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

  • How to Reduce Anxiety During these Troublesome times

    Last week, I discussed how we could still show love despite the fact we’re social distancing.  This week, I’m going to shed light on reducing our anxiety during this pandemic era.  Many people have become on edge because of the rising amounts of people either being infected or dying from this illness.  Worse enough, there are people walking around possibly infected with this condition and don’t even realize it.  Like most people, you may ask, what is the best way to reduce our anxiety during such an anxious time?  What are the best effective ways to calm ourselves down?  Here are four good ways that come to mind.

    Remain Calm

    This may be what everyone is telling you, but it’s important.  If you don’t remain calm, you will lose yourself mentally.  Sometimes, set aside some time to take some deep breaths and relax.  Thinking positively could really help.  Being calm at a time like this is good for your heart, too.  It benefits the body as a whole.

    Consider taking up a hobby

    We can reduce the anxiety of staying at home by starting on a home project.

    Legal authorities are admonishing people to stay home during this contagion outbreak. Most people find that sort of thing hard to do. How about breaking this cycle of boredom by taking up a hobby? Some people have been using all this time at home to learn a new craft, study a new skill or start on a new project. Whatever it is that you’ve been trying to learn, now is a great time to dive into that.

    Help others in need

    Just like was brought out in my last post, we all could still reach out to one another in another way.  But the people who really need our assistance are the elderly and sickly ones.  Strive to check on people who are house-bound due to pre-existing conditions.  Do some grocery shopping for them.  Making sure other people are staying safe is a great way to reduce stress during these troublesome times.

    Just pray!

    Last, but not least, just stop, think and pray!  You have to set aside some time to do that.  Pouring our heart out to God will certainly put your mind and heart at ease.  We as humans don’t do this enough and at this time, we especially need to start.  So throw all your anxiety and burden on Jehovah and he himself will sustain you. There is no doubt that we are in stressful times now.  But by following these tips, we can all put our heads together and endure through this pandemic. 

    Need some more words of encouragement?  Check out my checklist, “5 Words of Encouragement for those Dealing with a Chronic Illness.”  As always, feel free to share, like or leave a comment below.   

  • Finding the Right Words for our Grieving Ones

    Losing someone in death is a painful blow to anyone.   I still think about my late father from time to time every day.  But there is comfort out there for those who lost a loved one to mankind’s greatest enemy, death.  I came across an interesting article in the Sun-Times about finding the right words to console our grieving ones.  Here are some interesting points from that article that stood out to me.

    Don’t say to people, “There are no words”

    It’s understandable to be at a loss of words when trying to comfort a grieving one.  But the article brings up that you shouldn’t say or write, “There are no words.”  Strive to literally find the right words to say or write to that person.  Find inspiration from others in sharing encouraging words.  If you’re not much of a wordsmith, simply letting people know you are thinking of them is sufficed.

    Be a source of comforting words to a person grieving.

    Being a good listener is everything

    Sometimes it means a lot to someone to just be a good listener.  There’s no need to talk more than the bereaved person.  When people are grieving, they need someone who is empathetic and there for them.  Being a good listening ear to someone will make them want to confide more in you.

    Avoid these following expressions

    The article also shared some good points about certain expressions to avoid when comforting someone:

    • It was God’s will.
    • But he lived a long life!
    • She’s in a better place.

    Some of us may not use these expressions.  However most people do and this is why these common expressions need to be put away.

    Finding the right words to comfort our grieving friends isn’t always easy.  But if we do our best in becoming attentive and sensitive in our use of words, we will prove to be a good source of comfort for them.  Be sure to check out the article, “The Art of Consolation” from the Chicago Tribune website at www.chicagotribune.com.  As always, feel free to leave a comment about this article.   

  • The Health Benefits of having a Pet

    There are pros and cons to taking care of a pet.  But did you ever think that they may be able to reduce stress in your life?  So if you like animals, here are four reasons why you might want to buy yourself a cat or dog.

    They can reduce loneliness

         When you come home from a stressful day at work, sometimes it could get lonely being there by yourself.  Having a pet around can ease that bit of loneliness.  Research shows that having a cat or a dog can reduce loneliness and depression, which are caused by stress.  Animals provide valuable companionship for someone going through these problems.

    Dogs are great at keeping you active.

    They could possibly lower your blood pressure

         Research even shows that people with pets have lower blood pressure in stressful situations than those without pets.  There was even one study that found when people with borderline hypertension adopted dogs from a shelter, their blood pressure declined significantly within five months.

