Category Archives: Uncategorized

Guess What? There are Health Benefits to Cursing

The other day, I caught my finger as I closed the top of my Nespresso machine to make a cup of coffee. Spontaneously and without thought, I shouted out several curse words. I was shocked that I caught my finger, and it hurt. I felt like a clumsy fool for being so clumsy and called myself an idiot. Then I smiled and felt a lot better.

Recently, a female psychotherapy client sat in front of me very abashed. When I asked why she looked upset, she hesitatingly described a painful procedure at the Doctor’s office. She let out a curse word when the procedure became excruciatingly painful. She blushed and felt ashamed of herself. Both Doctor and nurse assured her they were accustomed to patients cursing when undergoing the procedure.

When we are the smallest of children, most of us learn from our parents that curse words are wrong and we must never use them. These teachings are correct. All of us know it is socially inappropriate to express ourselves in ways considered being insulting and in bad taste. 

Recent research informs us that there are exceptions to the rules regarding swear words. A recent article put it this way:

Using swear words can have a wide range of positive effects on your well-being, including pain relief and helping you cope with emotionally challenging situations. 

  • Studies show cursing during a physically painful event can help us better tolerate the pain.
  • Experts say using curse words can also help us build emotional resilience and cope with situations in which we feel that we have no control.
  • Swearing can also provide a range of other benefits, including creative expression, relationship development, or allowing different identities to harmonize by signaling that you feel relaxed around the other person.

We’ve all had plenty of reasons to want to shout the “f word” during the last two years. Living in a pandemic has given us all cause to express our frustrations, whether from the ongoing confusing restrictions to the fear of what may happen if you contract the coronavirus.

It is essential the keep in mind some caveats about cursing. The same research shows the benefits of swearing did not occur in people who admitted to daily swearing as part of their lifestyle. 

Every rule has exceptions. In this context, cursing among friends, especially men, is a way to express warmth, acceptance, and closeness.

Used appropriately and responsibly, outbursts of cursing, cussing, and swearing are an excellent way to handle the complexity of being human in a world that is not under our control.

Swearing can liberate when feeling bottled up with frustration. Curse words can have a calming effect on the complex emotions we are experiencing.

What is Love

What Is Love?

“Love is friendship that has caught fire. It is quiet understanding, mutual confidence, sharing, and forgiving. Through good and bad times, it is loyalty. It settles for less than perfection and makes allowances for human weaknesses.” Ann Landers.

“Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same.” Emily Bronte.

“Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies.” Aristotle.

Webster Dictionary Definition of Love:

1. strong affection for another arising out of kinship or personal ties. Maternal love for a child.

2. attraction based on sexual desire: affection and tenderness felt by lovers after all these years are still very much in love.

3. affection based on admiration, benevolence, or common interests love for his old schoolmates

4 .warm attachment, enthusiasm, or love of the sea.

Love:  

After several years of marriage, we take our spouses for granted.

I recently had a case of a married couple who had been together for 18 years. The husband, an amiable and sensitive man, forgot to send his wife some kind of gift for Valentine’s day. She felt hurt and disappointed. We discussed it in couples’ therapy. Clearly, he had no intention of hurting his beloved wife. While he intended to send her a gift, he forgot as he played video games with friends on the Internet. She was very hurt. As his therapist, I joked with him he had better have a good life insurance policy because she retaliated in a deadly way. 

He understood the joke and felt terrible about overlooking the import of expressing his affection, especially on Valentine’s day. 

We take a lot of things for granted, both husbands and wives. Yet, it is essential to express affection and love for our romantic partner. It’s just a reminder that we care. And it means a lot to our spouses. 

There are many ways for couples to express their love for one another. For example, ordering flowers, sending a loving card, cooking dinner for that evening, possibly ending in a sexual episode of lovemaking. These things mean a lot to people. There is more to love and romance and simply sex. People want to know that their partner is highly valued and appreciated. 

Love is a set of emotions and behaviors characterized by intimacy, passion, and commitment. It involves care, closeness, protectiveness, attraction, affection, and trust. Love can vary in intensity and can change. It is associated with a range of positive emotions, including happiness, excitement, life satisfaction, and euphoria. Still, it can also result in negative emotions such as jealousy and stress.1

It is said by many that love is one of the most important human emotions. Yet, despite being one of the most studied behaviors, it is still the least understood. 

