Mental Health

               During these unprecedented times, the nation has seen a significant rise in mental health concerns including but not limited to, depression, stress, anxiety, etc. We have all experienced our own personal challenges related to our changes in our schedules, changes with our job status, and increased time at home with our families during the COVID quarantine.  How we cope and respond to the stressors and changes in our lives affect your mental status and will directly affect your overall health.

• Effects on Overall Health
  • Headaches
  • Trouble Sleeping
  • Jaw Pain
  • Changes in appetite
  • Frequent mood swings
  • Difficulty Concentrating
  • Exacerbate symptoms of mental illness – e.g. schizophrenia – stress can increase hallucinations and delusions
  • Long Term Stress increases exposure of brain to cortisol which will weaken your immune system.
• When are you most vulnerable?
  • Not getting enough sleep
  • Not having a network of support
  • Experiencing major life changes, SUCH AS COVID QUARANTINE! Or moving, death of a loved one, starting a new job, having a child or getting married
  • Poor physical health
  • Not eating well
• How to Identify your stress triggers
  • Start a stress journal – each time you feel stressed keep track of it in a journal – it will help you to identify patterns and common themes
    • What caused your stress
    • How you felt, both physically and emotionally
    • How you acted in response to the stress
    • What you did to make yourself feel better
  • 4 A’s of Stress Management
    • Avoid unnecessary stress
      • Learn how to say “no”, avoid people who stress you out, take control of your environment
    • Alter the situation
      • Express feelings instead bottling them
      • Be willing to compromise
      • Create a balanced schedule – all work and no play will create burnout
    • Adapt to the stressor
      • View stressful situations from a more positive perspective
      • Look at the big picture – will the stressful situation matter in a month, a year?
      • Adjust your standards – perfectionism is a major source of avoidable stress
      • Practice gratitude – take time to reflect on all the things you appreciate in life – tell someone thank you everyday
    • Accept the things you can’t change
      • Don’t try to control the uncontrollable
      • Look for the upside – look at major challenges as opportunities for personal growth
      • Learn to forgive – let go of anger and resentments
      • Share your feelings
    • Ways to Reduce Stress (Important first to identify your triggers)
      • What situations make you feel physically and mentally agitated? Avoid them when you are able and cope when you can’t.
      • Manage your Time – make day-to-day schedule to help reduce becoming overwhelmed with everyday tasks and deadlines
      • Practice Relaxation – deep breathing, mediation, progressive muscle relaxation (see below for more details)
      • Exercise Daily – keep it fun and consistent
      • Set aside time for yourself – schedule time each week for yourself whether it is reading a book, going to the movies, get a massage or taking dog for a walk
      • Eat Well
      • Get Enough Sleep
      • Avoid alcohol and drugs – this can actually worsen the effects of stress on your body
      • Talk to someone – friends, family, counselor, support group, etc

• Deep Breathing:
  • Sit comfortable with your back straight. Put one hand on your chest and the other on your stomach
  • Breathe in through your nose. The hand on your stomach should rise and the hand on your chest should move very little
  • Exhale through your mouth, pushing out as much air as you can while contracting your abdominal muscles. The hand on your stomach should move in as you exhale, but your other hand should move very little.
  • Continue to breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. Count slowly as you exhale
• Progressive Muscle Relaxation: 2 step process where you systematically tense and relax different muscle groups in the body.
  • Start at your feet and work your way up to your face, trying to only tense those muscle intended
    • Loosen clothing, take off your shoes
    • Take a few minutes to breathe in and out in slow, deep breaths
    • Shift focus to your right foot, and focus on how it feels
    • Slowly tense the muscles in your right foot, squeezing as tightly as you can and hold for a count of 10
    • Relax your foot. Focus on the tension flowing away and how your foot feels as it becomes limp and loose
    • Stay in relaxed state for a moment, breathing deeply and slowly
    • Shift focus to left foot and continue the same progression
    • Move slowly up through your body, contracting and relaxing the different muscle groups
  • Visualization:
    • Guided imagery – imagining a scene in which you feel at peace, free to let go of all tension and anxiety
    • Can be practiced on your own or with an app or audio download to guide you through the imagery
    • Picture it as vividly as you can:
      • Everything you See, Hear, Smell, Taste and Feel
    • Self-Massage
      • 5-minute self massage to relieve stress
        • Start with the muscles at the back of your neck and shoulders. Make a loose fist and drum swiftly up and down the sides and back of your neck. Next, use your thumbs to work tiny circles around the base of your skull.  Slowly massage the rest of your scalp with your fingertips.  Then tap your fingers against your scalp, moving from the front to the back and then over the sides.
        • Next massage your face. Make a series of tiny circles with your thumbs or fingertips.
      • Mindfulness Meditation
        • Mindfulness: rather than worrying about the future or dwelling on the past, mindfulness switches your focus to what’s happening right now, enabling you to be fully engaged in the present moment
          • Find a quiet space where you will not be interrupted or distracted
          • Sit on a comfortable chair with your back straight
          • Close your eyes and find a point of focus, such as your breathing, or a meaningful word that you repeat throughout the meditation
          • Don’t worry about distracting thoughts that go through your mind, don’t fight them, just gently turn your attention back to your point of focus.

Please note if you have been trying techniques to cope with your stressors and anxiety and they are not working, it may be time to share your mental health with a health professional.

Resources on Mental Health:

https://www.nami.org/Home

https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/stress/index.shtml

https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/coping-with-traumatic-events/index.shtml

https://www.helpguide.org/articles/stress/relaxation-techniques-for-stress-relief.htm

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