Good News for the Soul

A women's health blog for mid-life women learning how to manage their health and their life.

Category: Mental Health

  • 4 Self-Care Tips to Combat Winter Stress and Anxiety

    As we almost start the winter season, we have many people around the world who suffer stress and anxiety. About 5% of Americans begin to exhibit seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Women are four times more likely to experience it. What is SAD and what causes it? What are some good self-care practices to combat winter stress and anxiety? Let’s examine the answers to these questions in this blog post.

    What is Winter Stress and Anxiety?

    Many people around this time of the year deal with so much stress and anxiety. Why is this the case? This is because many people suffer from (SAD) during this season. I shared about this condition before in previous blog posts, but it’s a depressive disorder when you start to experience significant changes in your mood due to the change of seasons. Most people are tired of the dreary, dark, and snowy weather that the winter season usually gives us, causing them to become depressed a lot during this time. They may also be busier in the winter season than in the previous seasons. Some of the common triggers for SAD could include a lack of sunlight, busy shopping for some who celebrate the holidays, and disrupted routines.

    However, self-care could be just what you need to manage your mental and emotional well-being. There’s nothing wrong with being there for others. But it’s vital to ensure you’re okay physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Doing a personal check-in with yourself could be exactly what you need to combat winter stress and anxiety.

    woman with sad eyes
    Many people suffer from stress and anxiety during the winter season

    Self-Care Practices to Combat Winter Stress and Anxiety

    When striving to cope with the challenges of managing winter stress and anxiety, it’s important to incorporate a few self-care practices into your routine. Dealing with stress and anxiety could especially be hard during this season because you’re often inside normally in isolation. It doesn’t help that the weather is snowy, cold, and dreary. But there are plenty of ways you can keep your mood up even during this time of the year. Try one of these four effective self-care practices to help you mentally, emotionally, and physically this season.

    Exercise for Boosting Your Mood

    It’s always important to stay physically active, no matter what season you’re in. But it’s especially important during the winter season. Exercising always puts you in a great mood. One of the best ways to stay active this season is to go out and start walking around a park. That way you’ll be getting some much-needed fitness and Vitamin D. You can also try signing up for an exercise class. This will be beneficial for your physical and social health.

    Getting Consistent Quality of Sleep

    Going to sleep at a decent time each night is another effective self-care practice to combat winter stress and anxiety. By getting the recommended seven hours or more sleep per night, you’ll be lowering your risk of stress and anxiety. The older you get, the more important it is for you to do this. You’ll also be lowering your risk of other health issues such as cardiovascular disease.

    Pampering Yourself with Winter-Friendly Cosmetic Products

    Winter stress and anxiety could also have an impact on your skin’s health. It could also cause physical pain or aches. So keeping your skin healthy by moisturizing it daily is also essential. I mentioned essential oils as being good sources for relieving dry skin and muscle aches. However, there are plenty of other cosmetic products that contain natural ingredients you can find in stores.

    Staying Connected to Your Loved Ones

    If you live in an area known for cold weather like myself, you’ll likely be staying at home most of the time. Because of this, you must stay in contact with your loved ones as much as possible. Choosing to isolate yourself from them will only make you more stressed and anxious. But always staying in contact with people who care about you will only benefit you mentally and emotionally.

    Build a Winter Self-Care Routine

    Besides building a winter-friendly wardrobe, you have to build a winter stress and anxiety self-care routine. Engaging in self-care practices to combat winter stress and anxiety will help alleviate your mental or emotional issues. So by staying connected to your loved ones, exercising frequently, getting consistent quality of sleep each night, and pampering yourself with winter-friendly products, you’ll be doing better in managing your winter stress and anxiety.

    Have you ever dealt with winter stress and anxiety? What are your usual self-care practices for combating winter stress and anxiety? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below. As always, be sure to like or share this post with the next person you know who suffers from anxiety during this season.

  • What Life Lessons From Living with ADHD You’ll Tell Your 10-Year-Old Self

    This month of October is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, also known as ADHD, awareness month. However, the magazine ADDitude has also called this month “ADHD Empowerment Month.” This disorder, one that I happen to have, has impacted many adults in America today. This month is all about raising awareness about the condition and sharing words of encouragement to those going through it. However, because it’s a lifelong condition, some people often wonder not only how to manage it, but what they would tell their younger selves about it. If you’re one of many people coping with ADHD, here are some common life lessons many others like you have learned from living with the condition as an adult.