Types of Love

Not all forms of love are the same, and psychologists have identified several types of love that people may experience.

These types of love include:

Friendship: This type of love involves liking someone and sharing a certain intimacy.

Infatuation: This is a love that involves feelings of attraction without a sense of commitment; it usually takes place early in a relationship and may deepen into more lasting love.

Passionate love: This type of love is marked by feelings of longing and attraction; it often involves an idealization of the other person and a need to maintain constant physical closeness.

Compassionate love: This form of love is marked by trust, affection, intimacy, and commitment.

Unrequited love: This form of love happens when one loves another who does not return those feelings.

A Serious Sexual Problem for Couples: The Problem of Premature Ejaculation

There is a lot for doctors to learn about what causes premature ejaculation. However, many theories range from psychological to biological. For example, some suspect that PE may have something to do with serotonin in the brain. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter or a brain chemical that has a lot to do with feelings of pleasure. Therefore, if there is an over or undersupply of serotonin, it could be a causal factor in PE.

On the other hand, it’s thought that, for some men, premature ejaculation may have been somehow learned or conditioned into becoming a problem. For example, the theory goes that if a boy was masturbating and was doing it very fast so as not to get caught, his quickness might have caused PE. However, there is no evidence to support that theory or that it is a learned behavior. 

Another possibility is that depression or anxiety may be a causal factor, but little evidence supports that theory.

Whatever the causes, at least one out of five men experience this sexual dysfunction. It can happen to anyone at any age in life. But, contrary to popular belief, older men can experience this problem as much as younger men.

In terms of treatment, there are several approaches. Because there is the possibility that the brain’s neurotransmitters may cause PE, medications such as SSRIs can be helpful. These are among the class of drugs used to treat depression. However, one of the side effects of the SSRIs is that it is more difficult for the patient to orgasm. This negative side effect may help those with PE by delaying ejaculation.

It’s also important to know that medication treatment is helpful with behavioral therapy, commonly known as sex therapy. There are licensed sex therapists who provide this type of therapy. This therapy teaches several techniques that help the couple delay the male’s ejaculation. Therefore, sex therapy includes couples rather than men alone. For example, lovers learn one method for the female to squeeze the penis when her partner is about to ejaculate, forcing a delay of the orgasm thereby, repeated several times until penile sensitivity lessens, giving the male greater control to delay the process.

There are also self-help techniques that a couple can use. For example, the male can masturbate two to three hours before having sex, reducing penile sensitivity and, therefore, delayed ejaculation during intercourse.

In coping with this problem, couples must have patience with one another. Most certainly, PE arouses much anxiety and tension for couples struggling with this problem. 

Stress, Anxiety and Mindful Meditation

While there are several types of meditation, mindfulness meditation focuses on staying in the present moment and using a non-judgmental attitude to the thoughts, feelings, and sensations in the meditative state. The idea is that these thoughts and sensations are given attention but with an objective perspective in which they are floating. Instead of elaborating on what is occurring, the person who meditates notes these things and then focuses on their breathing. The emphasis is that there is no wrong way to do mindful meditation. Instead, there are resulting benefits from focusing on the present from moment to moment.

One example of the benefit of meditation is that fantasy, thought, or image about a chocolate chip cookie comes to mind while engaged in meditation. Usually, that could make a person crave that cookie resulting in eating the cookie. However, mindfulness means that attention is put on the moment so that the cookie the thought of the cookie floats away without any future or past investment in eating the cookie. Instead, the image or idea of the cookie is noticed and floats away.

In another example, imagine buying tickets to an outdoor concert you are looking forward to attending. However, it starts to rain with no sign that it will stop anytime soon. Therefore, the show goes on regardless of the storm, and you must decide whether to go because you have already spent money on the tickets or stay home and skip the concert. The two most significant factors that complicate the decision-making process are:

  1. You have spent a lot of money on this event and,
  2. If you decide to go because you do not want to waste the money, you will have a miserable time sitting in awful weather and getting soaking wet. Can mindful meditation help with this decision?

