Category: Mental-Emotional Wellness

 

Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.

But what happens when the job you chose is taking its toll on you? Instead of bringing out the best in you, it is the stressor that bears you down. Read on….

Understanding Depression

Depression is always knocking at our doors in many forms. Last year, WHO (2017) mentioned that the typical leading cause of poor health and disability is depression. Health records revealed that between 2005 and 2015, almost 18% increase in the incidence rate was reported or over 300 million people all over the world were experiencing the signs and symptoms of depression.

A leading expert in depression studies presented the many causes of psychological imbalance. This includes different types of environmental factors, including stress, relational problems, problems in school and work, and having a chronic medical illness. Recently, newer studies have expanded on examining the workplace as a contributing factor for one to become depressed. Psychologists posit that when a person starts to work, the time he spent working is much higher than other things he does. As such, terms like “workaholic” or “work slave” became a mainstream lingo for individuals who are preoccupied with work.

Dr. Igor Galynker (2017) mentioned acute stress in the workplace can activate the stress response in a right way and serves as a drive to boost performance; however, chronic stress or continuously exposed to stressful situations can trigger emotional problems, one of which is depression. The factors that were identified to cause distress in the workplace are the following: job insecurity, feeling like you have no control, irregular work hours and poor sleep, work-life interference, workplace discrimination and harassment, and values that don’t align with the person.

Jobs That Are More Prone To Depression

 

The following occupations or job positions have presented a much higher risk of causing depression:

Personal Caregivers. Taking care of sick people and assisting them all throughout the day can be exhausting, yet rewarding. The caregiver unconsciously integrates within himself all the activities that he does for the person such as bathing, eating, or even giving of medications. The longer the caregiver renders services to the patient, the more he becomes attached and connected. The sad fact is when the patient continues to deteriorate and eventually dies. This is when the caregiver can experience some form of depression.

Food service crew. Some experts believe that customers’ demands or complaints are just tip of the iceberg to make this occupation as a risk for depression. The job demands physical exertion that by the end of the day, the person is exhausted and frequently underappreciated. Aside from this, they have a lower salary that does not match the services that they give.

Social workers. Here is another occupation where transference of feelings and emotions is the main reason why they get depressed. Every day, social workers work with troubled family and family members, battling with emotional, financial, and relationship problems. At times, the issues can become similar to what the social worker has experienced before or currently undergoing and this is when they associate the same saddened feelings with their clients.

Healthcare workers. Nurses, doctors, and other medical professionals that are in constant communication with the patient and their families have long been considered an occupational hazard to some physical and psychological problems. Facing sickness and death every day is too much for a person to handle.

Writers, artists, and entertainers. Fraught writers, artists, and entertainers often have irregular salaries and at times live in isolation. On the other hand, becoming famous can also lead to depressive states due to lack of personal time and privacy, too much work hours, exposure and use of illicit drugs and alcohol, and relationship problems. According to psychiatrist Alan Manevitz, MD , one of the reasons why writers are more inclined to depression is because “For one, being familiar with misery, pain, and suffering may guide the process for some writers. Yes, writers can write about suffering even if they don’t know it intimately, but some may feel that their work will lack authenticity if they haven’t experienced the same trials and tribulations as their characters on some level.”

 

And according to Susan Biali Haas M.D. , the reason why artists and other creative beings are prone to depression is because “Luckily, though creatives experience higher rates of mood disorders than the general population, the extremes of highs and lows tend to be brief, balanced by long periods of normal affect, or euthymia. During these respite periods, creatives frequently reflect upon and draw from memories and experiences of their darker times to create their best art.”

Then again, we need to consider that no single factor can cause depression. It does not highly suggest that if you become a nurse, you will end up with depression. There should also be a balance between work and life activities to ensure that you are still in control of your sanity. Work should not be a hindrance to achieving one’s purpose. The right attitude should be – we work to experience life and not live to work. According to Elizabeth R. Lombardo, PhD, MS, PT “Mental pain and suffering at work is not a small problem, though, and it does not just impact the individual. According to research released by Miller’s organization in May 2013, depression is a leading cause of lost productivity in the United States, costing employers $44 billion annually.”