    What is it Like Living with ADHD as an Adult?

    Living with ADHD as an adult isn’t an easy life. Many people navigating ADHD as an adult have found themselves struggling with finishing important tasks on time, keeping appointments, being on time for their jobs or classes, or being excessively hyperactive. People coping with ADHD usually struggle with keeping jobs or staying in successful relationships.

    ADHD could cause them to try to complete multiple tasks at the same time. Making important decisions in life without thinking them through is another common problem for adults with ADHD. Procrastination and disorganization are also big symptoms of the disorder. If you’ve experienced all or some of these symptoms like I have, you may feel a little ashamed about being different from everyone else. Your brain doesn’t work the same as everyone else. That’s why there are many other tools to help adults like you and me thrive in our regular lives. Let’s examine these tools that could help us to cope despite living with this disorder for the rest of our lives.

    woman scrolling on her phone while laying in her bed
    Procrastination is a big symptom of adults living with ADHD.

    ADHD Coping Mechanisms for Thriving in Everyday Life

    As you continue to manage ADHD throughout your life, you’ll start to learn different coping mechanisms for being organized, time management, and staying attentive. Many who have implemented these coping strategies in their daily life have been able to function better. Some examples of coping mechanisms for being more organized could be using daily or digital planners and calendars. For time management, people with ADHD have found using timers and task management apps such as Google Keep or Google Tasks to help them improve work productivity. The challenge of staying attentive is a common issue for people with ADHD and limiting distractions such as your phone could help you stay focused. Here are a few other coping mechanisms for hyperactivity, impulsivity, and procrastination:

    • Shake your legs while sitting.
    • Move your hands.
    • Pause before you act.
    • Consider what triggers your impulsive urges.
    • Ask someone for help in reducing your procrastination.
    • Use alarms and timers.

    How You Could Leverage Your ADHD Strengths?

    While there are some difficult symptoms people with ADHD have to deal with, they also have a lot of strengths they could leverage. They could play to their strengths in helping them be successful in their careers. People with ADHD are usually very creative, risk-takers, energetic, have a great sense of humor, and have problem-solving skills. If you have some of these qualities, it’s important to choose a line of work that brings out your strengths. Careers such as writers, artists, or graphic designers are great for people who have strong creative skills. Risk-takers might find careers such as journalism, entrepreneurship, and athleticism as being a good fit for them. For example, I leveraged my creative skills to develop my writing and graphic design skills. This has led me to start this blog, do some freelancing work, and create and start a digital printables online shop.

    What You Could Tell Your 10-Year-Old Self about the Condition?

    Along with harnessing your strengths to help you be productive and successful, you may start to develop some ADHD life lessons along the way. This comes from growing older and developing more wisdom and understanding of the disorder. You start to see more positive aspects of having ADHD and not just the negatives. I came across an interesting article from ADDitude magazine that shared several readers of the magazine with ADHD sharing what they would tell their 10-year-old selves about the condition. Some shared some words of affirmation, some shared some humor, and some shared some quick advice. This was them sharing their newfound perspective on ADHD. Some examples include:

    “Bring a fidget everywhere.”

    “You will be a great adult.” Hold on until you get there.”

    “Find whatever sparks joy and live your dreams as fully you possibly can.”

    It kind of makes you wonder what will you tell your 10-year-old self about ADHD. Think about what life lessons you’ve learned from living with ADHD as an adult. Which ones stood out, made you laugh, made you think, etc.? Try to go back in time when you were a child and think about what you would tell your younger, naive self about your condition. This is also a good way of imparting some self-love and helping you understand why you’re the way you are.

    Learning to Accept ADHD as a Part of Your Life

    ADHD is a disorder that starts in us as children and stays with us when we get older. So we must learn to practice self-compassion amongst ourselves. Sharing what you will tell your younger self about the disorder is a good way of accepting it as part of your life. Being kind to yourself and engaging in self-care such as exercise, sleeping, and healthy eating are great ways to practice self-compassion. It’s also important to realize that you’re going to experience some setbacks. But just view these setbacks as part of the learning process.