Recent research on mindfulness meditation reveals that the answer is yes. It can help with the decision. Once again, mindful meditation focuses on the moment to moment present. Consequently, while meditating, any thoughts of the concert and money are noted and allowed to float by in mind. However, what is most important is that, with the focus on the present moment, there are no thoughts of the past or future. Focusing on the moment means few negative reviews about spending money on the concert.

Effects of Parental Conflict and Divorce on Children

Divorce and Children

As a marriage dissolves, many parents ask whether they should stay together for the kids? Other parents find divorce is their only option.

In addition, parents worry about the future of their living situation and the uncertainty of the custody arrangement. Parents also worry about how the children will adjust to the divorce.

The psychological effects of divorce on children depend on the individual child. While divorce is stressful for all children, some kids rebound faster than others.

The first year of divorce is usually the most difficult for parents and children. Studies show that children struggle the most during the first year or two after the divorce and experience distress, anger, anxiety, and disbelief.

Many kids make a reasonable adjustment to the divorce. They get used to changes in their daily routines and grow comfortable with their living arrangements. Others, however, never really seem to go back to normal. Children who never fully adjust may experience ongoing, even lifelong problems after their parents’ divorce.

The fact is that divorce creates emotional turmoil for the entire family, but the situation can be scary, confusing, and frustrating for kids. For example, young children often find it difficult to understand why they must go between two homes. Even worse, they may believe that their parents no longer love them. One common misconception that children have is that the divorce is their fault. As a result, they may fear misbehaving or assume they did something wrong, causing their parents to divorce. Youngsters often

At a tumultuous time in their lives, regardless of parental problems, teenagers may become quite angry about divorce and the changes it creates. They may blame one parent for the dissolution of the marriage, or they may resent one or both parents for the upheaval in the family.

Of course, each situation is unique. For example, a child may feel relieved by the separation in extreme circumstances if a divorce means fewer arguments and less stress. But, on the other hand, another stressor that can present itself is parents refusing to reach an accommodation for the sake of the children and teenagers. That stressor is parental alienation. The following blog post will discuss parental alienation.

Divorce usually means children lose daily contact with one parent, most often fathers. Decreased communication affects the parent-child bond, and researchers have found many children feel less close to their fathers after divorce. Divorce also affects a child’s relationship with the custodial parent, most often mothers. In addition, primary caregivers often report higher stress levels associated with single parenting.

For some children, parental separation isn’t the most challenging part. Instead, the accompanying stressors make divorce the most difficult. Changing schools, moving to a new home, and living with a single parent who feels a little more frazzled are just a few of the additional stressors that make divorce difficult.

Financial hardships are also frequent after divorce. Many families have to move to smaller homes or change neighborhoods, and they often have fewer material resources.

Mental Health Problems

Divorce may increase the risk of mental health problems in children and adolescents. Regardless of age, gender, and culture, children of divorced parents experience increased psychological problems.

Divorce often triggers an adverse change in behavior in children that sometimes resolves within a few months. However, there is evidence that depression and anxiety rates are higher in children from divorced parents. The emotional problems of kids whose parents divorce can demonstrate behavior problems, including conduct disorders, delinquency, and impulsive behavior, more than kids from two-parent families. Besides increased behavior problems, children may also share more conflict with peers after a divorce.

Parents need to help kids adjust to the divorce situation. For example, adults who experienced divorce during childhood may have more relationship difficulties. In addition, parents play a significant role in how children adjust to a divorce.

Seek Professional Help

Intense conflict between parents increases children’s distress. Overt hostility, such as screaming and threatening one another, causes behavior problems in children. But minor tension may also increase a child’s distress. People who struggle to co-parent with their ex-spouse seek professional help.

Parents Must Avoid Putting Kids in the Middle. Asking kids to choose which parent they like best or messages to other parents isn’t appropriate. Kids who find themselves caught in the middle are more likely to experience depression and anxiety. On the other hand, positive communication, parental warmth, and low levels of conflict help children adjust to divorce better. In addition, a healthy parent-child relationship helps kids develop higher self-esteem and better academic performance following divorce.

