Tag: mental health

Grow Yourself Mentally: How Attitude Provides Success

Your mental health could be the key to moving forward to greater things. Here are a couple of reasons why your mental attitude could inform your success.

Have you ever been around a negative group of people? The longer you spend time in their conversation, the easier and deeper you get sucked into their negativity. If you do a bit of digging and observe them from a distance, you will also realize that they don’t move forward in life. 

They stay in the same groove of monotony and don’t seem to see the way out of their misery. When you look closely, you’ll see that their mental well-being is the cause of their anger at the world. Enhancing your mental health could be the key to get you out of a rut and moving forward to greater things. 

Here are a couple of reasons why your mental attitude could provide you with success.

Aiming For Self-Mastery

If you have a particular set of skills, then you need to do your utmost to develop those skills and become a master. In the workplace, there are only a couple of things that you have control over. 

Your skills, thoughts, and behavior are all you need to develop self-control and from there, you choose how you do things or what you say. It is vitally important to garner a positive attitude and do your best, regardless of the situation around you. 

If you can show the powers that you persevere and develop, even in the most hostile of times, you will get noticed and your hard work will be rewarded. Your attitude and resilience in dire times will set you apart from your competition and you will grow even faster in your skills. 

It all starts with taking responsibility for the things you have control over and making the best out of every situation, no matter how bleak it may seem when you are in the thick of things.  

laugh together social

A Change In Attitude Goes A Long Way

Attitude is everything, or at least, that is how the saying goes. I general, people use the word ‘attitude’ out of context, or they attach a negative connotation to the word. This is not the case when your attitude towards yourself and your job is concerned. 

One trait that goes hand in hand with attitude is confidence and when you combine a positive attitude with confidence, you get one mean team, waiting to excel past everyone in line. 

Your body language speaks volumes and if you can exude a positive attitude, then your superiors will start to invest in you. They will notice that you are the kind of person that will tackle adversity and come out on top because you have the right mental attitude. 

When your attitude towards yourself is positive and healthy, your outlook on life and where you fit in it also changes. It is the single tool that you will use to rise above the rest and get back up when you were knocked down. 

A positive attitude does not mean that you think that you will never lose, but rather that you will be prepared to lose and take the lessons that you learn from your failures. The real ability is to fight, get back up and fight on. 

Setting Goals And Sticking To Them

People who are successful have clear cut goals that they set for themselves. When you don’t have goals in life, you will fall into survival mode and do only what is necessary to survive. On the other hand, when you have goals. You tend to be more deliberate about your actions and you plan your next move to fit into your plan and reach your goals. 

Nevertheless, having clear goals as opposed to vague ones are just important. When your goals are unambiguous, you tend to work hard at filling the gaps to reach it. 

For instance, if you set a goal to get appointed for a certain job, then you go beyond your normal day in day out routine and fill the gaps in your skill tree and your resume. The same rule applies when you are doing those lengthy assignments as a college student. 

It even might require some smart planning like outsourcing the work to online assignment help, but the idea should be to complete the work on time and deliver a project that actually impresses the teacher. You can go through the online resources to learn more about it. 

It’s easy to lose focus and forget about your goals, especially when it takes you a bit longer to achieve them. That is why it is important to remind yourself of your goals each day and break the big picture up into smaller, manageable chunks. 

It’s A Marathon, Not A Sprint

The thing about growing yourself mentally is that it takes a long time to get it right. Most people don’t even reach their mental goals. This is mainly because people give up before any real result is even visible. 

From the day that you are born, your mind creates neural pathways in terms of your behavior or the way you react to a certain situation. Sometimes, your behavior is toxic to growth and you need to change the way you do things before you can move on. Making conscious decisions about how you react in certain situations does not change overnight. 

You have to give yourself time to adapt and change your mindset and realize that you are not going to have success on day one. The one thing that you need to remember is not to beat yourself up when you revert to the old ways in which you did things. This isn’t good either. 

laugh with mugs

Create A Path Or Strategy

Lastly, you need to plan your strategy. Having goals and saying to yourself that you want to achieve something by a certain time is all good and well, but how do you get there. Your strategy is vitally important for reaching your goals. 

Developing a growth strategy is like playing a game of chess. You always need to be a step or two ahead of the game and make sure you don’t stare at the move right in front of you. 

When you have a bigger picture in mind, you also have the ability to see more than one way to reach your goals. Again, looking to the person you want to be in ten years will give you much insight as to your next move. 

Short-term strategies are great for steadying a rocky ship and bringing stability, but planning ahead is where real progress lies.   

The Bottom Line

The battle of success is won and lost in mind. When you are strong-willed and determined to reach your goal, you will. People are resilient and if you have the right drive, you’ll be surprised at how far you can push yourself. 

The only thing that you need to remember is to never give up and to persevere. If you can hold your head up high and make plans when the going is tough, the chances are that you will duplicate that same attitude when it time to grow. 

Meet the Author

Michael Gorman is an experienced freelance writer, essay writer, and proofreader from the UK who currently works at best essay writing service. Being interested in everyday developments and industry trends, he writes various blog posts and discovers new aspects of the business and technology world.

  • Your mental health could be the key to moving forward to greater things. Here are a couple of reasons why your mental attitude could inform your success.
  • Your mental health could be the key to moving forward to greater things. Here are a couple of reasons why your mental attitude could inform your success.
  • Your mental health could be the key to moving forward to greater things. Here are a couple of reasons why your mental attitude could inform your success.

How To Enhance Your Mental Health

Mental Health is your overall well being, and isn’t something that should be ignored. Here are a few tips to enhance your mental health.

Mental Health is your overall well being and isn’t something that should be ignored. According to the World Health Organization, one in four people in the world would be affected by neurological or mental disorders at some point in their life. Currently, around half a billion people suffer from conditions of mental health. It affects your social life, career, academics, and a lot more. Here are a few tips to enhance your mental health:

Positivity

Research suggests that your perception of yourself may affect how you feel. When you perceive your life and yourself in a negative light, your brain helps to confirm that bias through daily experiences. So, always promote positive feelings of personal power and self-worth. Tell yourself, “I guess I’ll have to work harder on the next interview” instead of “I’m such a loser, this was the third interview I tanked.”

journal houseplant

Gratitude

Your psychological mental health, well-being, and happiness have close links to gratitude or how grateful you feel. To become more grateful and find happiness in little things, you can adopt the practice of maintaining a gratitude journal. It encourages you to be grateful in general and make a gratitude list that you can refer to whenever you are feeling down. It fills up your heart with satisfaction and gives you that intangible warm feeling that has nothing to do with temperature.

Be Mindful Of The Moment

Living in the moment and being more mindful helps you to shed off negative emotions and move on from a difficult past. Being mindful means, you are more aware of your surroundings and sensations in everyday mundane routine like having breakfast, showering, biking to work or back home. Pay more attention to the sounds, smells, touch, and taste of your daily experiences.

Workout

A workout is great for your muscles, bones, and especially useful for a healthy and functional brain. During a workout, your brain releases plenty of hormones called endorphins. These chemicals improve your mood and relieve stress. It’s one of the reasons why people have an unexplainable smile after an intense session of sweaty exercise. These hormones work well to fight against depression, stress, and other conditions that may affect your mental health adversely.

link arms

Change Your Diet

A diet filled with nutrients goes a long way to nourish your physical self and your brain. Try to stay away from trans fats and fast foods. Instead, plan out a diet with a moderate amount of complex carbohydrates, proteins, good fats, and of course, veggies and fruits. These food items increase serotonin, dopamine, and more chemicals that have a calming effect on your mind and keeps you alert. A healthy diet also keeps you away from obesity that has been linked time and again with negative mental health.

Don’t wait for a resolution or the “right time.” Start with these tips today to take care of your mental health. A healthy and active brain keeps you productive and happy and it ripples into your social and professional life as well.

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  • Mental Health is your overall well being, and isn’t something that should be ignored. Here are a few tips to enhance your mental health.
  • Mental Health is your overall well being, and isn’t something that should be ignored. Here are a few tips to enhance your mental health.
  • Mental Health is your overall well being, and isn’t something that should be ignored. Here are a few tips to enhance your mental health.

Give The Gift Of Mental Health This Christmas

Mental health is incredibly important, so, you should give yourself the best gift and focus on your mental health. Here are four options for this Christmas.

Christmas is billed as a wonderful time of year where you think about others and practicing gift-giving. However, the festive season isn’t always family dinners around a massive portion of food and tinsel on the tree. Often, people find Christmas to be a stressful time, especially when the stigma is that you’re miserable when you don’t get in the spirit. No, you’re not a Grinch – you need to boost your mental health.

With that in mind, you should give yourself the best gift of all and focus on your mental health. Here are four of the greatest options this Christmastime.