    They could help you make lifestyle changes

         The beautiful thing about having a pet is that they help you make healthy changes in your life.  A dog is especially a good example of this.  Because you have to usually walk them, they could motivate you to exercise more.  Dogs are great in helping you stay active.     

    So while they have their positives and negatives, having a pet around could make some of your days a little brighter.  For more information on the health benefits of having a pet, check out the article, “The Mood-Boosting Power of Pets” on www.helpguide.org.  As always, feel free to leave a comment at the bottom of the article.  

  • How to make this year a little less stressful for you

    A new year has come upon us.  Most people I know would like this year of 2020 to be, at least, less stressful.  Wouldn’t we all like that for ourselves?  Yes, we would and here are four ways we could make this year our least stressful one yet.

    Relax more this year 

    If last year was all work and no play for you, make this year in your life a time for relaxation.  Spend more time with your friends and family.  Start planning trips with your loved ones to places you haven’t been to before.  This is a great way to draw closer to them and unwind from the day-to-day stress of life.

    Take care of you first 

    It’s very important to care for our sick or in need loved ones.  But if we don’t take care of ourselves first, we won’t be able to take care of others.  Sometimes take time in your life to just breathe.  Go out to a local gym.  Treat yourself to a dinner and a movie.  Do things that make you happy.  It’s vital to take care of you first so that you could be in a better position to help others.

    Start a stress-relieving hobby 

    If you don’t have one already, consider starting a hobby.  We all have a talent somewhere in us.  Whether it is cooking, sewing, or writing, these are all considered stress-relieving hobbies.  By engaging in this hobby in your spare time, you will be escaping from some of life’s biggest stressful times.

    Bicycling is a good stress-relieving hobby to start this year

    Take the time to enjoy life 

    Sometimes, you have to pause and reflect.  Take a few moments in your life to appreciate the little things.  Go out and take a jog.  Visit a park and takes some pictures of all the nature around you.  Take a moment to go outside and smell the roses of life.

         Those are just some of the ways you can make this year a little less stressful one.  What are your plans for a less stressful year? Feel free to share in the comments section. 

  • Four keys to staying physically and mentally fit this winter

    During this busy winter season, many people are always on the go.  However, being too busy could sometimes be a bad thing.  This could cause them to neglect the health of their bodies and minds.  How do you make sure that your full self is in good shape this season?  Here are four keys to staying physically fit from head to toe.

    Exercising is very important in staying fit during the winter
    • Develop an exercise routine- For most of us, this isn’t exactly easy.  It becomes even harder in the winter time.  But it takes a lot of discipline to keep it as a routine.  Try walking or jogging to places instead of driving all the time.  If you can’t afford a gym membership, buy an exercise ball, play some YouTube videos and start getting into shape.
    • Maintain a balanced diet- During the wintertime, it’s very easy to succumb to eating whatever we want.  But you have to be balanced in the foods that you eat.  Develop the will power to not go for a second plate of food.  Some people keep track of what they’re putting in their mouth by keeping a food diary.
    • Keep a journal- Now that we covered staying physically fit, it’s also important to stay mentally fit as well.  One of the ways to do this is to keep a writing journal.  By writing in that journal, what you do everyday or your deepest thoughts, you are releasing a huge weight off your shoulders.  A lot of people think keeping a private journal or diary is cathartic in opening up about their emotions.
    • Surround yourself around family and friends- When you have good family and friends who love and care about you, it really puts your mind at ease.  Sometimes you need their support and encouragement to help you get through rough times.  When you have something heavy on your mind, don’t be afraid to confide in someone you know and love for encouragement.

         Staying fit during this winter season does take work.  But it can be accomplished by staying disciplined in the foods we eat, exercising consistently, keep a writing journal and lean on others for support.  For another post about staying fit during the winter season, check out my post about Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).

  • “Get over yourself”-Words to avoid around people with mental health problems

    Many people across America are experiencing some sort of mental health disease.  Sometimes the things we say around them could make a big emotional impact.  People dealing with any mental health are fragile human beings.  If we don’t watch our words, it may have a lasting effect on them.  What are some examples of things we must avoid saying?  Here are a few good examples.

         How about we start with the first common saying, “Get over yourself”?  It doesn’t sound right to tell a person who is going through depression or a nervous breakdown this sort of thing.  By saying this, we are implying that this person is just acting and don’t really have an illness.