 Finally, when parents pay close attention to what teens are doing and who they spend their time with, adolescents are less likely to exhibit behavior problems following a divorce. That means a reduced chance of using substances and fewer academic problems.

What if There’s No Such Thing as Closure?

The New York Times · by Meg Bernhard · December 15, 2021

The basis of this blog is on a New York Times article by writer Meg Bernhard, and a correspondence between myself and my dear friend. My friend is referring to the death of my wife, Pat. We were married for fifty years, and friends assured me that I would heal with time. But, on the contrary, I continue to feel a deep sense of loss. I have a lasting sense of loss of my beloved wife. Then I came across a New York Times article, “What if there is no such thing as closure?

The basis of this article is on Social Scientist Pauline Boss and her book, “Ambiguous Loss: Learning to Live With Unresolved Grief.”

Pauline Boss from the New York Times Article:

” Boss studied and provided therapy to the family members of Alzheimer’s patients, as well as the relatives of people whose bodies were not recovered after natural disasters or in the collapse of the original World Trade Center on 9/11. Theirs were losses without “conclusion,” in the traditional sense of the term, the experience of paradox — a simultaneous absence and presence — that eluded resolution. Can you mourn someone whose body is present, even if the mind isn’t? Or whose death is unconfirmed? Can you grieve a foreclosed future?

The concept, Boss maintains, is inclusive, encompassing a range of moderate to severe losses that we might not perceive as such. Moreover, it can take many forms, often quotidian: an alcoholic parent who, when intoxicated, becomes a different person; a divorced partner, with whom your relationship is ruptured but not erased; a loved one with whom you’ve lost contact through immigration; or a child you’ve given up for adoption. 

These experiences are an accumulation of heartbreaks that we cannot always recognize.”

A dialogue between my friend and me:

“Pat died. You lost her as a companion. You lost her as someone who shored you up.You lost your marriage, your married way of life. Your entire way of life changed, and continues to changein various ways, and each change is an ambiguous loss.”

“And, what I get from the article, is that it’s that way for all of us. What did I lose when Joan(his estranged wife) moved to Oklahoma? My life changed irreparably. What have you and I each lost (and each other person on the planet) with the pandemic that will never return as it was before? What have I lost since developing chronic arthritis pain impacting walking? Lost with Laura’s(his daughter) horrible illness and surgery, though gratefully, seeming to be moving towards a full recovery, but scarred by the ordeal?”

“When I was 11, we moved from the house and neighborhood I’d known since birth. I cried for a year. What did you lose when you moved in with your grandparents?”

“We’re “adapting” to loss all of our lives.”

The basis of this blog is on a New York Times article and a correspondence between myself and my dear friend. My friend is referring to the death of my wife, Pat. We were married for fifty years, and friends assured me that I would heal with time. But, on the contrary, I continue to feel a deep sense of loss. I have a lasting sense of loss of my beloved wife. Then I came across a New York Times article, “What if there is no such thing as closure?

The basis of this article is on Social Scientist Pauline Boss and her book, “Ambiguous Loss: Learning to Live With Unresolved Grief.”

Pauline Boss from the New York Times Article:

” Boss studied and provided therapy to the family members of Alzheimer’s patients, as well as the relatives of people whose bodies were not recovered after natural disasters or in the collapse of the original World Trade Center on 9/11. Theirs were losses without “conclusion,” in the traditional sense of the term, the experience of paradox — a simultaneous absence and presence — that eluded resolution. Can you mourn someone whose body is present, even if the mind isn’t? Or whose death is unconfirmed? Can you grieve a foreclosed future?

The concept, Boss maintains, is inclusive, encompassing a range of moderate to severe losses that we might not perceive as such. Moreover, it can take many forms, often quotidian: an alcoholic parent who, when intoxicated, becomes a different person; a divorced partner, with whom your relationship is ruptured but not erased; a loved one with whom you’ve lost contact through immigration; or a child you’ve given up for adoption. 

These experiences are an accumulation of heartbreaks that we cannot always recognize.”

A dialogue between my friend and me:

“Pat died. You lost her as a companion. You lost her as someone who shored you up.You lost your marriage, your married way of life. Your entire way of life changed, and continues to changein various ways, and each change is an ambiguous loss.”

