stolen etc, you have to be careful and make sure they are who they say they are, there are ways you can find that out of course a quick search with google can help with that :)

Good luck to all of us who fight this disease.

Trait maker: giving your kids a positive attitude

Being a parent can often be a very daunting journey to embark upon. With all of the new things you have to learn, the problems which you can cause for yourself along the way, and the time which has to go into something like this all make for a very involved process, making new parents feel worried that they’ll make mistakes along the way. When you’re going through this process, though, it’s usually best to focus on what you can do right, rather than what might go wrong. To help you out with this, this post will be exploring some of the work which can be done to promote a positive attitude amongst your kids.

(Image Credit)

Give Them Perspective

One of the biggest issues which a child will face will be the fact that they don’t have very much perspective for the things which happen to them. For example, if your child is called a name at school, this could be the worst insult they’ve ever had to deal with, making it overly traumatic for them. To overcome this sort of issue, being honest with your child is crucial. While they may have been made to feel bad, they still have a friend, and that is the most important thing.

Treat To Teach

Kids are very easy to teach when you have the right tools, and some people are able to master this area very well. By using treats to teach your children, you can help them to develop skills which are directly related to being generous and charitable, while also helping them to value the things they have. Raising generous kids is something which most parents like the sound of. Of course, though, you have to walk a balance with this, as not all little ones will respond well to it.

Inspire Them

A lot of kids find it hard to concentrate at school, finding the lessons they have to be pointless or too challenging to engage with. In reality, though, the time they spend in places like this is incredibly important. To inspire them to work harder, giving them something to work for can be a great approach to take. As you get to know your kids, it will get easier to find things which you know they will enjoy, in turn giving you the power to introduce them to potential careers.

Lead By Example

While they might not realise it, a large part of your child’s life revolves around trying to imitate mom and dad. This is an important part of learning, and it makes sense that you would be their starting point in education, but it also means that you have to put a lot of effort into living the life you’d like your child to have in the future. Simply working to be happy can be a great way to achieve a goal like this.

With all of this in mind, you should be feeling ready to take on the challenge of helping your kids to grow up with the right kind of attitude. A lot of parents struggle in areas like this, finding it very hard to know how to keep their kids positive, while also having to battle their own emotions.

5 Mistakes You Make During Winter that Prevent Happiness

The dredges of winter can be a difficult time for many. Shorter days, dropping temperatures and bothersome conditions all contribute to fatigue. Another detrimental side effect of the winter season can be seasonal affective disorder, communicated by the spot-on acronym SAD. 

Seasonal effective disorder is an extremely common condition with more than 3 million people suffering each year. Symptoms often include depression, sadness, weight gain, excess sleepiness and fatigue.

There are many ways to combat these symptoms, however, countless people continue to agonize their way through winter. There’s one popular Scandinavian trend that may give you all the answers and save a lot of heartache: hygge. 

Hygge (pronounced hoo-gah) is a Danish principle that encompasses coziness through simplicity and contentment. Most recently, hygge has transformed into a practical lifestyle that is often utilized during colder seasons as a way to beat cabin fever. 

So, what exactly are we doing to exacerbate the winter blues? Use these helpful hints to recognize mistakes in your behavior that may contribute to a SAD season. 

1. Restless Sleep

Not getting enough sleep is a common problem many people suffer from. A lack of restful zzz’s can be annoying during other seasons, but during winter it can have a serious effect on both mental and physical health. 

Make sure your mattress is comfortable and supportive to ensure you’re not tossing and turning at night. There are plenty of great choices for mattresses you can find online so choose something that is both high quality and affordable. 

2. Closing Off From Light

As much as you may think, you are not capable of enclosing yourself in a cave (or pillow fort for that matter) only to emerge when spring flowers begin to bloom. Open up the shades and soak in the natural light. 

Keep candles close by to fill your home with your favorite scent. Use soft lighting at night to create an atmosphere worthy of repetition. Twinkle lights are an amazing way to create a mood that is both comfy and calming. 

3. Forgetting About Self-Care

Your mind is not the only thing that takes a beating during winter. Make sure to take care of your body as well. A great way to do this is to focus on your skin. Your skin is the largest organ in your body yet often overlooked when one considers health. 

Keep your skin soft and supple with a hydrating cream. Focus on your feet and face as problem areas that experience the most wear and tear during cold seasons. With a healthy moisturizing routine, you’re sure to keep detrimental SAD symptoms at bay. 

4. Hibernating

Save it for the bears. It’s important to get fresh air, especially on days with plenty of sunshine. Take the dog for a walk, go for a jog or simple sit on the porch with a warm blanket a cup of coffee. Whatever your preference, your body and mind will thank you.

Stay active and take advantage of this time by incorporating some great ideas to aid in self-improvement. 

5. Living Under A Rock

Winter is a time when many people hoard themselves indoors without any consideration for positive human interaction. A major principle of hygge is companionship. Open your doors to friends and loved ones to keep conversation flowing. 

Considering hosting hygge dinner parties or book clubs once a month. Connecting with others (and complaining about the current weather conditions) is a great way to interact and stimulate the mind. 

30 Days to Understanding the Bible by Max Anders.

30 Days to Understanding the Bible (30th Anniversary Expanded Edition) by Max Anders lives up to its promise of unlocking the Scriptures in 15 minutes a day 

Each day builds upon anther so that at the end of Thirty Days you will have a greater understanding of the elements of the Bible. For someone who is new to the Bible it gives you a great foundation that you will come to relay on as you continue to study. 

This book is laid out well for a thorough review and it will help you to remember what you've read with activities and fill in the blanks at the end of each chapter. The information is very high level but it is a good summary of the information presented. 

I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.  

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Steps To Take To Get Your Life Back On Track After Injury Or Illness

If you have had an accident that led to injury or you have had a long term illness it can be hard to get back to your normal life during and after your recovery.  It can be hard to also see anything positive at the end of your road to recovery which can have an impact not only on you mentally but your life around you too.The first thing you should do is find an attorney to help you with all the unknowns, so if you are from Nashville, use this attorney here.  So here are a few tips to get you back on track after an injury or illness.

Photo Source

Be positive

When you are recovering whether it be from injury or illness it is vital to stay positive throughout. If you start to get negative about the situation you find yourself in,  then it can lead to issues with your mental health and also problems within your personal life at home. It is easy to get into a rut and become down about the issues you have but surrounding yourself with the right people and staying positive will help you through the tough times.

Don’t dwell, focus on the future

When it comes to recovering it is easy to dwell on what happened to you or what could have happened to you. This can lead to a strain on you and stop you moving forward in life as you get into a spiral downwards which will not aid in your recovery. Instead of dwelling on the present and the past, look forward to your future, start planning for what you want to do when you are back to full health. Look at whether you will be able to go back into the job you left before the injury or illness, if not then think about what career you can branch into to make sure you have something to go back to when you have fully recovered.

Focus on financial security

While you are away from your job it is imperative that you think about your finances and start saving for anything you need to pay for during your recovery and covering anything you may need while you search for another job if you have been let go from your current one. It is also a good idea to look into whether you are entitled to take legal proceedings against the other party involved if it was a non-fault accident that led to your injury. There are firms out there like Hupy and Abraham personal injury lawyers, who will be able to sit down and look at your case and see if you have a claim or not. If you do then this can help you financially while you are recovering and not working.

Recovering from injury or illness is hard enough without having to worry about what is happening with your job and with your finances. Unfortunately, though these are important things to think about but they don’t have to be a burden as there are businesses and people out there that can help you get through it all. The main thing is to remain positive and keep pushing forward looking towards your future and not thinking about what could have been.