    Adults coping with ADHD struggle with a lot of things in their lives such as being organized, struggling to keep jobs, being on time for things, or keeping appointments. However, there are plenty of coping mechanisms for ADHD in everyday life you can utilize. You can also leverage your ADHD strengths to help you succeed in your career or anything else you’re trying to achieve in life. Also, it’s important to embrace this condition as being a part of your life and to continue to show signs of growth as a person. Always remember that you’re not alone in this journey and be sure to tell your 10-year-old self words of encouragement in navigating this condition.

    Do you have any life lessons learned from living with ADHD as an adult? What lessons you would tell your 10-year-old self about living with the disorder? Feel free to share this and your life lessons in the comments section below. As always, be sure to like or share this post with the next adult you know living with ADHD.

  • Medical Insurance Debt and your Mental Health: What Impact is This Having on You?

    Disclaimer: This blog post contains an affiliate link. If you click on this link and decide you want to purchase this product, I may make a commission from this. However, it will be at no cost to you.

    Medical insurance debt is one of the most common forms of debt that has impacted many Americans. Many are either dealing with some debt from their medical bills or high amounts. In addition to it being a financial problem for many, there is significant research that shows the impact of medical insurance debt on emotional health. Let’s further examine these connections between medical insurance debt and your mental health.

    What is the Average Medical Debt per Person?

    There are many Americans today with insurmountable amounts of medical bills due to serious health conditions. A recent Census Bureau analysis of medical debt showed that in 2021, 15% of households owed medical debt. It also shows that 20 million people, which is nearly 1 in 12 adults, owe medical debt. 14 million Americans, (6% of adults) owe over $1,000 in medical debt and about 3 million (1% of adults) owe over $10,000 in medical debt. Finding out the average amount of medical debt is said to be difficult. This is because so many people owe small amounts and only a few people owe larger amounts.

    How Does Medical Debt Affect Mental Health?

    Medical debt has not only been a burden on people’s finances. It also has had a big impact on mental health. Some research suggests medical insurance debt and your mental health could have strong connections. A new study led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health shows that medical debt is significantly more present among those with depression and anxiety than among people who aren’t dealing with these emotional issues. The study suggested that those dealing with medical debt were twice as likely to report having delayed or forgone mental health care in the previous 12 months. It also was found that 27.3 percent of adults with current depression and 26.2 percent with anxiety reported having medical debt going back 12 months.

    person calculating their bills
    There is significant research that shows the impact of medical insurance debt on emotional and mental health.

    Is Your Medical Insurance Debt Affecting Your Mental Health?

    Now that you’ve seen the statistics showing the strong connection between medical insurance debt and mental health, it may be good to start examining yourself. Is this something that’s been happening to you? One of the ways to find out is to see if there are any changes to your behavior. Have you been feeling emotionally overwhelmed lately? Maybe you’ve been working nonstop to pay off your debt and haven’t been able to take some time off. There are many people like you with medical insurance, but still have mounting debt they’re trying to pay off. This has left them with plenty of emotional pain and stress.

    Seeking Help for Your Medical Debt and Emotional Health

    But there’s no need for you to feel emotionally overwhelmed by this. There are ways you can seek help for both your medical insurance debt and your mental health. You can try reviewing and negotiating your medical bills before attempting to pay them. Make sure you understand your insurance charges and how to read a bill. The first step when negotiating any medical bills is to make sure there aren’t any mistakes. If you notice any errors, be sure to call the billing office of your provider to recode and rebill your insurer. Taking concerted action to further examine your bill and do something about it will help benefit your mental and emotional health. You’ll start to feel better about the action you’re taking.

    What about Medical Debt Settlement?

    Many people who have become drowned in medical debt have been turning to a debt settlement company to rectify their problems. Going this route has caused many to save a lot of money and reduce their debt burden. By negotiating with your creditors on your behalf, they may reduce your medical bills for less than the original amount. If successful, the debtor can then make a lump sum payment or a series of payments to settle it.

    One debt settlement company that has been instrumental in lifting this burden off many people has been Prosperity Financial Network. This company’s process of helping many people get out of medical debt is considered straightforward and simple. They first assess if you qualify for their program and negotiate on your behalf with your creditors. Once a settlement has been reached, you can start making payments to settle your debt.

    This could be a good option for some people. However, it’s important to analyze the pros and cons of a debt settlement company before deciding on that as a source to settle your medical bills. Whatever decision you make to eliminate your medical insurance debt, it must be a good one that’ll benefit your mental and emotional health.