Don’t Indulge

It’s tempting to eat and drink what you want until the New Year, but junk food and alcohol only impair your thinking. The latter is linked with mental health concerns, and that’s why a top mental health treatment therapy center will focus on the impact of substances. Sure, a couple of glasses of wine here and there aren’t going to send you into a spiral; however, you should be aware of how easily negative thoughts can spiral. Where possible, try and replace alcohol and junk food for water and exercise. You’ll find that working out over Christmas is a fantastic way to relieve stress and reduce tension.

gifts

Buy Yourself A Present

Do you know that your mental health suffers around this time of year? Do you dread Christmas for this reason? There’s no reason to continue doing the same things over and over again and hoping for a different result. After all, it’s the definition of insanity. Instead, you must prepare for the inevitable knock to your mental health by treating yourself to a gift. A spa and massage day is a great way to tackle the Christmastime blues as it eliminates tension and helps you to relax. Giving to other people is fine and dandy, but you must be self-aware, too.

Avoid People

You shouldn’t avoid everyone because being alone at Christmas will only intensify the feelings. Still, there’s no good reason to surround yourself with people, friends or family, that negatively affect your mental health. So, if your successful cousin likes to brag and rub it in your face, then don’t give him or her the opportunity. You can always start a tradition of your own and keep the gathering to a select few people who you know are good for your health. If they are unavoidable, sit as far away as possible at the dinner table and zone them out with chit-chat.

mug and gifts on table

Involve Yourself In The Community

Of course, the other side of the coin is that you don’t have many people around you and feel lonely. In this case, you can throw yourself into the community and forget about your situation. There are thousands of people who are ill or homeless and have nowhere to go that need feeding and taking care of, and volunteers are welcome to help. Serving at a soup kitchen, for example, is cathartic for them and your mental health.

If you suffer from mental health issues at Christmas, how do you maintain a positive mental attitude?

This post was written as a contributed post. Contributed posts are written by another party who may wish to be anonymous. Further, all posts are edited and formatted by Elizabeth Ghekiere. Want to guest post for ElizabethJournals? Learn more here.

  • Mental health is incredibly important, so, you should give yourself the best gift and focus on your mental health. Here are four options for this Christmas.
  • Mental health is incredibly important, so, you should give yourself the best gift and focus on your mental health. Here are four options for this Christmas.
  • Mental health is incredibly important, so, you should give yourself the best gift and focus on your mental health. Here are four options for this Christmas.
  • Mental health is incredibly important, so, you should give yourself the best gift and focus on your mental health. Here are four options for this Christmas.

How to Help Your Child with Mental Health Problems

As a parent, you want to care for your children. And your kids will appreciate your help as they learn to cope with mental illness. Learn More...

Nobody likes to think that their teenage children are struggling with depression and anxiety. Unfortunately, though, these are things that, as a parent, you will need to be mindful of. Depression and anxiety are very commonplace, but when it comes to you noticing it in teenagers, it can be difficult. Kids will rarely have a strong understanding of all of the complicated emotions that they may have swirling around their heads. Your child may not realize quite why they feel the way that they do, and they will find it even harder to talk about it.

As a parent, you will no doubt, want to care for them and make the depression and anxiety go away. It is essential to understand that while depression and anxiety can be brought under control, it may never actually leave them. It will be far better that you provide an open and understanding ear. Your kids will appreciate your being available for them should they need your assistance as they learn to cope with mental illness.

Symptoms Of Depression And Anxiety In Teens

Spotting the symptoms of depression and anxiety can be hard in our children. Many of the characteristics and synonymous with puberty. There may be times that they lash out irritably, or it could cause them to withdraw into themselves. And into the world of social media. This distraction from their current feelings can become a compulsion for many. For many teenagers, depression and anxiety may lead to eating disorders or self-harm.

Getting Treatment

For many minor instances of depression and anxiety, this can be managed with self-care. This will involve a combination of different techniques, such as utilizing breathing techniques and meditation to help with calmness. 

Exercising regularly is essential in the fight against anxiety and depression as it helps to create feel-good endorphins that will combat the chemicals that cause negative feelings. 

When there are other problems linked to your child’s depression, you may need to seek out a specialist. You may require advice on self-harm, eating disorders, and teen internet addiction treatment. These can be complicated areas for a parent to handle on their own, and it is vital that you try and listen and understand your child without judging them. 

A visit to your doctor may help in terms of getting your child referred to a suitable therapist for treatment. This may include talking therapy, as well as cognitive behavior therapy, which seeks to reset the way that we deal with certain situations in our lives. 

Offering Support

You must show your child love, support, and understanding throughout the worst stages of their depression. It is not their fault that they feel the way that they do, and they may have little control over their behaviors. Being prescriptive by telling them what they need to do or what they should be doing will not help them in this situation. Instead, talk it through with them and allow them the opportunity to take their treatment journey into their own hands. 

This post was written as a contributed post. Contributed posts are written by another party who may wish to be anonymous. Further, all posts are edited and formatted by Elizabeth Ghekiere. Want to guest post for ElizabethJournals? Learn more here.

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  • As a parent, you want to care for your children. And your kids will appreciate your help as they learn to cope with mental illness. Learn More...

How to Address Mental Health Without Shame

Mental health is an important aspect of overall health. So, we’ll show you that you should have zero shame when addressing your mental health!

Mental health is an important aspect of overall health. So, we’ll show you that you should have zero shame when addressing your mental health!

Many seem to suggest that the world is getting worse and worse due to the current political climate and the potential toxicity of social media. However, to think that everything is terrible means neglecting to take in all of the information to the contrary. In fact, there is much to be optimistic about. One of these sets of optimism includes the shifting attitudes and public awareness surrounding mental health.

For many years, those with mental health issues were disregarded as being silly, or willfully irrational. It was easy to dismiss those with vulnerabilities. This is a great shame to put it extremely lightly, and will never stop being so. However, these days, many understand that mental health is just as important as physical health, perhaps even more critical.

This means that you should have zero shame when addressing the issues you may be facing. In fact, taking the time to finally accept you need help can allow you to start your journey of becoming better. It can also help you to start finding the light at the end of the tunnel. This is essential for positive living, but it first requires you to admit you are not an oddity, you are just in need of some help. After all, we wouldn’t look like someone with a sprained or broken arm as deficient. Further, only in the presence of unfortunate circumstances, and that’s precisely how we should view those with mental health issues, provided we know those circumstances can be improved or managed.

With the following advice, we’ll show you that you should have zero shame when addressing your mental health:

Everyone Must Maintain Their Mental Health

The main reason that you should feel zero shame when addressing your mental health is that everyone, no matter who they are, must maintain it. Sure, some are more predisposed to mental health conditions than others. Genetic and environmental issues can be a real factor. However, that’s not to say there are those out there ‘immune’ to mental health issues. Depression can come for anyone, as can trauma, as can intense stress, as can panic attacks. For that reason, taking care of yourself is something admirable, something that should be considered courageous and strong. The more we can spread this idea, the more it will grow. Thus, more people will feel empowered to talk about this.

There Is Hope

There is always hope. Even those suffering from PTSD or severe mental conditions can be helped through therapy, medication, or by separating themselves from a difficult situation. To feel there’s no light at the end of the tunnel is not only damaging, but it’s unfortunately false. Additionally, amazing professionals such as Psychotherapist Haley Neidich serve as a bastion of impartial help. In seeking professional help, you are allowing for the strength of support, which we can receive to be just around the corner.

You Can Become An Ambassador

What happens when you talk to someone whom you do not understand? Often, you learn that they are a person just like you. For example, you may have never met someone with dwarfism, thinking this to be a sad affliction that you are glad you do not possess. Then, in speaking to someone, you realize that they are as much a lovely and radiant person as you are. You are a person who is living their life to the full, and this completely resolves your ignorance. The same can be said for those dealing with mental health struggles.

If you have gone through trauma, or perhaps something equally as hard, and that still has an effect on the way you live your life, speaking about it can help. By speaking up or talking with someone else, others can learn how to best help themselves and seek the help they need. It can also help those without these challenges to understand your journey. Whatever opinion they come to, they will at least be able to do that with the facts in front of them, not their impressions or ignorance to lead them. Unfortunately, awareness is just like light, an absence of it will inevitably lead to darkness. However, you can serve as that light, provided you take that courageous step after first prioritizing your treatment and daily care.

To Conclude…

You mustn’t feel ashamed of your mental health. No matter how it demonstrates itself, there is always a silver lining. There will always be a potential recourse of treatment, and now that awareness is spreading, you are likely to find a loving community to surround you. The best thing you can ever do is care for yourself, and having a mental health struggle will never, ever disqualify you from that.

This post was written as a contributed post. Contributed posts are written by another party who may wish to be anonymous. Further, all posts are edited and formatted by Elizabeth Ghekiere. Want to guest post for ElizabethJournals? Learn more here.