         Another phrase not to use is “Stop looking for attention.”  I’ve heard of some people accuse a person with a mental disease of doing this sort of thing.  This will definitely be a wrong way to seek some sort of attention.  So don’t think a person is acting mentally sick so that more people could pay attention to him.

         Another one I’ve heard of is “It sounds like you are going crazy.”  You don’t want to call a person experiencing a mental disease “crazy.”  It is considered very cruel.  People dealing with any sort of mental condition are sick, but not out of their mind.  We must treat them like any other sick person.     

    I’ve heard of these sayings and other common words on another infographic from the one you see in this article.  It’s very interesting to look at.  For more information on this infographic, visit https://believeperform.com/product/what-not-to-say-to-someone-experiencing-a-mental-health-problem/#.  Do yourself a favor and watch your words.  

  • “Rotten Words is like Rotten food” – Why building up one another is healthy

    In this difficult world today, many women are going through so much stress.  Because of this, we need some up building encouragement from one another.  However, us being the imperfect people that we are, we could have a tendency to do the opposite.  How could we as women continue to build one another up?  Here are four reasons we must take action in doing this.

    We all need some encouragement in our lives

         Rotten words are like rotten fruit.  This means what we say to each other could make an impact on our relationships.  It’s vital that we watch what we say and how we say it.  If our daily conversations are always contentious, we are going to have negative relationships.  We must try to support one other better in getting a new job, financing a new car or any other new endeavors we are tackling.  It all starts with our words.

         Upbuilding one another also takes humility.  We have to be more than sympathetic.  We must be empathetic toward one another.  Try putting ourselves in their positions.  Understanding what the person is going through will prevent us from thinking of ourselves consistently.  Sometimes everything in life doesn’t revolve around you.

         Building one another up takes maturity within ourselves.  We must take the initiative to come up to a person and say encouraging words to them when they are feeling down.  While this is something we all must discipline ourselves in doing, we as women need to work on this as well.  Sometimes it’s not easy to initiate encouragement because we may not know the right words to say.  But if we pray to Jehovah for this, he will give us the right words to say.

         Most importantly, building each other up is healthy in maintaining strong relationships.  If we continue to bring each other down, this will lead to emotionally unstable relationships.  By encouraging each other, our relationships will continue to thrive against negativity.  It takes effort on our part to fight against this.

         One last thing to add is that you can’t build someone up without incorporating love in it.  Love should be the foundation in expressing encouragement.  We can’t encourage each other without it.  That’s why it’s vital we let it be the inspiration behind building each other up.  Remember rotten words are like rotten fruit.  We wouldn’t eat rotten fruit, would we? So don’t consume rotten words in your vocabulary.         

  • Music – The Brain Booster for those battling dementia

    Before her dementia diagnosis, my aunt was definitely a lover of music.  She would love to sing her favorite songs growing up or attend concerts of her favorite artists.  Because of this, that’s why we as a family always try to engage her with music.  Doing this is very important for anyone you know battling dementia or Alzheimer’s.  What are some of the ways music is so important for people going through this condition?  I recently read an article about this and here are some ways that stand out.

    Music is another aid in helping those battling Alzheimer’s or dementia

         Music has always been known as the stress reliever.  There’s no doubt about that.  It’s also reduces anxiety and depression.  Where will we be without it in our lives?  Probably filled with stress and anxiety.  That’s why it’s so important we utilize it, front and center, in our sick loved ones life. 

         Research shows that musical memories are often preserved in Alzheimer’s disease because key brain areas linked to musical memory are relatively undamaged by the disease.  So if you want to see flashes of your loved one’s old personality, let the music play.  Little by little, you’ll see them come out of their shell.

         It’s also beneficial for those with dementia having a hard time engaging in conversation with you.  This condition has definitely had that effect on my aunt.  That’s why music is so important in encouraging her to communicate more.

         Another important thing to know is to be selective in the types of music you play around them.  If your loved one likes certain songs by certain artists, play those songs more often around them.   For example, because my aunt has her favorite female singers, my mom would sometimes play their music to get her to react emotionally.      While it’s not the cure-all to everything, music does help in reducing stress and booting up the brain of a dementia patient.  For more information on how you could utilize music to help someone dealing with this condition, check out the article I mentioned earlier, “Could music help someone with Alzheimer’s?” at www.mayoclinic.org.

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