    Is your medical insurance debt and your mental health affecting your life? How much of an impact your medical insurance debt is having on your emotional health? If you’re personally coping with this or know someone who is, feel free to share in the comments below. As always, be sure to like or share this post with the next person you know who may benefit from this.

  • How to Improve and Promote Mental Health Awareness for Girls in Schools

    It’s officially September when young children are putting their backpacks on to head back to school. With the recent news of a Georgia school shooting, parents and educational staff must protect their children’s mental health now more than ever. One of the most important groups to look after is young girls. There are various ways how to improve mental health in schools so these educational institutions could be a safer place for them to go to. Let’s examine how schools can do more to improve and promote mental health awareness for girls in schools.

    What are Ways Schools Can Improve Mental Health?

    We are living in difficult times where a lot of children are bombarded with social media. While this tool does have its positives such as keeping up with friends, it also has its negatives. Becoming too engrossed with social media sites such as Instagram, Tick Tock, and Facebook has affected many young girls’ self-esteem. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways schools can do better to support the mental health of students, including young girls.

    One way is by strengthening the environment of their educational institutions. The faculty and staff have to take the time to develop policies that could help reduce any form of bullying, whether it’s in person or virtual. There should be some open conversations between students and families about mental health. It’s also important that educators be attentive to the changes in a student’s behavior.

    How Can Teachers Help Female Students’ Mental Health?

    Teachers could also do their part in being aware of any of their student’s emotional state. But it’s especially important for young girls. As young female students grow into teenagers, they start to feel more pressure to fit in or look and act a certain way. They are going through emotional changes such as depression and anxiety at this age. Their teachers are normally the first people to notice changes in their behavior. It’s vital for a teacher who notices these alarming signs to take action quickly to get that student the help they need. They could do this by referring the student to several mental health resources available. The outcome of the situation will turn out to be great when a teacher acts quickly.

    young girls at school
    Mental health awareness must be improved and promoted to help young girls today

    What Can Young Girls Do to Help Their Mental Health?

    While the faculty and staff could help a lot to support a student going through mental health issues, the student herself must be willing to help herself. A young girl could do a lot to help her mental health. She could try reaching out more for help to a trusted adult such as a teacher, counselor, nurse, social worker, or psychologist. All young girls must know that it’s okay to let people know that they’re not feeling like themselves. Most young girls may feel ashamed or afraid to let people know that they’re unhappy. But in the end, they’ll be only hurting themselves by keeping their true feelings to themselves.

    Improving Mental Health Awareness for Young Girls

    So how can schools help with mental health? With so many school shootings occurring throughout the years, mental health awareness must be more promoted in our educational buildings. One of the most important people that could benefit from this is young girls. They are under intense pressure to fulfill this expectation of perfection, whether it’s improving their appearance or getting high grades. It’s vital that a trusted adult, whether a teacher or a counselor, is there to help them get through their emotional issues and provide mental health resources for them. However, a teacher could also be instrumental in promoting positive self-esteem for young girls by teaching them skills to resolve conflicts and remind them of their strengths. This goes a long way in improving and promoting mental health awareness for young girls.

    Do you have a young daughter in school? Do you notice any changes in her behavior? Is your daughter’s school doing anything to promote mental health awareness? Feel free to share your thoughts on this issue in the comments section below. As always, be sure to like or share this post with the next mother of a young girl that you know.

  • How Financial Wellness Affects your Health

    Disclaimer: This blog post contains an affiliate link. If you click on this link and decide you want to purchase this product, I may make a commission from this. However, it will be at no cost to you.

    I recently attended an online event where I learned about the connection between debt and mental health. I knew that many people who have found themselves in serious financial debt have succumbed to mental health issues, even having thoughts of suicide. I thought it would be a good idea to examine this topic further and share the deep connection between debt and mental health.

    How Does Being In Debt Affect Your Mental Health?

    Many Americans are coping with debt. It has had a big impact on their mental well-being. Many people have lost control of managing their finances in an organized manner. The constant worry about bills, debt, and financial stability has caused many to become depressed and anxious. A study by the American Psychological Association has found that money is the top stressor for many people. There was another report in 2022 that showed 1 in 8 people who are behind on at least one payment say they have tried to take their own life because of the cost of living crisis. People coping with financial problems have also experienced health problems that have affected their physical health as well.

    person opening his wallet
    The amount of debt we accumulate could have a serious effect on our mental and physical health.