How To Take Your Mental Well-Being Into Your Hands

Improving your mental health can feel harder than improving your physical health. Let’s talk about how to take your mental well-being into your own hands.

Improving your mental health can often feel more difficult than improving your physical health. Problems with your body are often easily noticed and explained by doctors or other medical professionals. However, this isn’t always the case when it comes to the mind. Let’s talk about how you could take your mental well-being into your own hands.

Anxiety and depression are categories often used to explain mental health problems, but these categories are very broad. Two people with anxiety might have very different problems which require very different solutions. Still, whatever the issues with your emotional well-being, there are ways to heal. Seeing as the problems start in the mind, your mind is also the thing that can solve those problems.

Exercise On A Daily Basis

Let’s start by focusing on physical health. The well-being of your mind is linked to the well-being of your body. So, if you want to improve one aspect of your health, then you should improve the other, too. Getting your body moving is a great way to take your mental well-being into your own hands. Exercise improves your mood, so it can be a great way to adopt a positive mindset. You just need to find a physical activity that you enjoy. Perhaps you could join a local yoga class, for example. The social element of this activity would be good for your mental health, too. Stay physically active if you want to keep yourself mentally active.

Talk To People

You also need to talk to people if you want to take your mental well-being into your own hands. Opening up about your emotional well-being is a great way to come to terms with your thoughts. Sharing your feelings with others will help you to feel less isolated, as well. It’ll remind you that your loved ones care about your health. Of course, you might want to talk to mental health specialists, too. It’s important to get the treatment you need to start taking positive steps in the right direction. You could check out these counseling and mental health services. You could get the help necessary to start moving forward and improving your emotional well-being.

TAKE MENTAL WELL-BEING INTO YOUR OWN HANDS_TEA_FLOWERS-CHAIR-RELAX

Be Your Own Support

As important as it is to have friends and family members who support you, you also need to be your own source of support. Knowing that your loved ones are there for you can be immensely helpful as you start to heal, but you also need to know that you’re going to be there for yourself. When your mental health starts to suffer, it’s easy to berate yourself, but you have to be kind and patient. Whether you’re dealing with stress, anxiety, or depression, you have to try to separate yourself as a person from your mental illness. It doesn’t define you, just as a physical illness doesn’t define someone.

Don’t be your own worst critic. Learning to understand and accept your brain will help you to process your emotions. Letting anger or stress take over can exacerbate your feelings, but a calm and friendly attitude towards yourself can make it much easier to allow those feelings to pass. It takes practice, and you’ll still need the support of loved ones, but you can take great strides forwards if you adopt an understanding mindset. Include yourself in your support network. You’ll learn that your mind is much stronger than you imagine, and that’s a good thing; it means you can work through any problems you might be facing.

This post was written as a contributed post. Contributed posts are written by another party who may wish to be anonymous. Further, all posts are edited and formatted by Elizabeth Ghekiere. Want to guest post for ElizabethJournals? Learn more here.

Benefits of Using Weighted Blankets

Benefits of Using Weighted Blankets Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Weighted Blankets are becoming all the range. These trendy blankets recreate the sensation of a loved one hugging you during the night. This creates a warm calming effect and a feeling of being cradled in your mother’s arms again. Especially if you believe in Freudian theories. Regardless of whether you are someone who has trouble falling asleep or someone who sleeps alone, a weighted blanket may be the cure for your insomnia and restlessness.

What is the Science Behind Weighted Blankets?

The scientific studies are based on the science of grounding. Grounding is a practice that even ancient people believed in. Today, people are grounding themselves by getting closer to the earth. It is believed that the rubber soles on most shoes interrupt the flow of magnetic waves from the earth’s molten iron core. The benefits appear to be an improvement in mood, better sleep, and even reduced inflammation. 

Another popular trend is conductive mattresses that provide greater body heat conductivity. There are many styles. Some are infused with copper. Others boast of a gel coating that transfers body heat better. And yet others may conduct some of the natural magnetism from the earth’s core. These materials may even transfer the earth’s natural energy. This happens if connected to earthing rods or ports that ground them into the earth’s crust.

Anyone who camps out regularly and sleeps in a tent will tell you about how hard it is to sleep in an apartment or home where they can’t feel the natural magnetism and vibrations of the earth. This same principle is why many trust in weighted blankets to help them retain a sense of peace and calmness at night.

Purchasing a weighted blanket for adults may work as well as conductive mattress pads in helping to normalize cortisol rhythms in the body. Because grounding is a phenomenon that is difficult to measure in its continual subtle effect on the body, the true benefits are associated by way of other studies. 

Studies show that cortisol levels have a direct impact on the quality of sleep. This is because cortisol is the stress hormone and plays an important role in overall health. Research also proves that even connecting with the earth on nature walks can reduce stress, alleviate depression, and improve overall health.

Anecdotal Evidence

Anecdotal evidence may be a better gauge of how a novel understudied science works. The anecdotal evidence suggests that weighted blankets simply help to improve mood. It really doesn’t matter what scientific mechanisms are behind it. If other people are benefiting, it is likely that you will also benefit. 

And it is logical to believe that feeling the weight, as if a person were on top of you, would help to make you feel more relaxed and comfortable. People often sleep together in more intimate settings by relying on this exact mechanism. In bygone days, mothers would tuck their children in at night as a comfort. This same type of tension, feeling as snug as a bug in a rug, can help you to recapture the youthful nostalgia. 

Whether the earthing effect or nostalgic memories are playing a role is not really important if you sleep and feel better. It is recommended that people choose weighted blankets that are set to 10 percent of their body weight. Some blankets have double sides for a snuggly warming effect of fleece or a smooth cooling sensation from cotton. And some weighted blankets have washable covers to ensure that they are hypoallergenic and easy to clean.

The calming effects of these blankets are even beneficial to children who suffer from ADHD. It is possible that children may be wound up from stress and a lack of deep R.E.M. (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep. If you can try an all-natural home remedy that works or assists in solving the problem, why not try it? You probably need some updated bedding materials anyhow.

Conclusion

Try using weighted blankets in your home if you are having any problems with sleep or simply like the idea of comfortable and cozy bedding materials. They come in a variety of weights, styles, and sizes to ensure the best feel and fit for everyone. They appear to have some basic scientific rationales for why they are so effective. And the anecdotal evidence of their effectiveness is what draws so much interest. Try one today to see how a weighted blanket can benefit you.

This post was written in collaboration. Collaborative writing means that while I have contributed to this post and edited its content and formatting, I am not its original author. By posting this content on my blog, I may receive financial compensation. Want to guest post for Jihi Elephant? Learn more here. 

  • Benefits of Using Weighted Blankets
  • Benefits of Using Weighted Blankets
  • Benefits of Using Weighted Blankets

How Going Offline for 10 Days Healed My Anxiety

How Going Offline for 10 Days Healed My Anxiety

The first thought before going to bed is to check social media networks and news websites. This is the very first thought in the morning. Does it sound familiar? Hectic life in combination with toxic feelings (sadness, anger, fear) that we consume from the online world leads to the feelings of total confusion, stress, and anxiety.

I have immersed myself deeply into what was happening in the world, and one day I’ve realized that the mix of conflicting emotions prevented me from enjoying life, developing, and implementing my plans. I suspect I’m not alone. Thus, I’ve decided to leave this emotional burden behind for ten days just to find myself and get distracted. Here is what I have learned.

How to Get Rid of Anxiety

Anxiety for me is the feeling of inner turmoil, nervousness, and tension. Some people can experience FOBO. FOBO, the fear of being offline, refers to the anxiety related to missing something important if you’re not plugged in at. all. times.

It is expressed in panic in case of the absence of WI-FI or in the urgent necessity to check social media every five minutes. I was very close to suffering from FOBO. When I’ve decided to deal with anxiety, I tried many methods. Here are the most effective ones.

Pet therapy

This therapy gives not only amazing results but also cuteness overload! I am a huge fan of dogs, and I know how beneficial communication with pets is. Dogs can express their emotions through sounds, facial expressions, and certain actions.

Dogs have helped me find my inspiration and motivation, increase enthusiasm, boost activity levels, reduce the level of stress, calm down, relax, and forget about all the gadgets. Thus, the best way to interact with animals is joint games, tactile interaction, and communication.

Aromatherapy

It has long been proven that essential oils (the extract from plants) have healing properties. Further, they help get rid of stress, depression, and anxiety, improve mood, and strengthen the immune system.

Mint and lemon help get rid of excessive nervousness, lavender, chamomile, sage elevate mood and contribute to the overall relaxation, mimosa and cedar relieve depression.

You can choose any oil, the main criterion is that it should make you smile and evoke positive emotions. So, instead of spending much time on the web, close your eyes and enjoy aromatherapy.