“And, what I get from the article, is that it’s that way for all of us. What did I lose when Joan(his estranged wife) moved to Oklahoma? My life changed irreparably. What have you and I each lost (and each other person on the planet) with the pandemic that will never return as it was before? What have I lost since developing chronic arthritis pain impacting walking? Lost with Laura’s(his daughter) horrible illness and surgery, though gratefully, seeming to be moving towards a full recovery, but scarred by the ordeal?”

“When I was 11, we moved from the house and neighborhood I’d known since birth. I cried for a year. What did you lose when you moved in with your grandparents?”

“We’re “adapting” to loss all of our lives.”

The basis of this blog is on a New York Times article and a correspondence between myself and my dear friend. My friend is referring to the death of my wife, Pat. We were married for fifty years, and friends assured me that I would heal with time. But, on the contrary, I continue to feel a deep sense of loss. I have a lasting sense of loss of my beloved wife. Then I came across a New York Times article, “What if there is no such thing as closure?

The basis of this article is on Social Scientist Pauline Boss and her book, “Ambiguous Loss: Learning to Live With Unresolved Grief.”

Pauline Boss from the New York Times Article:

” Boss studied and provided therapy to the family members of Alzheimer’s patients, as well as the relatives of people whose bodies were not recovered after natural disasters or in the collapse of the original World Trade Center on 9/11. Theirs were losses without “conclusion,” in the traditional sense of the term, the experience of paradox — a simultaneous absence and presence — that eluded resolution. Can you mourn someone whose body is present, even if the mind isn’t? Or whose death is unconfirmed? Can you grieve a foreclosed future?

The concept, Boss maintains, is inclusive, encompassing a range of moderate to severe losses that we might not perceive as such. Moreover, it can take many forms, often quotidian: an alcoholic parent who, when intoxicated, becomes a different person; a divorced partner, with whom your relationship is ruptured but not erased; a loved one with whom you’ve lost contact through immigration; or a child you’ve given up for adoption. 

These experiences are an accumulation of heartbreaks that we cannot always recognize.”

A dialogue between my friend and me:

“Pat died. You lost her as a companion. You lost her as someone who shored you up.You lost your marriage, your married way of life. Your entire way of life changed, and continues to changein various ways, and each change is an ambiguous loss.”

“And, what I get from the article, is that it’s that way for all of us. What did I lose when Joan(his estranged wife) moved to Oklahoma? My life changed irreparably. What have you and I each lost (and each other person on the planet) with the pandemic that will never return as it was before? What have I lost since developing chronic arthritis pain impacting walking? Lost with Laura’s(his daughter) horrible illness and surgery, though gratefully, seeming to be moving towards a full recovery, but scarred by the ordeal?”

“When I was 11, we moved from the house and neighborhood I’d known since birth. I cried for a year. What did you lose when you moved in with your grandparents?”

“We’re “adapting” to loss all of our lives.”

Abuse and It’s Types

Recent reports show significant increases in domestic violence and drug and alcohol use. In addition, the stress and anxiety created by the Pandemic are taking a heavy toll on mental health. This article describes the types of abuse. Further reports will explain abuse’s impact on people, including trauma and its consequences for mental and medical health. Finally, there will be an article reporting the therapies that help best for survivors of abuse.

What is Abuse?

Abuse occurs when people mistreat or misuse other people, showing no concern for their integrity or innate worth as individuals, and in a manner that degrades their well-being. Abusers frequently are interested in controlling their victims. They use abusive behaviors to manipulate their victims into submission or compliance with their will.

Physical and sexual abuse greatly exacerbate the risk of substance use disorders. Abuse has particularly far-reaching effects when it occurs during childhood. 

Types of Abuse

  • Verbal: They may verbally abuse them by calling them names, telling them they are stupid, have no worth, or will not amount to anything on their own.
  • Physical: They may become physically violent, inflicting pain, bruises, broken bones, and other physical wounds (visible and hidden both).
  • Sexual: They may rape or sexually assault their victims.
  • Negligence: Alternatively, they may neglect dependent victims, disavowing any responsibilities they may have towards those victims and causing damage through lack of action rather than through a harmful, manipulative action itself.