    How to Get Out of Debt Mentally and Emotionally?

    Getting out of debt usually takes time, patience, and diligence. For some, the process could seem so long that it affects them emotionally and mentally. However, one of key to getting out of debt mentally and emotionally is becoming financially literate. This means learning how to start a retirement plan, create and stick to a budget, or speak to an expert about large, life-changing purchases.

    It also may be beneficial to ask for help from trusted, responsible friends or take lessons from books or classes to figure out more ways to manage your finances. Be sure to look for spending patterns and figure out what you could cut out and what you could keep. Look at your monthly or annual subscriptions and see which ones you need or don’t need. When you become more proactive in your financial habits, your mental and emotional well-being will start to improve as well.

    What is Debt Stress Syndrome?

    When people find themselves under severe stress due to mounting financial problems, they could be going through an issue called debt stress syndrome. This phenomenon is when you find yourself in high insurmountable debt that could really put you under a lot of stress. Your behavior and daily routine start to become off balance. Some aspects of your health debt stress syndrome could affect your sleeping, concentration, and eating habits. When your stress level starts to grow due to serious money problems, this could lead to other health problems such as high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol levels, diabetes, and obesity.

    Different Examples of Resources that Could Help

    Being knee-deep in debt is no fun for anyone. That’s why many people seek help in various ways to get out of this. One way is through enrolling in debt settlement companies such as Prosperity Financial Network, which helps people lower their total debt and pay it off faster. Other people utilize a credit counseling service for assistance or debt consolidation. Some also choose to file for bankruptcy. It’s important to know that everybody’s situation is different and we all must decide what’s best for us and our future. When determining the best solutions to eliminating your debt, start to consider the pros and cons of each option. Talk to a financial advisor if necessary for assistance in managing and eliminating your debt. Also, consult a mental health professional if the ongoing challenge starts to become too much of a burden for you that it affects your mental and physical health.

    Are you or someone you know struggling with insurmountable debt? Has the incessant calls of debt collectors affected your mental health or physical health? Feel free to share your experiences with this in the comments section below. Never feel that you’re dealing with this alone. Be sure to like or share this post with the next person you know who may need it.

  • 4 Fun Mental Health Activities that’ll Help You During this Summer

    The summer season is usually a fun time for many people. But for people dealing with mental health issues, it’s also a good time for true self-care. If you want to keep yourself mentally healthy, keeping yourself active is very important. There are plenty of fun mental health activities that could keep you in a positive mood. Here are four good self-care activities you can do this summer.

    How Can I Stay Mentally Healthy in the Summer?

    During this summer, staying healthy is always important. But being mentally well is just as important. But how can you remain this way during this season? One of the best ways to do this is to keep yourself active. This usually involves going out and being exposed to sunlight. Research shows that increased sun exposure could boost our Vitamin D levels, causing our mood to improve. Spending more time in the sun allows us to produce more melatonin, which causes us to sleep and feel better. So going out and allowing ourselves to touch sunlight could do our mental health good.

    What are Self-Care Activities for Mental Health?

    So what kinds of things could we do outdoors to benefit our mental health? There are plenty of activities that are not only fun but could make you feel better. Summer is a great time of the year for nurturing your mental well-being. Most people choose to take a long vacation, but if you can’t afford that, here are a few low-cost fun summer mental health activities:

    Start a Garden

    Many people love to do this as a hobby because it is so relaxing and comforting. Gardening is a great hobby that could be a good mindfulness tool for you this summer. It’s not only educational but fun. Try starting a fruit and veggie garden outside your backyard.

    Have a Picnic

    What a delicious activity to do in the summer season! Bring your favorite main dish, side dish, fruits, and veggies to lay on your favorite blanket. Whether you’re enjoying your meal outside with your friends or by yourself at a park, having a picnic is a great way to get some Vitamin D and change up your routine. Your mental well-being will benefit from this. Just be sure to bring some sunscreen for protection.

    family at a picnic
    Having a fun picnic with yourself or your family is a fun summer mental health activity.

    Go Exploring a New Neighborhood in Your Area

    This activity is a good way to get away from the usual monotony of your usual surroundings. What unique neighborhoods haven’t you visited recently? Are there specific places you would like to go? Consider searching online for some interesting things going on in a neighborhood near you or outside your area. Exploring exciting things in your backyard or away from it could benefit your mental health.