How Going Offline for 10 Days Healed My Anxiety

Meditation

Meditation contributes to the detached perception of the problems of the surrounding world, prevents excessive compassion, empathy, fear. It gives peace and helps people discover their own inner-self.

Each time I am beset by panic or nervousness due to the impossibility of being online, I meditate. I’ve tried many techniques, and this method turned out to be the most effective for me.

  • Sit in a quiet, calm, cool place.
  • Close your eyes and scan yourself to check the current condition of your body and mind.
  • Start breathing deeply, practice deep breathing. Take a deep breath, feel how the stomach fills with air, and then slowly exhale.
  • Gradually clear your mind of all thoughts. Do not analyze, do not think about anything.
  • Feel the silence in the body and mind.
  • Visualize the state of absolute harmony and peace. You feel only relaxation and peace. You have no anxiety, you are confident and relaxed.
  • Stay in this state for a few minutes.
  • Focus on breathing again.
  • Open your eyes slowly and complete the meditation.

Techniques to Reduce Anxiety

There are methods that can reduce anxiety and promote self-care, inner peace, and harmony. So, whenever technology-related stuff makes you feel anxious and stressed out, try some of these anxiety management techniques.

Acknowledge and accept your anxiety

Anxiety leads to imbalance, a lack of harmony, self-love, and self-confidence. The very first step you should take is to acknowledge and accept your anxiety.

Avoiding, resisting, or pushing away negative thoughts and feelings won’t be helpful. You should practice full acceptance and mindfulness because it anchors you to the present moment.

Notice what you think, feel, and allow these things to be there. Do it without judgment. You bring kindness and gentle attention to these feelings and thoughts by allowing them to exist. Once you’ve done it, you stop recycling negative thoughts and start creating new feelings, emotions, and memories.

Talk to yourself

Self-talk is one of the effective ways to reduce anxiety and gain inner peace. Usually, negative thoughts are greatly exaggerated. So, you should change what you think, and it will change the actions you take.

Immerse yourself in the inner world, think about the situation in a more positive way, tell yourself positive statements (affirmations) to feel better. Here are my favorite ones:

  • This anxiety feels bad, but I can get over it.
  • Anxiety won’t spoil my life and won’t control me.
  • I don’t need the phone to see amazing things around me.
  • My life is beautiful, I feel great.

Distract yourself

This is an effective way of focusing on something positive and optimistic that can channel your energy in the right direction. You don’t live in the digital world, instead of it, you live in the present.

Use a proactive approach and focus on something unrelated. Here are my tips.

Get creative

Art is a therapeutic way to express yourself and get distracted. There are different types of art you can try to unleash your inner artist. They are creative writing, artistic design, graffiti, mosaic, painting, photography, performance.

Do sports

Sport is stress-relieving as it lowers the level of the body’s stress hormone (cortisol) and promotes the release of hormones of happiness. Besides, it improves sleep quality, promotes mental well-being, and boosts confidence. Therefore, anxiety is reduced.

You can try different activities that bring you both physical and mental benefits, for instance, Zumba, yoga, walking, rock climbing.

man reading a book.vintage colour effected photo.

Read a book

This is a great way to plunge into the world of fantasy and be filled with positive emotions. Choose your favorite genre that makes you smile.

Practice relaxation

It’s important to combat anxiety by activating the body’s natural relaxation response. It can be triggered by different techniques that provide relief, boost the mood, and give a feeling of hope. Here are some tips.

Listen to the soothing music

Slow-paced instrumental tune or songs can induce the relaxation response by helping lower blood pressure, heart rate and stress hormones.

Besides, nature sounds can be calming. Also, even your favorite energetic music can relax you.

Visualize being safe and comfortable

This type of meditation has a great calming effect on your mind and body. The technique is quite simple.

Sit in a quiet place and take a comfortable position. Imagine yourself in a beautiful garden, on the beach, or on a river bank. It can be any place that looks peaceful and harmonious to you. Watch how the waves come and go or the clouds pass by. Assign your bad thoughts and emotions to these waves, clouds, etc. and watch them float by.

Laugh

Laughing relieves stress, relaxes muscles, and improves the immune system. Truly, this is the best medicine!

How to Get Offline

Any activity should be used within reasonable limits. Though technologies make our life easier, if life is saturated with them, then this can lead to serious problems.

After I’ve been offline 10 days, I realized that sometimes a person needs a digital detox.

After this pause, I’ve become more productive, I’ve realized how many distractions I had, I’ve become much more relaxed, energized, and creative ideas have landed on me.

There are my tips on how to have a complete break from the web.

Put your phone out of sight

If there is no physical contact, then you don’t see any notifications and don’t use the phone. It’s simple! Instead of it, leave your phone at home as soon as possible, stroll the city, visit places that you have never visited. You will see how much interesting things happen in the real world.

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Use the airplane mode

This mode means that you don’t have an Internet connection. However, you still can use the camera to take photos, other Apps to read books or make notes.

Minimize daily distractions

If your work requires your control and attention, then try to minimize daily distractions. For this, switch off all push notifications, shut down the apps that are not important to you, check the email twice a day, postpone the implementation of non-urgent tasks, and plan your online activities.

Bottom Line

Being attached to your gadgets, virtual communication, and technologies leads to anxiety and addiction.

To combat this anxiety and become less dependent on technologies, practice relaxation, approach the described means in the right way to feel less stressed and more relaxed. Focus on real life, not the digital one, and always live the present.

Author Bio

Andrew Guerra is an editor of Memes Bams. He likes to share his thoughts with the people around. His writing on motivation, love has appeared to make our life better. Andrew believes in fairness and human wisdom. 

  • How Going Offline for 10 Days Healed My Anxiety

March Bullet Journal Feature | Mire of @mutant_bujo

This month we are featuring the amazing Mire of @mutant_bujos!! If you haven’t checked Mire out, she is a wonderful example of the amazing work bullet journaling can do for mental health AND productivity. The bullet journal is the perfect tool for everyone, Mire is going to tell us exactly why!

Meet Mire of @mutant_bujo

March Bullet Journal Feature | Mire of @mutant_bujo

Hello everyone, my name is Mire (but call me Mutant), I’m 40 years old, and I’m Italian. Ah, I’m a woman-mutant, and I strongly believe in positivity, education, and change. Recently I opened my own blog, Mutant Blog, where I write about Bullet Journal, mental health, and other things I want to share. I am hoping it can be useful to someone.

I also created the Italian version of The Bullet Journal Method Book Club, Metodo Bullet Journal Club Libro, in which I make available in Italian the contents and tools of the official club

My Bullet Journal Journey

I started using the Bullet Journal in December 2017, in one of the worst periods of my life, when my first and most violent panic attacks suddenly appeared. They forced me to leave work and lock myself in my home for months. I started in a very simple notebook I had at home, based on what I found on the web. Slowly I came to discover the original method.

The Bullet Journal helped me to start living from scratch again. I recovered all the normal habits of a person, like washing, dressing, taking care of my body, cooking, washing dishes, leaving the house and going out. These were all tasks for me since I spent my days still on the bed without doing anything at all.

Slowly, I also recovered many passions that I had put aside, including drawing, reading, watching movies and videos, running. I’ve learned a lot of new things, discovered new passions, built new habits (such as Morning Pages or meditation) that increasingly resemble me and finally I know who I really am, who I want to be and live my life intentionally.

How Bullet Journaling Helped Me

Many pages of my Bujo have been dedicated to reflecting on the condition I was living, on why, on hopes, on motivational phrases that could help me. From my empty days, I started to fill them with all the things that I love and that are part of me. The Bujo also welcomed all the tools to help with anxiety and panic attacks. I used these tool according to the time and need. I put my fears, little big successes and relapses on paper allowing me to develop awareness, face my fears gradually, learn self-compassion, and dream of being able to return to do everything I want.

Bullet Jouranling & Mental Health

The bullet journal has an extraordinary value for mental health. While the bujo alone is not enough, in cases like mine you need the support of a professional and possibly medical therapies. In any case, this was and still is my bullet journal journey. I loved my journey and it really allows me not to feel alone. Through this, in the end, I am in good company, that of myself, my best friend!

The Bullet Journal has never been just related to or focused on my mental health and my problems. Rather, it is similar to many other journals, with tasks, tracker, etc.—do not take it for a “Diary of therapy”, because it has never been. My bullet journal is my Life Companion!

Tips for Bullet Journal Beginners:

To those who are starting to use the Bullet Journal I recommend:

  • Know and learn about the original method. Do not believe that the Bujo is just what you see around on the web! Give yourself this chance!
  • The bujo is for everyone, just know the ability to handwriting and have a notebook and a pen.
  • The Bullet journal must reflect yourself, do not imitate models or try to be someone else. Otherwise, it will not really be useful! Rather take as inspiration what you see on the web!
  • Don’t use the Bujo just to get likes on IG and Facebook, it was not born for this!
  • Open up, and try, try, try, try whatever comes to mind, from graphics to layout, to content.
  • Always remember that the Bujo is not born to be a beautiful object to show. It has its own way, it’s up to you to find yours!
  • If you are shy (like me), try to meet other bullet journalists by writing them in DM. There are people behind every notebook!