 

Psychologists point to holistic wellness as an aspiration every person should try to achieve. In this stressful world, one must strike a balance between physical health and mental health to function properly as a human being.

More importantly, one should take into consideration other aspects of holistic wellness as enumerated in the six dimensions of wellness. Know more about the different dimensions of wellness as seen below.

Physical Wellness

One of the basics of achieving wellness, according to a mental wellness counseling expert is to take good care of your body. Physical wellness is on top of the list because, to function well as a person, you must eat right and do some physical activities.

Physical wellness also means listening to what your body needs. It means having enough sleep regularly. For most adults, adequate sleep translates to about 7-8 hours each night.

To comply with your daily physical activity requirement, you can try to start by alternating brisk walking and jogging around your neighborhood for about five minutes every day. “[Exercising and eating well] provide nearly instant benefits, helping the body and the mind to manage most any difficulties, including anxiety and depression,” says John Duffy, PsyD. After a week, consult your physician if you can escalate your physical activity to more strenuous exercises.

According to John M. Grohol, Psy.D “Keeping physically fit means keeping mentally fit as well. That means finding healthy ways to deal with what psychologists would typically call “negative emotions” — such as anger, aggression, aggravation, fear, etc. — and reinforcing the positive emotions and behaviors in our life.”

Social Wellness

Source: pixabay.com

Human beings are inherently social creatures. Each person needs to connect to other people, to be understood by peers, and to belong to a particular social circle. To achieve emotional wellbeing, you must not discount the importance of maintaining deep connections to your social circle, specifically your friends and family members. You must be able to develop your support system, which will act as your emotional anchor in times of need and can be a part of treating mental health issues.

Occupational Wellness

Source: pixabay.com

Occupational wellness is experiencing enjoyment in doing your work. The work that you do has a positive correlation to your overall wellbeing.

Conversely, a lot of people get uninspired in life because of their work. These are the people who drag themselves to work every day, going through the motions as if they are corporate zombies. As a result, these people may tend to have a cynical worldview because they are unhappy with the current state of their work lives. They may have the financial means to buy what they want but are unhappy with what they are doing daily.

If you are one of these people having issues and struggling with your work, there is still hope. You too can achieve occupational wellness through first assessing your current set of abilities and interests. From there, you can find a balance and select the best job that suits you more.

There’s a saying that if you like doing something, you will never have to work another day in your life. You will feel fulfilled and excited to go to work every day. “Given identity is tied to work, being recognized and appreciated makes employees feel valued and boosts sense of self and self-esteem, which is protective in terms of depression and anxiety,” according to Psychiatrist Dr. Gail Saltz.

Intellectual Wellness

To be a well-rounded individual, you should also take the time to hone your intellect. Achieving mental wellness means engaging in activities that add to your knowledge. In doing these activities, you are also sharpening your critical thinking skills, creative thinking, and problem-solving skills. You will also be able to contribute to the greater good of the community by sharing your newly acquired knowledge and skills to other people.

Environmental Wellness

Source: pixabay.com

We are all creatures of the Earth. As such, we are taking good care of the environment also plays a significant role in one’s overall wellness. For example, taking nature hikes on a hiking trail in the mountainside does wonder for emotionally drained people.

On the other hand, living in cramped and polluted urban dwellings have adverse effects on one’s health. You suddenly become prone to asthma attacks and autoimmune diseases that come out of nowhere. Thus, we must take care of the environment for it to be able to take care of us as well — the air that we breathe, the water that we drink, and the food that we eat. We can only rely on science so much. We sincerely rely on Mother Earth to survive.

Emotional Wellness

To achieve emotional wellness, you must recognize that your feelings are your friends. You may have to struggle to understand what you are feeling at specific points, but it is all part of the process. Emotional wellbeing means having to come to terms with your emotions and not riding an emotional rollercoaster every time. You can also take care of yourself through pampering, traveling, or having a massage.

In summary, balancing the six dimensions of wellness is no easy feat. However, it is necessary to live a balanced life. We only live once and to make it the best, we should give our best effort to make it so.

