Maintaining Your Mental Health As The Pandemic Continues

While some relaxations to the countrywide lockdown are now being introduced, many people are still battling through difficult and unusual times, and as a result, concerns over the mental health of our nation are mounting. 

If you’ve always struggled with your mental health and are finding that the pandemic has amplified your symptoms, or are facing new waves of anxiety or depression that you’ve never experienced before, there are ways that you can help yourself to stay balanced and rational as Covid-19 continues to disrupt our lives.

For each of the following suggestions, it may seem easier to give the advice, than to follow it, but as in all circumstances of our lives, we can only ever do our best, and provided that you try, you will have every reason to be proud of yourself and to look forward to a more enriching future.

Learn to center yourself

If you’re unfamiliar with the term ‘center yourself’, it simply means to calm your emotions and slow your mind, something that is best achieved through simple breathing techniques, and when you’ve mastered it, you’ll feel alert but relaxed, and much better equipped to deal with anything that life throws at you. Talking to a qualified counselor or therapist about this can help you to better understand the techniques and teach you how to center yourself as and when you need to.

See the pandemic as something that will pass

It can also be helpful to see the pandemic as something that will eventually pass (which is of course, true), and to bring your gentleness to how the situation may be making you feel right now. Take opportunities to broaden your mind during this time and learn new things (in addition to watching TV show to unwind from time to time).

Set yourself realistic goals

With pressures on all of us from social media, friends, family and work colleagues to come out of this lockdown as better versions of ourselves, it can be difficult to recognize and come to terms with what we can realistically expect ourselves to achieve. Can we come out of this situation slimmer, speaking a new language and being able to bake a loaf of bread; perhaps more importantly, do we want to?

Find some goals that will make you feel fulfilled and be prepared to adjust the boundaries according to the situation. Social pressures can be intense and if you find them getting too much for you, take a break from social media, and re-join when you’re in a more grounded frame of mind.

Go easy on yourself

Remember that this journey is different for everyone, and that if you’re finding it hard during lockdown, you can bet your bottom dollar that others are too. Take the time to think about all your good points, all the things that people love about you, and know that these things will not have changed once the pandemic is over. Be kind to yourself and others and allow yourself the time to get used to what may be a new normal.

If you need to talk about any issues related to your mental health, please also remember that most good counselors are offering telehealth services, so the lockdown need not stand in the way of you getting the help you need.

Learn more at: https://heartcenteredcounselors.com/

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Do You Need Help Dealing With The Past?

Things that may have happened in the past can pop back up and surprise you as a vivid memory, at any given time, whether it was something you were directly involved in, or whether you were merely an onlooker. The event may have been troubling, or it may have been enjoyable, and memories of it may make you happy, sad, fearful or angry.

Sometimes, an action or even just a word or phrase may be all it takes to transport you back to the past, but if the journey takes you back to a traumatic event or period in your life, and induces a series of negative emotions, then it might be telling you that you haven’t fully dealt with what happened, and it could even be standing between you and your ability to function fully in life.

Whatever happened to you in the past, you do have the strength, power and ability to move on with your life, you just might need to accept a little help to get there.

How to heal from past trauma:

Painful emotions or memories are often triggered by things such as an anniversary of the event, or by something happening that reminds you of past trauma. However, by following this advice, you can learn to move through:

Stay active – Exercise burns off adrenaline and encourages your body to release endorphins that can help you combat the state of fear and hyperarousal that a painful memory has caused.

Maintain relationships – a past trauma may have you feeling as if you want to hide away, but this is often harmful. Don’t shut friends and family out, instead, actively seek their company so that you’re not left alone to dwell on your pain and anxiety.

Look after yourself – this includes not only being kind to yourself but taking care of your physical health. Eat a balanced diet, get plenty of exercise and don’t scrimp on sleep. A healthy body can help you cope better with stress caused by past trauma.

Seek professional help – if past trauma is still affecting you, many years after it happened, you should consider seeking the help of a trained and qualified therapist. A counselor, for example, will help you find ways to combat your negative emotions and overcome the pain of past trauma, while learning how to live an active, happy and fulfilling life.

A traumatic past can have a very real impact upon your life today, but there is no reason to go through it alone. Talk to those you trust about how you’re feeling, or seek therapeutic assistance from a counselor to learn how to accept and heal from your past so that it doesn’t continue to have a negative effect upon the here and now.