Thank you, Elizabeth for hosting my testimony on the importance of the Bullet Journal as a support for our mental health!

If you like @mutant_bujo’s planner or want to check her out, head on over to her Instagram Here!

If you are interested in becoming a featured bullet journaler, check out the details and apply here!

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  • March Bullet Journal Feature | Mire of @mutant_bujo
  • March Bullet Journal Feature | Mire of @mutant_bujo

Top 5 Outdoor Activities for Improving Your Mental Health

Being physically active has numerous benefits for your physical and mental health. It’s a great thing for your body and mind to spend some time doing outside activities in the fresh air, letting the steam out, depressurizing and improve your fitness. If you need ideas on what great outdoor activities you could do, here are a couple of those.

Top 5 Outdoor Activities for Improving Your Mental Health

1. Yoga – The Balance of Body And Mind

Yoga is great because you can do it anywhere – all you need is your yoga mat, and you’re set to go. Find some quiet place outside and let it go. Yoga has incredible benefits to your mental health – it motivates you to focus on your breathing, which is a form of meditation and calms you down.

Another advantage of yoga is that it comes in many forms and types, meaning you can practice yoga regardless of your age and physical fitness. You being outside, focusing on the position (asana), and your breathing teaches you how to live in the moment, free of the everyday worries. It automatically means the stress level will reduce while the endorphins are releasing. In the long term, you will notice that you are closer to emotional balance.

Top 5 Outdoor Activities for Improving Your Mental Health

2. Cycling and Enjoying The Scenery

Regarding physical benefits, cycling is great for your lower body strength, especially your calves, hamstrings, and quads. It is an excellent cardio which helps your cardiovascular system. What makes it an excellent activity for people with joint pains is that it’s a non-weight-bearing activity. And lastly, it improves your coordination and balance.

Regarding mental health benefits, cycling is very effectiveat reducing stress and improving your mood. It’s also a group activity – you can go on a family cycling tour and enjoy while bonding. And let’s not forget the opportunity to change the scenery every day. You can’t be bored while exploring new parts of town and changing the route every couple of days.

Top 5 Outdoor Activities for Improving Your Mental Health

3. Hiking – Meditative and Fun

Hiking offers the opportunity to take your time while enjoying the scenery. Additionally, hiking in nature is a wonderful experience. You get to spend a lot of calories without actually noticing it because you’ll be too busy exploring the surroundings and soaking it all in. This type of outdoor activity is especially beneficial for those who are feeling depressed or sad. When you expose yourself to nature: the trees, the flowers, the natural sounds, you will create a connection to it all, calming your mind and letting go of the worries.

If it’s possible, explore hiking holidays offers to give yourself a couple of days of pure joy. Being able to hike and explore new surroundings is incredibly beneficial. You will change the surroundings and have a lovely relaxing holiday while still being able to be physically active. And you can choose the pace -it can be a relaxing walk or a more strenuous workout.

Top 5 Outdoor Activities for Improving Your Mental Health

4. Swimming – Give in To the Water

If you are lucky to have a river or a lake nearby, don’t miss the chance to rip the benefits. As soon as the weather gets hot enough, take your towel and go for a swim. Swimming is excellent for the whole body because there is no pressure for the body in water. There is a minimum chance of an injury so even people recovering from one can take up swimming. Still, you will improve your muscles because the water provides a specific resistance while you swim. It also improves your flexibility.

Mental benefits are obvious – you can relax while swimming, enjoying the water. When you merely float, you can turn off all your senses and just feel the sense of calmness overwhelming you. Also, the rhythmic movements you make while swimming represents a form of meditation.

Top 5 Outdoor Activities for Improving Your Mental Health

5. Paddling – Enjoy the Water in A Different Way

You won’t be in the water to enjoy it. As much as outdoor swimming is excellent, it is impossible to do it throughout all the year (in most cases) due to weather conditions. Still, paddling is fantastic because you can do it almost any day if you wear appropriate clothes.

You can enjoy the serenity of the water and work on your upper body strength. Your shoulders, arms, back, and chest will increase its strength, but you will also get stronger legs. Paddling is one of the low-impact activities, so there is no fear of getting injured while paddling. It is a cardiovascular activity that can calm you down! So, if you are feeling depressed or anxious – merely take the paddles and go to the nearest lake or river. river.

Outdoor activities are so beneficial that you should always prefer them over other forms of exercise. They are good for your physical fitness, but the aspect of mental health is what makes them so unique.

Author Bio

Nina is the author of this post. Nina is a lifestyle blogger, yoga aficionado and a travel enthusiast with a distinctive taste for home decor. She’s passionate about learning new things and sharing meaningful ideas. In her free time, Nina loves to design clothes and furniture. If you wanna see what she’s up to you can find her on Twitter.Want to guest post for Jihi Elephant? Learn more here. 

  • Top 5 Outdoor Activities for Improving Your Mental Health
  • Top 5 Outdoor Activities for Improving Your Mental Health
  • Top 5 Outdoor Activities for Improving Your Mental Health

How Travel Can Benefit Our Mental Health

Health is associated with many things. To maintain good health, one must eat good nutritious food, exercise daily, sleep for 8 hours, and most importantly manage your stress. Although every idea is important to maintain good health, mental health is the key to live happy and healthy; you can only gain from a healthy mind. So take part in activities that help you to develop a strong and healthy mind. You should always build your lifestyle around those activities that keep you fresh, and stress-free.

Sports are a great way to maintain good mental health. Exercise can also help people keep their mental and overall physical health in check. But the most important activity a person can build his or her life around to maintain good mental health is traveling. You need a powerful body to live a healthy life, but you need a powerful mind to fuel that body as well. Traveling is a unique way to maintain great mental health. It is a fact that people who travel at least once or twice a year live a happier and healthier life.

Importance Of A Good Mental Health

To live an overall healthy life, you need a healthy mind. Mental health is the key to the happiness a person seeks in their life. When a person is stressed from work and daily lifestyle, the mind becomes vulnerable to depression, and that is where all the problems begin. Mind controls our body, and if our mind isn’t fresh and healthy, we are prone to diseases that are incurable. It doesn’t matter what we eat, do, and how much we sleep.

A good mental health needs exercise, just as our body to remain healthy and fresh. So it is imperative to take part in activities that keep it fresh and healthy. Always do something that makes you happy. For some people, traveling is the key to defeat depression and maintaining good mental health. When you travel to exotic locations, discover new cultures, explore the landscape, and talk to new people, you learn new things, and it opens a different part of the brain. Sometimes, a person may end up rediscovering him or herself. You can also find out about new passions and liken’s by traveling. So, explore new places for excellent mental health.

How Travel Can Benefit Our Mental Health

Traveling Significance

Traveling is a form of rumination that keeps a mind positive and productive. It helps a person to keep his or her mind young by healing the soul. It can no doubt create some stress on your body, but it resets and refreshes your mind.

Traveling is barred by no limits. Some people prefer to travel to beaches, some to the countryside or cities, and some wander in the mountains, and high altitude passes. There are so many possibilities a person can create when it comes to traveling, and every single one helps you to maintain a healthy mind.

How Travel Can Benefit Our Mental Health

How Can Travel Benefit Mental Health?

Travel does everything to a human body and mind that a person cannot do sitting at home. There are many benefits to mental health that are associated with traveling. We will discuss a few of them in this article, and they are following.

An Escape From Daily Struggles

Traveling is the best way to take a break from your daily routine. Life isn’t defined by what you do daily from 9 AM to 5 PM, but it is determined by what you are prepared to do when you push yourself out of your comfort zone. A monotonous daily routine can give you depression and can drown you in anxiety. To avoid taking a toll on your mental and physical health, you need an escape, and only traveling can help you.

Traveling Makes Your Body Strong

When you travel, you come across different challenges that you cannot face in your daily life. But these challenges help you to develop an attitude that makes you and your body healthy. You also take a lot of wear and tear on your body, but your mind is fresh, and that provides the necessary motivation to discover more. It increases your stamina and ability to absorb more stress.


Rediscovering Your Passions

What makes you happy? When you ask any random person this question, they will take some time to answer it. And sometimes, their answer won’t even satisfy them. But when they travel, and their mind discovers a new passion, they will certainly answer your question correctly. In my case, I didn’t know I wanted to climb mountains until I traveled to a valley.

Increasing Your Thought Processing Capacity

Traveling enables you to think out of the box. It does so by putting you in different situations where you are not in your comfort zone. So you need to consider and solve the issue in a limited time. It is actually a good brain exercise, and you are conditioned to solve problems quite efficiently. It also makes you creative, as you think about new solutions.