 

Source: flickr.com

There is so much more to mental health than just being a diagnosis. It’s about your complete well-being – your overall physical, emotional, and mental health. It’s how you feel about you and others. It’s your ability to handle your emotions and daily challenges. Sometimes, caring for your mental health may mean seeking out professional help, it may also mean finding ways to become better on your own. Shifting negative habits to positive ones can definitely build strength, improve your mood, and provide more happiness and enjoyment in life. Continue reading Improving Your Emotional And Mental Health Today

Overthinking about everything from your family, kids and work can lead you to feel stress. These can progress to anxiety, confusion, annoyance and disturbance to your mind and body that will make you less productive. Stress is said to be a silent killer, that can lead to other body complications which need to be addressed right away. But you do not have to worry for there are ways to lower your stress, (also with the help of an online therapist) and here is how to do it.

Continue reading How To Calm Your Mind And Lower Your Stress

Having a broken or shattered heart is one of the saddest things that can ever happen in your life. It hurts a lot to force yourself into letting go of someone you truly love, especially if you have been together for a long time already. “In other words, love is addictive and heartbreak causes us to go through powerful withdrawal,” says psychologist Guy Winch. The complication can become bigger if your friends and family members come into the scene. These are the ones who will give you unsolicited advice, to the point that you will become more confused than ever.

 

 

When you are at this point in your life where everything seems to hurt a lot, the best r ideal thing that you can do is to decide to keep going. Do not let anyone or anything prevent you from achieving ultimate happiness because you truly deserve it. Below are some of the tips and tricks that can help you get past from a broken relationship. You need to become familiarized with this list:

 

Accept The Break-Up

 

Remember that things happen for a reason, which is why you need to learn the art of acceptance. All you have to do is to remind yourself that the break up happened for a reason. Never blame yourself for how the relationship ended. Instead, accept that you and your ex have finally come to an end. It can hurt, but the moment you start to accept the reality, you will slowly become free from the chains of pain and suffering.

 

Talk To A Friend

 

Do not hesitate to open up to a friend who can help you get a better appreciation of what is going on in your life right now. This same individual can help you to release the emotions and feelings that are kept hidden inside you. All you have to do is to find a trustworthy friend who will never get tired of listening to what you have to say or comforting you through the difficult times.

 

 

Get A Closure

 

While it is only normal to dislike or hate your former lover, you have no choice but to meet up with him again so that you can get closure. At this point, it is crucial to mention that this tip is only necessary if you were not able to talk during the separation. Keep in mind that getting the said closure can set you free. You will be amazed at how a simple conversation can help in your moving on process.

 

Be Socially Active

 

Dedicate yourself into doing something that can spark joy in your life. As much as possible, make an effort to find out about the latest happenings in your community. Is there an upcoming workshop or seminar? Is an annual event about to take place in your area? If yes, then do not hesitate to sign up for these conferences. It is a good way to update your skills in the industry. At the same time, it can also be an interesting method of meeting new people. According to Nathan Feiles, LCSW  “Push yourself to interact with people and prevent a pattern of loneliness and depression.”

 

Keep Yourself Busy

 

Another thing that you must always remember is to shift your attention into things, people and circumstances that can make you feel preoccupied. Sometimes, you need to become a busy individual so that you can start to forget about the breakup with your ex. Dedicate your time in finding activities that can make you feel that you are too busy to deal with certain issues. As of Loren Soeiro, Ph.D. ABPP , “You’ll need to fill your schedule so you don’t end up spending too much time alone. But it’s also worthwhile to create new memories, which take up more mental space than falling back on your old routine. These new memories can broaden the psychological distance between you and your ex.”

 

Retail Therapy

 

Sometimes, all that you have to do is to enjoy a worry-free shopping day to get over an ex. You can go to your favorite mall to get things that can cheer you up for that moment. However, you need to understand that retail therapy is not a guaranteed way of resolving your issues with the breakup or separation. Make sure to stay on budget at all times when you do retail therapy.