    Go for a Walk or Jog

    Exercise is always good for the mind. You should take advantage of the nice hot weather and go for a brisk walk. This is something that isn’t easy for a lot of us to do, including myself. But it’ll have a positive effect on your body and mind if you do this more often. Choose your favorite park and spend a few minutes walking or jogging around the path. This will help calm your mind and improve your mood.

    How is Summer Good for Your Health?

    Summer is considered to be a fun time for everyone. It’s also a beneficial time for people dealing with mental health issues. Being around natural sunlight increases your levels of Vitamin D and serotonin, which could help boost your mood. So try doing one of these activities like going for a walk or starting a garden to help you enjoy this summer.

    What other fun mental health activities do you like to do this summer? How do you plan to help your mental health this season? Feel free to share your favorite summer mental health tips in the comments section below. As always, be sure to like or share this post with the next summer-loving woman you know.

  • How to Help your Teenage Daughter Struggling with a Mental Health Issue

    As we know, this month of May is known as Mental Health Awareness Month. This issue has not only affected adults but young people as well. One of the main groups being affected is young teenage girls. Many young girls are going through mental health illnesses such as depression, anxiety, and so on. If you’re a parent who has a child dealing with this, you’re probably figuring out how to help a teenager with mental health issues. Here are a few things in this post you need to know to do this.

    young girl sitting against a wall
    Many teenage girls are struggling with a mental health issue for various reasons.

    What is Causing the Youth Mental Health Crisis?

    Many experts have various opinions on the youth mental health crisis today. According to a recent CDC report in 2021, 57% of teenage girls reported experiencing persistent feelings of depression. This is an increase of 36% from the previous years. However, what are some of the reasons this is happening? Respondents in a POLITICO 2024 survey of 1,400 mental and medical health professionals shared some of the drivers behind the youth mental health crisis are social media, social isolation, and unfortunate outside events beyond their control such as school shootings, war, and climate change. A lot of the mental health professionals in this survey were also unhappy about the lack of resources they have to properly treat children and teens.

    How is It Affecting Young Girls Today?

    As was mentioned earlier, young teenage girls are one of the major groups that are being affected by severe mental health. Besides increasing pressure to be perfect on social media, they also face so much intense pressure to be perfect academically or to perform well in their extracurricular activities. Most young girls could also be dealing with problems in the household, perhaps separated or divorced parents. This, along with many other factors such as trauma, are some of the most common risk factors for young girls developing a mental health issue.

    When Should I Worry About My Child’s Mental Health?

    There are plenty of critical periods where you have to take notice of your child’s mental health. Start looking at her behavior closely. Are there any signs of it changing for you? Is your daughter the same person she has always been? Or do you notice some alarming symptoms of ongoing sadness, trouble concentrating, or doing poorly in school? If you see your daughter talk more about hurting herself to the point where she attempts to do it, it could be time to get her some professional help. But how can you deal with your daughter’s mental illness? What resources are out there in making sure she gets the help she needs?

    How Do I Deal with My Mentally Unstable Daughter?

    It could be a lot to deal with a mentally unstable daughter. You have to do your homework about her illness and handle her differently. It’s usually stressful dealing with a child like this. But it also could be a lot for your daughter, too. You both could cope with a plaguing mental illness by:

    • Being positive and encouraging to one another. Let them know that you love them and that you’ll always be there for them.
    • Seek ways to relax and have fun with your child.
    • Enroll in parent training programs designed for parents with children with mental illnesses.
    • Look for ways to handle stress and help you respond calmly.
    • Work with your child’s school to make sure she’s getting the support she needs.

    What Mental Health Resources for High School Students?

    There are plenty of mental health resources for teen girls and high school students in general. Some of these are even free mental health services for youths. NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Health) Ending the Silence is a free 50-minute mental health program offered by many national school systems and organizations. Its purpose is to help middle school and high school students understand mental health conditions better, learn the warning signs, and seek the necessary help. You can search for a program near you by zip code through NAMI’s website.

    No matter what mental illness your teen daughter is going through, there are resources out there for them. The important thing is for you and your family to take advantage of them. With time and effort, you can be able to figure out how to help a teenager with mental health issues and save their life.