Learning New Ways To Enhance Saving

Traveling can sometimes force a person to stress about his travel costs, which is always high. However, when you learn the ins and outs of traveling, you end up finding different ways to earn discounts by redeeming promotions and offers. So you can cut your travel costs and enjoy savings. For example, I was helped by a travel agency in the UK on my last traveling trip. They gave me a promotion package of hotel and transport, which helped me save a lot of money. Learning new ways to save and spend mindfully is a great exercise that can reduce stress in daily living finances.

Meet the Author

This post was written by Yungeshwar. Yougeshwar is a blogger by passion and working as a search analyst in one of the leading digital marketing agency. Also, loves music, traveling, adventure, family, and friends.

  • How Travel Can Benefit Our Mental Health
  • How Travel Can Benefit Our Mental Health

Bullet Journaling to Manage Your Mental Health

As you know, I am a huge proponent of self-care and mental health topics. I think that being aware and knowing how to take care of our mental health is hugely linked to other forms of well-being; however, are not taken as seriously as other forms of health. This post is an inspirational list of mental health bullet journal layouts. These include mental health trackers, self-care lists, gratitude pages, and other mental wellness related layouts. This post may contain affiliate links

Mental Health Tracking

My favorite part of this layout by @wild.woman.rising is that it is not only mental health tracking but also incorporates various forms of tracking like habits, sleep, etc.

This is a layout of my own which I created for a client, it’s a generic mood pixels layout but horizontal to fit into an A6 sized notebook!

This is another year in pixels created by Little Coffee Fox which I adore! I love the use of watercolor and how she only outlined the grid, it looks very nice!

This layout is a trigger tracker by @juliettestudios inspired by @lindsaybraman. I love this layout because it is not like most other mental health layouts. This layout is far more specific than most but SO useful.

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Bullet Journal Layouts to Help Manage Your Mental Health

This layout is another year in pixels by me. This particular one tracks 5 different moods.

This layout is another perfect example, by @akiyamahanayu, of a layout that incorporates not only mental health items as well as spending and other habits.

While a sleep log is not necessarily a mental health tracker per say. However, I am a strong believer that sleep affects mood and well-being so closely. For that reason, I have included sleep tracking into this post.

Mood trackers are incredibly popular in bullet journaling. What I like about this one by @bu.joos is that it is not a pixel grid but instead a line graph. I love this!

I love the very creative ways moods can be tracked. In this article are several examples. This one by @megobujos is a geometric mountain range.

This is one of my favorite layouts which I have done for a client. This one is in an A6 size notebook and looks so fun!

Bullet Journal Layouts to Help Manage Your Mental Health

Similarly to the above sleep log, this log is not necessarily about mental health but it includes tracking medication, sleep, and water. Also, this one was created in an A6 sized notebook.

This final mood tracker by @rachelbujo is beautiful. I love the wheel design, green color scheme, and natural vibe. A circle or wheel design is a fun way to track moods!

Customizable Hand-Drawn Bullet Journals

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Self-Care Layouts

Bullet Journal Layouts to Help Manage Your Mental Health

I am a huge proponent of self-care. Sometimes you don’t need a super intricate layout to incorporate self-care into your bullet journal. A simple list can be perfect.

This is a layout that takes a simple list of self-care ideas and ads cute doodles! Love this one by MissLouie.

Similar to the layout previously, this one by @mashaplans is a creative way to list self-care ideas!

I love this idea by Little Coffee Fox because of the creative alphabet twist! I think this layout can be so beneficial for someone who is struggling to come up with self-care ideas.

This self-care bullet journal layout is different than the ones previously mentioned. However, I love it! It’s such a simple idea and looks so clean. This page is a great layout by @hollylovesplanning.

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I know I have already shown a ton of self-care list layouts. BUT this one by the Bullet Journal Addict is so pretty so I wanted to share it too.

Gratitude Layouts

Bullet Journal Layouts to Help Manage Your Mental Health

I love gratitude layouts. I think the practice of gratitude is so important. Simply remembering good things can change your mindset for the better. This layout is a simple list page where you can add anything you want to the page that reminds you of things you are thankful for.

This gratitude tracker by @heartistic.jess is a fun twist on sunshine. Each day of the month you write something you are grateful for in one of the sunrays.



Other Mental Health Wellness Pages

This worry tree by @sparklymalarkey is unlike any layout I have seen previously. I love it for someone who might struggle with anxiety or someone who worries too much (aka me). I would love to learn more about the process of creating it!

Mindfulness is such a beautiful and useful idea and practice. Having a layout that helps you to be more mindful is an awesome idea! This page was made by @the.petite.planner and is so creative yet simple!

It is pretty common for people to incorporate quotes and motivational words into their bullet journal. I personally LOVE this concept. I personally have created pages to list positive and inspirational quotes. This page by Productive and Pretty is just like that, beautiful!

Similar to a gratitude list or a list of quotes, a list of items which make you happy is a fantastic idea for someone struggling with depression or any level of sadness. This one by @PassionPlanner is so beautiful.

https://littlecoffeefox.com/love-yourself-first-bullet-journal-self-care-spreads/

Here is a list of needs by Little Coffee Fox. I love this idea because it is so easy to forget to take care of our own needs!

Bullet Journal Layouts to Help Manage Your Mental Health

There are so many benefits of mindfulness and meditation tracking or listing out your meditation topics or experiences are great for your mental health. I love this idea by @bujo.casio.

These mental health pages are not for everyone, but for some people, it is a game changer. Want to check out more bullet journal layouts, check out my Instagram! Let me know what you are thinking in the comments below!

Customizable Hand-Drawn Bullet Journals
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  • This post is an inspirational list of mental health bullet journal layouts including trackers, self-care lists, gratitude pages, etc.
  • This post is an inspirational list of mental health bullet journal layouts including trackers, self-care lists, gratitude pages, etc.
  • This post is an inspirational list of mental health bullet journal layouts including trackers, self-care lists, gratitude pages, etc.
  • This post is an inspirational list of mental health bullet journal layouts including trackers, self-care lists, gratitude pages, etc.
  • Bullet Journal Layouts to Help Manage Your Mental Health

Effects of Sleep Deprivation on Mental Health

The quality of your sleep and your mental health are very closely connected. Most people believe that sleep deprivation only affects our physical health. But the fact is that it also severely affects our psychological state and mental health. Studies even show that those suffering from mental health issues are more likely to experience insomnia or other sleep disorders.

Chronic sleep problems affect from 50% to 80% of patients in psychiatric practice. Additionally, chronic sleep problems affect 10% to 18% of adults in the general United States population. Sleep problems are particularly experienced by those who are fighting depression, anxiety, ADHD, and bipolar disorder. In the past, clinicians saw insomnia and other sleep problems as a symptom of mental disease. However, newer studies suggest that sleep problems can directly contribute to the development of some psychiatric disorders. Treating a sleep disorder may help to alleviate some of the symptoms of the co-occurring mental health issue.

The Connection between Sleep and Mental Health

The relationship between our brain and our mental health is not entirely understood, but research shows that a good night’s sleep is vital for mental and emotional resilience. On the other hand, sleep disturbances and sleep deprivation set the stage for negative thinking and emotional vulnerability.

So far, researchers have established a stable connection between sleep problems and mental health, and have proven that sleep disorders affect patients with mental health issues more than people in the general population. Sleep problems increase the risk for developing specific mental diseases, and treating the sleep disorder will significantly help to alleviate the symptoms of the mental health problem.

Effects of Sleep Deprivation on Mental Health

How Sleep Affects Mental Health

During sleep, we go through multiple sleep stages. Initially, one sleep cycle lasts around 90 minutes. Every 90 minutes, you will change a sleep cycle, but as sleep progresses, the length of time spend in each sleep stage will vary.

During non-REM sleep, also known as “quiet” sleep, you will go through four different stages of deep sleep. Your body temperature will drop, your muscles will relax, and your breathing and heart rate will slow down. Deep sleep nourishes your physical health, such as helping to boost your immune system functioning.

REM sleep also known as rapid eye movement is a sleep stage when people dream. Your blood pressure, heart rate, breathing, and body temperature levels are very similar to when you are awake. REM sleep contributes to emotional health and enhances learning and memory.

Scientists have discovered that sleep deprivation affects levels of neurotransmitters and stress hormones which may wreak havoc in the brain, impair your thinking and emotional regulation. In this way, sleep disorders may intensify the symptoms of mental health issues such as depression and anxiety, bipolar disorder, and ADHD.

Effects of Sleep Deprivation on Mental Health

Psychological Effects of Sleep Deprivation

Sleep is vital for optimal mental health. During sleep, the brain processes information and consolidates memories learned and experienced during the day.