 

 

Go Out There

 

Do not be afraid to make yourself available once again. Let other people know that you are already single by attending events or going to parties. Introduce yourself to people who are interested in you so that you can give yourself another chance to love again. However, this does not mean that you will just enter into a new relationship without thinking clearly. Making yourself available and entering into a committed union are two different things.

 

Conclusion

 

Just because your heart is aching right now does not mean that you can already do anything you want. Keep in mind that you need to be more careful in your entering a new relationship in the future. Always prioritize yourself at all times so that you can get the right amount of energy to start anew. What is essential on your part is to continue the battle in the quest for true love. Remember that your time will come, which is why you must not become worried if you are single today. Be careful what you wish for.

 

Everything in the world has its specific energy, and part of the things’ natural environment is its effect on an individual’s way of thinking. So in an attempt to change the way how you see things, there’s a need for cognitive restructuring. Meaning, the brain should follow a process of reevaluation to differentiate rational and irrational beliefs. That’s how understanding thoughts getting mixed up with emotion is part of the process of cognitive reform. So to be able to get the healthiest emotions, you need to understand how the below factors work.

Utilizing A Positive Attitude – Always staying positive is quite impossible to sustain. However, using an outlet can provide a solution, especially if you can spot the signs early. By finding genuine about everything wrong, the stimulation of the brain chemicals goes up. Therefore, it creates a higher chance of positive buildup on different occasions. Another advantage of utilizing a positive attitude is the power to attract useful energy. It keeps the mind focus, available, and healthy.  It also saves the well-being of pressure and stress.

Identify Key Triggers Of Stress – The best chance of achieving emotional wellness is by identifying the stressing points in your life and doing something about it. Sometimes, not all things require an immediate resolution, so learn to manage what fundamentally matters to you. From there, find a definite step-by-step way of dealing with things. Do not allow pressure and other factors intercept with your motivations and goals. According to Ben Martin, Psy.D., “Your cognitive reaction to a situation plays a role in determining how stressful a situation is to you. This reaction is characterized by your appraisal of the nature, importance and implications of the event, and by your ability to effectively manage or cope with the event.”

Seeking Emotional Support – One essential key to happiness is the thought of having a few honest and close relationships. An individual doesn’t need too many people around him and can live with only a few. Therefore, there’s no need to tie one’s self to external events that don’t guarantee emotional development. Instead, focus on people that matter. Allow them to contribute not only on your emotional strength but also in mental and behavioral aspects as well.

Expressing The Emotions – Every people’s emotions are entirely different. Though sometimes, some of it can be the same as yours. However, the passion for expressing what you like and what you want to do will become the basis of your emotional expression. Be open with your feelings as much as possible. Allow yourself to also experience negative emotions such as anger, agitation, humiliation, sadness, and pain. Never fight it and learn to use it for good intentions instead. “When you feel safe enough to let your guard down, whether that’s alone or with someone you trust, you can focus on the situation, fully experience the feelings and may then be able to better understand why it hurts and what you want to do about the situation,” says Ryan Howes, Ph.D.

Accepting And Learning From Mistakes – The awareness of the changes in your behavior, health, approach, and decisions is a sign that you are admitting your mistakes. By that, you can try shifting the directions of your way of thinking. Instead of ignoring the wrong things you’ve done, learn from it and create something out of it. Everybody makes mistakes, and you are not exempted from that. You’re human after all so don’t you dare blame yourself. “Mistakes unnerve us. We don’t want to let people down. We don’t want others to feel upset or get mad at us” says Jennifer Thomas, Ph.D.

Emotional wellness requires an awareness of thoughts and feelings. You can’t achieve it by just focusing on doing the same thing over and over again. Its development depends on your emotional and mental capabilities too.

Panic attacks are called as such for a reason. These attacks happen when you least expect them. They usually occur when a triggering factor is activated.  “Living with anxiety is exhausting. You can easily feel hopeless and helpless, believing there’s nothing you can do.” says John M. Grohol, Psy.D. Unfortunately, there is no fast and easy way to prevent the occurrence of these attacks. However, there are tons of effective methods on how you can be smart in handling the adverse effects of panic disorder.

 

Continue reading A Quick Guide: How To Cope With Panic Attacks