Abuse is a commonplace event in modern times, taking on many different forms, including physical, sexual, emotional, and verbal abuse, occurring in many different contexts, including the home (domestic violence, spouse rape, incest), the workplace (sexual harassment), and in institutional (elder abuse, bullying) and religious and community (hate crime) settings. It touches victims across the lifespan, from children through elders. Abuse is a severe social and cultural problem affecting everyone, whether as a victim of abuse, a perpetrator, a friend or confidant of an abused person looking for ways to be helpful, or simply as someone who is angry about injustice and wants to work for positive change.

If you are currently being abused or abused in the past, you should know that you do not suffer alone. Right now, millions of people worldwide struggle to maintain dignity, safety, and self-worth in the face of ongoing abuse. In addition, millions more people work to recover from wounds they have sustained during past abuse. 

You should also know that help is available for abuse victims, although it is not always easy to access. Community abuse resources (such as domestic violence shelters), mental health professionals, law enforcement, various other organizations, websites, and printed resources can provide instruction and assistance for people who need help removing themselves from abusive situations.

Victims of abuse often deal with severe psychological and physical consequences of being abused. There are various forms of counseling, psychotherapy, medical, and self-help resources available for people who have been used and want assistance and support for managing problems and issues they have developed due to being abused. 

Such post-abuse issues are sometimes called ‘abuse sequela’ by health professionals. While no therapy is capable of erasing the effects of abuse, such resources can provide meaningful assistance in helping to minimize the adverse effects of abuse. 

Types of Psychotherapy

Types of Psychotherapy

These are the main types of psychotherapy described by the American Psychiatric Association.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) helps people identify and change thinking and behavior patterns that are harmful or ineffective, replacing them with more accurate thoughts and functional behaviors. It can help a person focus on current problems and solve them. However, it often involves practicing new skills in the “real world.”

CBT can help treat various disorders, including depression, anxiety, trauma-related disorders, and eating disorders. For example, CBT can help a person with depression recognize and change negative thought patterns or behaviors contributing to the depression.

Interpersonal therapy (IPT) is a short-term form of treatment. It helps patients understand underlying interpersonal issues that are troublesome, like unresolved grief, changes in social or work roles, conflicts with significant others, and problems relating to others. In addition, it can help people learn healthy ways to express emotions and methods to improve communication and how they relate to others. It is most often used to treat depression.

Dialectical behavior therapy is a specific type of CBT that helps regulate emotions. It is frequently helpful in treating people with chronic suicidal thoughts and borderline personality disorder, eating disorders, and PTSD. It teaches new skills to help people take personal responsibility to change unhealthy or disruptive behavior. It involves both individual and group therapy.

Psychodynamic therapy views the idea that behavior and mental well-being go back to childhood experiences and inappropriate repetitive thoughts or unconscious feelings (outside of the person’s awareness). Therefore, a person works with the therapist to improve self-awareness and change old patterns to take charge of their lives more fully.

Improving Your Mental Health

Improving Your Mental Health

5 Things You Can Do to Improve Your Mental Health

The Coronavirus Pandemic is a challenge for everyone. More people than ever are reporting symptoms of depression, anxiety, stress and fatigue caused by having to cope with the pandemic. Therefore, this essay is important.

Modern society has drastically shifted to a faster-paced and more productive environment. While we have made a lot of progress in many aspects of life, preserving and improving mental health is becoming increasingly crucial to progress.

With the increase in pace and productivity comes a radical rise in high stress and mentally taxing work and social environments, causing a steadily decreasing mental health epidemic. Unfortunately, humans can only last so long in an emotionally taxing environment. To keep up with the demands of daily life, mental health professionals have poured countless hours into finding ways people can improve their mental health amidst the chaos.

While not all aspects of our mental health are under our control, psychologists have pinpointed a few simple and healthy things you can do to improve your mental health!

  1. Set positive goals

When struggling with your mental health, it’s easy to focus only on the negatives and what you’re not doing rather than the positives and what you have achieved in life, making you feel hopeless, and taking time to sit down and set positive and realistic goals is essential to finding the motivation to get up every morning and work towards making progress in your daily life and emotional wellbeing.