Chronic sleep deprivation can inhibit productivity, slow down your thought processes, suppress creativity, increase irritability, impair concentration and coordination, and make learning very difficult.

Sleep deprived individuals are more likely to anger, become aggressive or depressed and they have more difficulties handling stress.

Chronic sleep deprivation can even induce hallucinations and trigger mania. However, mania is triggered only in individuals who are suffering from bipolar disorder.

Lack of sleep has similar mental effects as drinking – it impairs judgments, distorts thinking and slows down reaction time. As you can see, without a good night’s rest, it is impossible to function optimally during the day and successfully complete your daily activities.

Practical Tips to Sleep Better

1. Figure out your sleep efficacy

To determine you sleep efficacy, divide the number of hours slept by the number of hours spent in bed, and then multiply it by 100. A good sleep efficacy number is around 85. This number reveals if you're giving your body enough time to relax and unwind at night or if you're spending too much time in bed doing other things, like watching movies or reading.

2. Set good sleep behaviors

Having a consistent bed routine isn’t only beneficial to children, but to adults as well. The first step of improving your sleep is to try to go to bed and wake up at the same times each day. This helps your body set a regular rhythm and ensure you wake up refreshed every morning.

3. Get help if you need it

If you have troubles falling asleep at night for an extended period, don’t turn to OTC medication. Over-the-counter products can be used for occasional sleeplessness, but mustn’t be used on a daily basis. If you struggle to fall asleep at night, never hesitate to see your family doctor or visit a sleep clinic.

Meet the Author

This post was written by Andrew Levacy. Andrew runs Memory Foam Talk, a site dedicated to unbiased mattress reviews. As someone fighting insomnia for years, his mission is to help people get a better night’s rest by facilitating the often long and painful decision of selecting a new mattress.

  • Effects of Sleep Deprivation on Mental Health
  • Effects of Sleep Deprivation on Mental Health
  • Effects of Sleep Deprivation on Mental Health
  • Effects of Sleep Deprivation on Mental Health

Improve Your Well-Being With These 4 Home Hacks

Our home is a place that is always there. We come back to it at the end of each day, and we spend years raising our children in it. But, it is quite often a place we take for granted, and we shouldn’t. You might not be aware of it, but your home can actually have a huge bearing on your health and well-being, and this is why it is so important to look after it and care for it.

In fact, the condition of your home can do a lot to impact on your physical and mental health, your confidence, and your drive and determination. There are so many things you need to consider at home, and self-care is one of the big ones. Turning your home into a place that promotes self-relaxation and self-improvement is so important. Check out these 4 hacks that will help you improve your well-being by enhancing your home.

4 Home Hacks to Improve Your Well-Being

Have a Mood Wall

A mood wall is a fairly uncommon concept for a lot of homes, but it’s one that can have a profound impact in yours. You’ve likely heard of mood boards, and this is a similar concept, except that you are choosing one entire wall in your home and making that the mood wall. You can do this with color, pictures, and writing, and it all combines to give you the best possible outcome. A striking mood wall can improve mental health, and make you feel more happy and confident.

4 Home Hacks to Improve Your Well-Being

Introduce Some Plants

One of the most important aspects of improving your well-being is to introduce some plants into the home. There are a lot of ways to make the home a better place, but plants are excellent because they breathe life into the place, and improve air quality as well. Plants can transform your property into a greener, healthier, happier place, and that is so important. Start shopping around for some great houseplants – they will make all the difference to the way you are feeling.



Make Sure You Sleep Better

Getting a good amount of uninterrupted sleep is so important for keeping your fresh and alert and making sure you are operating at the best possible level every day. There are so many things to keep in mind in this respect, and you need to look at getting the best pillow you possibly can so it feels like you’re sleeping on air. A mattress topper might also be a good idea in order to improve comfort and support in bed.

4 Home Hacks to Improve Your Well-Being

Get a Pet

It’s amazing what a profound impact a pet can have on the home. Even if you already have kids, introducing an animal into the mix can really make things much more impressive. There are so many ways in which you can benefit from a pet, and having that relationship will improve your sense of purpose and self-care. Definitely, think about getting a cat or a dog for the home right now. If you do not have the time or finances for these animals, a fish is a solid substitute! Elizabeth, the blog founder actually has a gecko and has had bearded dragons as her home pets!

These are some of the best things you can do to improve the home going forward and enhance your mental well-being as well. So many people overlook the correlation between the home and our personal health, but you need to do what you can to improve this as much as possible.

This post was written in collaboration. Collaborative writing means that while I have contributed to this post and edited its content and formatting, I am not its original author. By posting this content on my blog, I receive financial compensation. Want to guest post for Jihi Elephant? Learn more here. 



  • 4 Home Hacks to Improve Your Well-Being
  • 4 Home Hacks to Improve Your Well-Being
  • 4 Home Hacks to Improve Your Well-Being

Self-Care Fundamentals You Can Enjoy Every Day

Self-care has become one of the most defining terms of the past five years. As more and more people have sought to reclaim their busy lives and center in on their health and well-being, self-care has risen to prominence in a way that has never been seen before. Here are some self-care fundamentals you can enjoy every day.

Intro to Self-Care Fundamentals

Despite this widespread acknowledgment of the benefits of self-care, some people have yet to truly make a switch and embrace what self-care can offer them. One of the most common reasons for this is concerns about time. Often, self-care is described in terms that make it sound very time consuming — take the night off, go to a spa, read one book per week — and, sadly, some people just don’t have the free time available to allow for those behaviors.

Thankfully, there are ways and means of embracing self-care without having to sacrifice half of your diary to the endeavor. Self-care, at its most basic, is about improving every day of your life in small, but noticeable and beneficial, ways. Below, you’ll find a few ideas for self-care fundamentals that can help give you the boost you need to finally be able to embrace self-care once and for all.

bath-blur-brush-self-care

Use Basic Products That Bring You Joy

There are some things in life that we have to do every day, without fail— so why not make them as pleasant as possible? By choosing products that you use on a daily basis that genuinely make you happy, there’s a little moment of joy in even the simplest of functions. For example, choose your favorite fragrance for your bath melts,  a softer towel to use to dry your hair after a shower, or a cute notepad to record your to-do list in. These little touches allow you to make even the most mundane of daily tasks that little more special. In so small a way that you wouldn’t even notice it from the outside, these are incremental improvements that will make your life better.

Go To Bed Earlier Than Normal

Sleep is perhaps the ultimate when it comes to self-care. We are all able to be the very best versions of ourselves when we have slept well, so “treating yourself” to an earlier bedtime can feel indulgent and luxurious, and have significant benefits for both your health and your mood. Take the time to ensure that your bed is as comfortable and welcoming as possible, too; opt for beautiful cotton pillowcases and use a latex mattress as a comfort layer so delightful you’ll actively look forward to collapsing into bed every night!

Talk About Nothing Of Importance

When was the last time you spoke to someone about… nothing? Just idly chatted about things that were going on in the world, a shared hobby, or just observations about your lives? For many of us, the last time we spoke to a loved one for no specific reason is a very long time ago— our conversations are usually expected to be more productive, making decisions and discussing particular issues. Make a little time to talk with a friend, via text message or email if necessary, about nothing in particular. Just relax and natter with one another, enjoy each other’s company, and not feeling like there’s something to be accomplished from the conversation. Sometimes, talking about nothing at all can be one of the most rewarding things you can possibly do.

smile-self-care

Laugh More

Laughing is inherently good for us; the more we laugh, the better we feel. Interestingly, the laughter doesn’t have to be genuine— fake laughter produces the same mood-boosting effects as genuine laughter. To make the most of this odd biological quirk, set aside five minutes in the day to laugh to yourself about nothing at all— you’ll be amazed at how good it makes you feel. Concerned you’ll feel self-conscious if someone overhears you laughing to yourself? Don’t worry: do your daily laughing in the shower, as the water should drown out your faux mirth.

Etsy Ad Printable Downloadable Quotes Inspiring Decor

By taking the time to engage with these self-care fundamentals, you have made important inroads that can genuinely benefit your life. You can use these fundamentals as a starting point for greater development of self-care, or — if you really don’t have the time for more — you can see these as a baseline that will help establish your happiness every day of your life.

This post was written in collaboration. Collaborative writing means that while I have contributed to this post and edited its content and formatting, I am not its original author. By posting this content on my blog, I receive financial compensation. Want to guest post for Jihi Elephant? Learn more here. 



  • Self-Care Fundamentals You Can Enjoy Every Day
  • Self-Care Fundamentals You Can Enjoy Every Day
  • Self-Care Fundamentals You Can Enjoy Every Day

Embracing Self-Care Even When It’s Hard

There are many times in life when suddenly your ability to care for yourself goes out the window. In a flash, all of your learned habits become extremely difficult to uphold, and before you know it, you are letting yourself get behind with your own self-care. When this happens, however, it is best not to let yourself beat yourself up about it – as this will only actually make it worse in the long run. Instead, you should aim to get yourself back on track – not by deriding yourself, but quite the opposite – by taking positive steps in the right direction. Given that these circumstances are usually stressful or out of your control, it can be hard to do this – but still entirely possible with the right approach.