    Do you have a teen daughter struggling with mental health issues? Perhaps you may have a teenage niece like myself going through this? Feel free to share your experiences with this in the comments section below. As always, be sure to like or share this post with the next teenage girl you know struggling with a mental illness.

  • 5 Positive Thinking Activities Women Can Try When Life is Too Hard

    Because we women are only human, we all tend to think negatively often or overthink things. But what if we strive to think positively more often? Thinking positively requires more effort, patience, and discipline. But it could be done if we rewire our brains this way. You could also try implementing more positive thinking activities into your everyday life. Here are five of them you could try.

    How do You Train your Brain for Positivity

    To start developing more positive activities in your life, you must start training your brain to think this way. This involves taking some time to eliminate those negative ideas and perceptions out of your head. If you’re always a negative person, training your brain to see things differently is a nice start to practicing positive thinking. One of the ways of doing this is by practicing gratitude toward others or something. It could be anything like expressing thanks to God about waking up to see another day or smiling on your return back to work. Take a few minutes of your time to reflect on what’s going well in your life.

    How Long Does it Take to Train Your Brain to Think Positive?

    For some people, it could take some time. It could especially be hard for those who have experienced something traumatic or depressing in their lives. But it could be possible as long as you work with your mind to reflect on things differently. For example, if you usually view your job as “just something that pays the bills” instead of something more meaningful, you may need to take some time to look at it differently. What did you do at your workplace today that made someone’s day better? How does your job title help others or make a difference in people’s lives? The more you reflect on questions like these, the more you’ll start to train your brain to think positively easier and quicker.

    What are 5 Ways to Practice Positive Thinking

    There are several ways we can try to practice positive thinking in our everyday lives. It isn’t always easy to practice these activities, but it’s possible because you can learn to take each practice day by day. If you want to learn how to live your life positively, try implementing one of these five activities at home, work, or school.

    Reframe your Negative Thoughts

    The most important thing you must do is to try reframing your thoughts the minute you get up to face another day. Reframing your brain involves patience and commitment. But it is worth it because you start to see yourself thinking differently about various situations. You can start doing this by first identifying when the negative thoughts occur, questioning the accuracy and validity of the negative thoughts by reflecting on the evidence supporting it or not, and finding alternative words to say to replace your negative ones. Doing this habit more often will help you develop a positive mindset.

    black woman smiling
    Reframe your thoughts to a more positive mindset

    Do Something Nice for Someone

    Another positive thinking activity involves doing something for someone in need. I have always shared this as a good way to feel better about yourself. But it’s also a good way to change your mindset. When you help someone, whether it’s taking your neighbor to the grocery store or tutoring a student with his schoolwork, you’ll start to have a more positive mindset. So reach out to someone you know who needs help and do something for them that makes them feel good.

    Surround Yourself Around Positive People

    Your friends could be a good reflection of you. So who you spend time with could have a big effect on your mindset. When you surround yourself with people who always complain or become upset, you’ll start to turn into them. Negative people usually weigh you down and can be discouraging. Spend time with people who are positive thinkers and bring out the best in you.

    Take a Pause Before Responding to Hard Situations

    When we find ourselves in a difficult situation, our instinct is to react to it right away. However, we don’t have to always do this. We can instead pause before responding to these situations to respond to them better. Doing this will help us to think rationally about a challenging situation and respond more positively

    Let Go of Things that Weigh Us Down

    As I mentioned earlier, if you have friends or people in your life who are always negative toward you, those types of people could weigh you down. It’s also important to get rid of other things that can weigh you down. This could be that couch you hate, that outfit you no longer could fit in, or the way your house is decorated. Be willing to let go of stuff that keeps you down. Don’t be so willing to hold onto things so tightly because all things do come to an end.

    Stop Negative Thoughts and Overthinking

    A lot of us are guilty of this sort of thing. I am guilty of it and that’s overthinking. We must stop the cycle of streaming negative thoughts inhibiting our minds and overthinking matters. It could be hard because our instinct is to always think negatively or overthink things. But if we follow the above 5 suggestions, we can be on our way to implementing positive thinking activities in our lives.

    Do you find yourself always thinking negatively or overthinking about every single thing? Do you try to implement positive thinking activities in your everyday life? Feel free to share those in the comments section below. As always, be sure to like or share this post with the next person you know who needs more positivity in their life.

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