Setting positive and realistically attainable goals is a great way to improve your mental health by helping you visualize and achieve tasks throughout your daily life. You want to start with baby steps that will help you get on track to making more progress in the future and give you a much-needed mood boost in the present with a healthy sense of achievement.

Write out a quick and easy list of chores, tasks, and errands that you can work to complete throughout the day. These things can be as simple as making your bed or cleaning up or more involved, like finishing a project you’ve been putting off. Making realistic but straightforward goals helps you stay active and helps your brain swing into a routine and function again.

Using the seemingly endless list of chores and responsibilities to get you motivated and give yourself something to strive for is a great way to improve your mental health and be productive doing it! Establish healthy habits.

Improving your mental health takes a lot of time and effort, so a large part of making good progress is implementing healthy habits that promote wellbeing and growth. Everyone has good and bad habits. When addressing emotional problems and concerns, it is essential that you also take a step back and address the practices in your life.

Breaking bad habits can be a complex process, but it is necessary to make healthy progress. Take the time to think through the things in your life that are counterproductive or possibly harmful to your mental wellbeing. It will most likely take a significant amount of effort, time, and motivation to break the more ingrained bad habits. Still, you may cut out some others easily. Cutting out the bad habits will help you make room for healthier activities.

After removing some bad habits, be sure to implement more healthy and productive practices and activities that promote positive thoughts and actions in your life. It may be hard to stick to them at first, but staying consistent and working hard will pay off in the end.

Make it a point to exercise your brain each day. Maybe you enjoy a morning crossword puzzle. Perhaps reading a book before bed helps you wind down. But, even if you feel you don’t have time, taking a few minutes and playing online brain games or completing a quick virtual puzzle is easy to fit into a busy schedule.

Busting some bad habits and taking steps to make healthier ones is another great way to improve your mental health!

  1. Get active

Physical health is just as important as mental health. It has a considerable part to play in improving emotional wellbeing. Changing your diet, getting plenty of physical activity, keeping up to date with medical concerns, and being vigilant about what you put into your body are crucial to changing your mental wellbeing.

One of the essential parts of a healthy body and mind is a healthy diet. Human brains function the best when well-nourished with a healthy amount of calories, vitamins, and nutrients to fuel the body and keep the blood pumping—eating nutrient-packed meals within a sustainable and healthy calorie amount. Hydrating and cutting back on over-processed foods is a great way to improve your diet and overall wellbeing.

Another part of good physical wellbeing is exercise and good physical activity. Sneaking in some active workouts on top of staying active throughout the day will help you keep your body functioning the way it needs to, as well as give yourself a much-needed mood boost.

Medical problems and concerns can cause an enormous amount of stress, so taking the proper steps to tackle your physical problems helps you improve your physical wellbeing, make you feel more control over your life and wellbeing, and take some stress off your mind.

  1. Build a support group

Struggling with your mental health can make you feel you’re all alone in the world. However, everyone struggles with emotions and mental wellbeing in their life, so finding a solid support group of friends or family who may have had similar experiences is a great way to find comfort and support in your time of need.

While everyone experiences things differently, sharing your feelings and stories about your mental struggles is a great way to relate to one another and support each other through hard times. Even though your friends can’t fix your problems for you, they can always listen. 

Seeking the comfort and support of friends and family when the going gets rough is another excellent way to improve your mental health!

  1. Seek professional help

Sometimes, no matter how hard you try, things are just too much for you to handle, and it’s time to call in professional help. Knowing when to seek help and support from a mental health professional is crucial to understanding your mental wellbeing and making positive changes for the future.

Some highly trained professionals in the field in tackling mental health problems will spot things you didn’t notice and coach you through changing your daily life. They can also give you a more secret place to vent where you can open up about all the dirty details without being judged or your business being the center of gossip.

See a therapist in the mental health field to help you take some burdens off of your shoulders and help you make progress in improving your mental health!

  1. Make progress

Struggling with your mental health is an emotionally exhausting and challenging process full of uncertainty and pain along the way. However, taking the proper steps to make healthy, positive changes in your daily life is one of the best ways to improve your mental health.

Finally, it is essential to remind the reader to take precautions when using these five suggestions.