Dealing with Life Situations

First of all, you need to make sure that you are actually dealing with the life situation which has caused you to put your self-care on hold. This is important for a couple of reasons. Firstly, if there is something like this in your way, it is a good idea to get it out of your way  – and that means solving the problem, if possible. Secondly, your life situation is not separate from your ability to care for yourself but instead wound up within it. By dealing with the one, you are also helping the progress of the other. Fast solutions are best. If the situation is a divorce or a break-up, go for out-of-court solutions to get back on track faster. If it is the death of a loved one, grieve properly. Deal with your reality.

A Lesson on Self-Love: The Importance of Loving Yourself

Putting Yourself First as Self-Care

Usually, in times of stress, we have a tendency to look to others for guidance, leadership, and support. This is natural, healthy and to a certain extent useful. But if you have started to notice that you have probably been playing too much emphasis on others, then you might want to remember to try and put yourself first. This means stepping back, taking a moment to ask yourself what your own opinion on the matter is, and doing whatever you think to get your self-care back on track. You are the most important person in your self-care, so this is a hugely valuable thing to bear in mind.

A Lesson on Self-Love: The Importance of Loving Yourself

Being Kind to Yourself

If you are someone who often derides yourself for feeling a certain way or failing to be always positive, it’s helpful to learn not to engage in that behavior. Ultimately, it doesn’t help. What does help is to be as kind to yourself as you can manage so that you can look after yourself both now and in the future? You will find that this makes an enormous difference, so it is really worth thinking about. The kinder you are to yourself, the more likely you are to be able to embrace your self-care – exactly when you need to do that the most.

This post was written in collaboration. Collaborative writing means that while I have contributed to this post and edited its content and formatting, I am not its original author. By posting this content on my blog, I receive financial compensation. Want to guest post for Jihi Elephant? Learn more here. 



Ebracing Self-Care Even When It's Hard

Mental Health, Physical Health, and Your Home

We all know the importance of looking after ourselves both physically and mentally. When we are stressed, not eating well, and overworked we end up in a productivity slump. Feelings of sadness and generally feeling overwhelmed which is not a great way to live. It makes sense that the place we retreat to each day and spend a significant amount of our free time in can either positively or negatively affect the way we feel. So, it is essential that our homes are a place of relaxation. If you know that something needs to change in your life, then this could well be a great place to start. Here is how you can improve your home which in turn can improve both your mental and physical health.

Mental Health, Physical Health, and Your Home

The Living Room

The living room is a space to entertain friends, socialize with family, and relax. Your best bet here is to make sure there is plenty of comfortable seating for everyone, and that you have a good entertainment system. Comfy sofas that you can wrap yourself up in a blanket and enjoy a movie gives you a chance to spend quality time together. You could play games with your friends if you have a big screen tv, computer system, and good sound.

Once you have chosen furniture that is comfortable and suits your style, load up with soft furnishings. Rugs, beautiful curtains, throws, and cushions will all make space feel cozy and inviting. If you go with vertical blackout blinds, these let plenty of light in when you want the room to feel bright and airy, but block out the sun when you are watching a movie on a sleepy Sunday afternoon. Make your living room all for relaxation and socialization. We all need friends and family in our lives. Life can get busy but having a nice space you can invite people back to can certainly make it easier.

Mental Health, Physical Health, and Your Home

The Bedroom

The bedroom should be a place of peace and serenity. It is your own personal space, your retreat from the world. Having somewhere quiet, safe and relaxing you can go to at the end of each day can help you to rejuvenate and unwind which is essential for both your mental and physical health.

Tidy Up

Aim to keep the bedroom very clean and tidy, clutter and mess have been shown by psychologists to influence sleep; a tidy room really can help to maintain a tidy mind. If you have a lot of possessions, have a declutter and then find decent storage to keep whatever is left. Use very soft colors- light neutrals and pastels are good options here. Avoid very bold and bright shades, color has a strong impact on the human brain so make sure you are tapping into the right frame of mind by choosing relaxing colors. Invest in a decent mattress which will support your back and maintain your spines health.

Upgrade the Old

Replace your duvet if it is over five years old and your pillows if they are over two. Not only will new ones feel fresh and fluffy but old bedding can harbor dust mites. If you have any black mold in your room, purchase and antifungal cleaner and get rid of it ASAP. Mold spores can cause respiratory issues and allergy symptoms, and are especially harmful while you are trying to sleep.

Mental Health, Physical Health, and Your Home

The Bathroom

A hot bath or shower when you are exhausted from work or just feeling stressed can work wonders. The hot water can ease tense muscles, and it can even lower blood pressure. Plus it is a pleasant, quiet environment where you can just kick back and unwind. If your bathroom is worse for wear then upgrading it is a worthy renovation. It will add value to your home if you sell. It is also something you can enjoy in the here and now. A new suite, fresh tiles, beautiful flooring, and some decorative accessories can turn the bathroom into a great space.

Upgrade Old Stuff

Buy yourself some new fluffy towels, a nice bath mat and some pampering products that you can treat your hair and skin with. Proper storage to put products and kids toys away will help to maintain a very peaceful and calm looking space. If your current bathroom is not too bad, simply refreshing accessories and grouting the tiles. Either way, a bathroom with a shower or bath you can relax in can help to put you in a calm frame of mind.

Mental Health, Physical Health, and Your Home

The Dining Room

Research has shown that children from families who eat together more than three times a week are less likely to grow up and get pregnant young, take drugs or get involved in crime. This seems like a bizarre connection to make. However, it makes sense. When we eat together it secures family bonds. Eating together can help children to feel closer to their parents, and in turn, they might confess things like peer pressure. Eating together as a family is also linked to children being a healthy weight. It is through positive reinforcement that you can teach children the value of good food. Let them see you fill up on healthy, home-cooked meals, and their attitudes will mirror yours in time.

Invest In Your Dining Room

The dining room is a space for you to enjoy your own delicious, healthy meals, and also somewhere you can entertain guests. A solid dining table is a good investment. You could buy chairs that you like the look of and merely replace these every few years when trends change. If you choose well, your dining table will work well with just about any style of chairs. Good lighting above the table is useful for shorter winter days and later meals, look into lighting that is specifically designed to hang over the dining room table.

Mental Health, Physical Health, and Your Home

The Kitchen

The kitchen is such an essential room in the home. It is somewhere where you are likely to spend a lot of time. From sipping your coffee in the morning to preparing packed lunches, cooking dinners, and entertaining friends, you need a room that is practical and enjoyable.

One of the critical features for doing this is making sure there is enough storage space. Having enough storage space allows you to keep everything organized. In doing this you are not having to rummage or get stressed out looking for what you need. If an entire kitchen renovation is off the cards, look into smart ways to organize. For example, could you turn an old boiler cupboard into a pantry and free up space in your kitchen cupboards? Could you install some shelves to create more space that frees up the worktops? There are tons of great ideas on Pinterest for this.

Mental Health, Physical Health, and Your Home

The Garden

In addition to the house itself, the garden is also an area to focus on, primarily regarding your health. Sitting outside and getting some fresh air, meditating or just soaking up some vitamin D in the sun are all useful. Create an area where you can relax with a drink and a good book, that you could enjoy when the weather is warm.

A decked area makes a lovely patio, you can find decking builders online if you do not have the skills to do this yourself. A comfy outdoor corner sofa, a garden swing or even a swinging pod chair would all be relaxing places to sit. If you purchase a water feature, the sound of trickling water could help you relax, and tonnes of pretty flowers in baskets and bedding make the area aesthetically pleasing.

The act of gardening is good for your health since weeding, digging and even pushing a mower is all good exercise. And once you are done, you have a stunning spot to sit and enjoy all of your hard work.

Conclusion

When you improve your home and make the very most of each room, it allows you to properly enjoy your time there. It allows you to relax and unwind, both of which are good for mental and physical health. Keeping a clean and tidy home that is free of clutter, pests, and danger helps you to avoid health hazards. A home that you love can lead you to be more inclined to invite loved ones over. Being more social is great for your health! Put in the work to transform your home into a relaxing haven, both your mental and physical health will thank you for doing so.

Had you considered improving your home as a way to improve your general well-being? Which rooms do you think are the most important to focus on when it comes to this?

This post was written in collaboration. Collaborative writing means that while I have contributed to this post and edited its content and formatting, I am not its original author. By posting this content on my blog, I receive financial compensation. Want to guest post for Jihi Elephant? Learn more here. 



Mental Health, Physical Health, and Your Home

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