Mental Health Challenges

We all have a limit. In my experience, we can be pushed to that limit emotionally when life’s challenges start to pile up (rather like bricks in Jenga) when issues or challenges pile up, one on top of the other.

Life is messy, cruel and unfair. Terrible things happen to lovely people, but when we don’t tackle our problems as they arrive and if we keep them secret, it can lead to feeling worse in the long run. Try talking about whatever is on your mind with someone you trust in confidence. When we prioritise our mental health all the time, then we potentially avert challenges in the long run.

Ensuring that we safeguard our mental health is as important as looking after our physical health. Whether we are dealing with stress, anxiety, depression or feeling tired and flat emotionally, there are strategies we can use to improve how we feel.

Some evidence-based approaches to help cope with difficult times are:

Practice Mindfulness: Mindfulness is the practice of focusing your attention on the present moment without judgment. It can help reduce stress and anxiety by increasing self-awareness and improving emotional regulation. Research has shown that mindfulness-based interventions can effectively treat a range of mental health issues, including anxiety, depression, and stress-related disorders (see Kabat-Zinn). I’m not sure we can ever silence our minds completely but we can give ourselves a focus like listening to the sounds around us, watching birds in the sky, noticing our breath and breathing and when a thought pops into our minds we can return our focus to our breath for example and how it feels as it enters our bodies. That’s a good starting point for developing mindfulness. we might take a mindful walk and admire the trees or colours around us and be mindful of what we are eating and how our food tastes. Some people find mindfulness in music – do whatever works best for you.
Regular Exercise: Exercise is not just good for physical health but it’s imperative for our mental health. Regular physical activity has been linked to improved mood, reduced stress and anxiety, and increased self-esteem. Studies have found that exercise can be an effective treatment for depression and can help prevent its recurrence
Sufficient Sleep: Sleep is essential for both physical and mental health. Lack of sleep can exacerbate symptoms of anxiety and depression and increase stress levels. It is recommended that adults get 7-8 hours of sleep per night to maintain optimal health and well-being.
Eat a Balanced Diet: What you eat can impact your mental health. A diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins can reduce the risk of depression and anxiety. Eat brightly coloured fruits and veg, nuts and all the things we know are healthy for us.
Connect with Others: Social connections are important for mental health and well-being. People who have strong social support systems are better able to cope with stress and are less likely to experience depression and anxiety (including in adolescence). Make time to connect with family and friends, and consider joining a support group or seeking professional counselling or psychotherapy if needed.
Challenge Negative Thoughts: Negative thoughts and negative self-talk can contribute to stress, anxiety, and depression. Cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) is a type of therapy that can help people identify and challenge their negative thoughts and beliefs and replace them with more positive or compassionate thoughts. CBT has been found to be effective in treating a range of mental health issues, including anxiety, depression, and stress-related disorders.
Practice Self-Care: Taking time for yourself and engaging in activities that bring you joy and relaxation can help reduce stress and improve mental health. Examples of self-care activities include taking a bath, making time to exercise, reading a book, or practicing yoga.

In conclusion, there are many evidence-based strategies that can help improve mental health and well-being. Practicing mindfulness, exercise regularly, getting enough sleep, eating a balanced diet, connecting with others, challenging negative thoughts, and practicing self-care are effective ways to cope with stress, anxiety, or depression and to improve your mood generally. If you are struggling with mental health issues, it is important to seek professional help from a qualified mental health professional.

Help is at hand – here are some mental health supports (27.02.2024)

Freephone 116 123, any time.
Email: jo@samaritans.ie
https://www.samaritans.org/ireland/samaritans-ireland/
https://www.textaboutit.ie/
Freephone 1800804848 10am to 10pm every day
https://www.aware.ie/
Freephone 1800247247 any time
https://www.allirelandsocialprescribing.ie/services-map
https://alone.ie/

www.carolinecrotty.ie

20 Tips for Anxiety

Top 20 Tips to Relieve Stress and Anxiety

Anxiety is as natural as breathing! Although we often view it as negative, anxiety is not all bad – it helps keep us motivated and focused, it changes our behaviour in a productive way i.e. look how anxiety gets us going when we are nearing an assignment or work deadline!

However, if you are wasting time thinking about worst case scenarios or catastrophising – here are 20 top-tips to help alleviate those anxious feelings:

Reduce caffeine. It’s found in energy drinks, chocolate, tea, and coffee. High caffeine intake is linked with raised anxiety levels.
Exercise that gets your blood pumping and increases your heart rate is perfect for alleviating anxiety.
Spending time with people who know and love you (just as you are) is comforting.
Avoid alcohol as it’s directly linked with feelings of anxiety and low mood and only provides a temporary distraction from anxious thoughts and feelings.
Learn how to slow down your breath. Breathing slowly into your tummy a few times every day when calm is a new skill you can develop for use when anxious.
Spend more time outdoors. Nature is therapeutic. Get sufficient sunlight every day.
Improve sleep. Numbers 1-6 will improve sleep. Don’t worry in bed, instead write down your difficulties and decide to tackle them during daylight hours. Go to bed and get up at the same time every day and avoid screens late at night.
Speak nicely to you. Anxiety is not to be feared. Remind yourself that you are okay. Think of the encouraging things someone else might say and say them to yourself.
Eat well and regularly i.e. fresh, brightly coloured, unprocessed foods. Reduce refined sugars.
Listen to a mindfulness meditation or calming music which have a direct impact on our brain. Take timeout every day just to be with you. Developing patience to sit still (and no 5) is beneficial for our bodies and our minds.
Do what makes you feel good and lifts your spirits e.g. gardening, baking, knitting, tinkering with the car etc. A practical distraction is calming.
Write down your worries. If they are inside your control, then act by setting mini-goals to tackle the issues.
Smell something wonderful like fresh flowers or coffee beans. Light an aromatherapy candle that was created with relaxation in mind (lavender). Smells and aromas help relax us.
Focus on what’s going right or things you’ve done well in the past. You’ve made it this far. Try to focus on the little things you get right during the day as they help to feed your self-esteem and perk-up your mood.
When you were young, did you “take a line for a walk”? It involves drawing circles or shapes on a page without lifting the pen from the paper. Then colour-in your work of art! Colouring can improve focus and reduce stress levels.
Write a ‘note of reassurance’ to yourself when you feel positive. Put it in your wallet. Read it when feeling panicky or afraid to remind you that you can get through difficult times.
Limit time on social media.
Develop gratitude (linked to no. 14). Be thankful for what you have, your family, friends, home, health, body, limbs, liberty etc. Write down three things every day that you appreciate or for which you are grateful.
Consider a talking therapy such as counselling. Chatting with someone who understands what you’re going through, in confidence, can improve your mood and help you regain control over worries. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) can also help you challenge negative or unhelpful thoughts.
Smile – a big eye-wrinkling smile! It is contagious and can perk-up your mood.