Learn more here: www.heartcenteredcounselors.com

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How Children Become Emotionally Wounded

Parenthood can be tough, no matter who you are, where you come from or what your beliefs are, and there are no hard and fast rules for raising children to be emotionally healthy and happy. However, there are some ways that a parent or caregiver can accidentally cause emotional harm to their child, and here are some examples:

• Belittling or ignoring your child’s feelings

When your child is feeling sad, angry confused or afraid and you make fun of them in any way, or choose to ignore them, then you’re showing them that you believe their feelings are unjustified. This can cause them to suppress their emotions and encourage them not to be open about how they’re feeling.

• Having rules that are not consistent

Rules, boundaries and guidelines are needed by all children, no matter what their age, and if they’re not getting clear ones from you, then they’ll begin to set their own, often with negative consequences such as encouraging poor self-esteem or behavioral problems.

• Badmouthing the other parent

Your kids begin to understand what it is to love and care for someone else from you, but if they don’t see you showing any affection or concern for the significant other person (or persons) in your life, then they may grow up confused about what love and respect looks like. Constant arguments with your partner in front of your child, putting them down and even threatening divorce, are all actions that make your child anxious and unable to interpret what a healthy relationship is supposed to look like.

• Punishing your child for growing up

It’s inevitable that your child will one day grow up and want to fly the nest, and while this might be an unpleasant or frightening thought, it’s important that you don’t unintentionally punish them for doing what is natural to them: growing up.

• When your child is treated as an extension of you

If you’re showing your child that how well they perform at school, and how popular or physically attractive they are, is important to you because it makes you have a better social standing, this teaches them that their worth is based upon their performance and how they make you look. This can turn your child into a people pleaser, and to make them worry that they’re not good enough.

• Shielding your child from everything

Protecting your child from bad or uncomfortable things that might be happening, or from your emotions, may be instinctual, but it isn’t always in their best interests, since it can make them feel that they need to be protected from life instead of facing it.

Being a parent is tough, and sometimes, just talking about the challenges you might be facing with someone who doesn’t know you, your family or your circumstances, is not only therapeutic, but can help give you valuable emotional insight and enable you to enhance your parenting skills.

Learn More Here: https://heartcenteredcounselors.com/child-teen-family-counseling/

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The Link Between OCD’s And Eating Disorders

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is an anxiety related disorder in which individuals experience repetitive thoughts, feelings, sensations and behaviors that cause them to engage in ritualistic habits or compulsions. These repetitive habits are intended to help reduce feelings of apprehension, fear or worry, but the disorder can be incredibly debilitating when left untreated, and often exists alongside other disorders, such as substance abuse or anorexia. 

What are some of the signs that a person may have an OCD?

Typically, sufferers may experience intense fears related to the causing of harm to themselves or others, of being polluted by germs and bacteria, and of losing their possessions, and they often believe strongly that everything must be symmetrical. These are just a few of the most common indicators that someone may have an OCD, and while many are able to control their beliefs and fears, others struggle, and these symptoms can begin to take over their lives.

Typical patterns of behavior for someone with an OCD can include excessive washing of hands, unnecessary hoarding, repetitive habits such as tapping or counting, and an obsessive urge to rearrange and tidy things.

The link between OCD’s and other disorders:

Research has shown that having an OCD means you are more likely to suffer from another type of disorder, too, such as an eating disorder. Characterized by behaviors that are like those found in OCD sufferers, someone with an eating disorder often experiences compulsions to hoard food items, think obsessively about calories and food, and/or may display ritualistic tendencies such as cutting food symmetrically.

The two disorders can be closely intertwined by a constant desire to seek and obtain perfection.

What treatment should someone suffering from either, or both, disorders seek?

In many cases, the underlying issues that are causing both disorders are not rare, and once uncovered and treated, any related compulsive behaviors can be improved upon greatly. While medical intervention may be required, particularly if an eating disorder has caused nutritional deficiencies, many find talk therapies to be very helpful, and they learn strategies and techniques for coping with the emotions that cause them to behave in a compulsive manner.

As with anything that inhibits your ability to live life to its fullest, acknowledging that you have a problem and seeking swift help, often determines the speed and success of your rehabilitation. If you think you may have a compulsive disorder, or any disorder that is affecting your daily life, please don’t sweep it under the rug, and please don’t ever think that you’re beyond help. Talk to a mental health professional who can help you determine the right course of action for your needs, and don’t delay; the rest of your life is waiting just around the corner!

Learn More and Get the Help You Need Here: https://heartcenteredcounselors.com/

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