www.carolinecrotty.ie

Being good enough

The ‘mind bully’ is a regular part of life for most people. The mean-spirited, internal voice that criticises our physical appearance, flaws, conversation etc. The inner critic’s list is endless and is also fond of comparisons, comparing you to family members, friends or to people you don’t know who seem happy, successful, confident etc., particularly when you don’t feel particularly good about yourself. However, the people we compare ourselves to have issues and worries and their own internal critic just like us. Sometimes it can be really hard to feel that we are good enough.

We often have unrealistic expectations for ourselves. Successful relationships, owning property, career advancement, having children etc can be the focus of our inner critic. We may feel there is something wrong with us if we don’t hit our self-imposed targets. We lose sight of what we are getting right and of our daily successes. We forget that we are doing okay, that we are alright just the way we are, that we are good enough.

We are not perfect but there is no need to give ourselves a hard time. No one is perfect. We all make mistakes. We will achieve more if we accept that we are each unique with flaws and limitations and talents and gifts.

Feelings are not facts. Thoughts are not facts. Just because you feel or think something it does not make it true. Don’t be fooled by what you think or feel especially if you are prone to giving yourself a hard time.

Pay attention to how you talk to others when they are in trouble. What tone and words do you use? Do you ‘speak’ to yourself in the same way? If not, why not? You are worthy of gentle words and gestures particularly when you make a mistake or get something wrong.

When we least want to meet people, that’s when we most need them. Stay connected to help you get your thinking back on track.

Give yourself a pat on the back for each little success. Spot the good things that you do every day – like being up out of bed and dressed. Remind yourself you are doing okay. You have come this far despite all the obstacles.

When we accept ourselves as we are right now, it helps us feel content. Appreciate the life you have, it may not be perfect or as you had planned but it is your life. You have talents that the next person doesn’t have.

Acknowledge where you are and what you have achieved. Don’t give yourself a hard time about what you don’t have. Acknowledge the progress and sacrifices that you’ve made to come this far.

Focus on progress rather than perfection. You have come a long way.

Being mean won’t make you feel good. Praise, kindness and gentleness work far better. You are good enough. You’re not perfect and it is okay not to be.

www.carolinecrotty.ie

How to Be Happy II

How to be Happy Part 2

In my experience, happiness has more to do with what goes on in our minds than our circumstances (it’s not what happens, it’s how we react that’s important).

Because the longest relationship you will ever have is with yourself, make it a happy one. Don’t think because someone has a huge house, is glamorous or prominent that they are happy! Happiness is different from success. Happiness comes from within and relates to what goes on in our brains rather than our bank accounts!

Happy people work at being happy. They make time to do things that help them feel good. Once you’ve decided you are going to make happiness a priority, sit down and set yourself achievable happiness goals:

Develop daily gratitude. We have much to be thankful for. If you want to be happy focus on what you have not on what you don’t have.

Movement is vital. Stretch before you get out of bed and stretch tense muscles. Walk around your home more often. Keep moving.

Comparisons never work. Stop comparing yourself to people you know or people on line.

Be solutions-focused. If you have a problem – ask yourself, “what can I do about this right now”? Also ask yourself what advice would you give someone else and then take your own advice.

Dance. In the kitchen or go out to dances. It’s easy exercise.

Take your time. Stop rushing. Admire the scenery. Daydream. Look at the clouds. Slowing everything down for a few minutes every day helps your overall sense of wellbeing.

Reduce the time you spend on technology. Be present for friends and family (never use your mobile in the presence of others).

Play to your strengths. Do things that make you feel happy. If you’re good at gardening, brilliant. Get out into the garden and plant veg or flowers or do some weeding. If you are not good at gardening, brilliant. Do something else that you are good at.

Allow the sun to bathe your skin. What sun you ask? Get outside every day and show your skin to the sun for 10 mins. Sunlight aids happiness (and sleep!)

Singing regulates our breathing and it is hard to take yourself too seriously while you are singing (and it doesn’t matter if you sound like a crow – just sing!)

Kindness is a universal language. When you are kind to others you feel happy but remember to be kind to you.

Feed your senses (sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch).

Breathe slowly in and out for a few minutes every day.

Act the eegit. Laugh. Play. Even when we have lots of responsibilities, make time for fun.

Hugs are healing. Hug someone or have a massage.

Do not cultivate negative thoughts, over-analyse, try to mind-read or predict the future.

Concentrate on the present– the only moment over which you have control!

&nb