“Friendship is a crucial element in protecting our mental health. Our friends can keep us grounded, help us get things in perspective, and help us manage the problems that life throws at us.” (Friendship and Mental Health, 2021) It’s not always easy to talk about our mental health issues, especially with close friends or family members. Fear of being ostracized or criticized is paramount in this kind of decision making. However, it can be very helpful, as well as important to both you and your confidant. Even if you never talk about it again, it is helpful to express your feelings with close friends and family members so you don’t need to add the stress of monitoring your behavior so they never find out. It’s much easier to have it out in the open. There have been scientific studies supporting the concept of close personal relationships leading to healthier lives. “A close-knit crew of great friends can (literally) make you feel better. The mental health benefits of friendships are probably the most obvious, but there are important physical health benefits as well. Having a close circle of dependable friends can: Remember, though, it’s not just our friendships with others that can have effects, both positive and negative, on our mental health. Our families play a big role in how we manage our issues. “Positive relationships with parents and siblings help a child grow mentally, emotionally, and physically, whereas negative family relationships can have detrimental effects later in life.” (Jones, n.d.) Again, it’s not always easy to have these kinds of conversations with family or friends. There are some things you can do to make the encounters more palatable, however. “Be ready for your friends to be shocked or react badly. They may feel awkward and not know how to respond. This may be because they feel so worried about you or perhaps your news has struck a chord with something in their own life. They may even suggest that you're fine and just need to 'pull yourself together'. Give them time to process what you’ve said.” (Friendship and Mental Health, 2021) Some of the time you might realize that the people you are talking to are unfamiliar with mental health issues and are uncomfortable with the discussion. If that happens, you can suggest a book, magazine articles, or even websites to give them more information. Sometimes it only takes one discussion, and the person will simply know and understand, but perhaps never bring it up again. And that’s OK. You know that they know and sometimes that is enough. Another way to help cope with mental health issues is through support groups, self-help through investigation, even just libraries or other places where numbers of people gather. Sometimes all it takes to re-connect yourself is to be around other people. You don’t have to talk to them, just being in the presence of others can be grounding. References
Friendship and Mental Health. (2021, August 13). Retrieved from Mental Health Foundation: https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/a-to-z/f/friendship-and-mental-health Fabriq. (2019, May 7). The Importance of Friendships in Your Health and Well-Being. Retrieved from Our Fabriq: https://www.ourfabriq.com/article/importance-of-friendships-your-health-well-being Jones, C. (n.d.). HOW DO FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS INFLUENCE US? Retrieved from 10 Minutes of Quality Time: https://10minutesofqualitytime.com/family-relationships-influence-us/#:~:text=Family%20relationships%2C%20between%20mother%20and,detrimental%20effects%20later%20in%20life.
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According to some, our life changes are similar to the changes of seasons. For example, we are in the Spring Season now, heralded by the Vernal Equinox on March 20. Summer is upon us – with the Summer Solstice slated for June 21 this year. Spring represents a time for dynamic thinking, learning, and opportunity. Spring also triggers excitement, anticipation, and a sense of purpose and direction. (Sicinsky, 2022) Thinking about the seasons of your life, keep in mind that we go through each of the life seasons multiple times, not just at the changing of celestial seasons. There are ways to adapt to the seasons of life, according to a blog post by Sheri on the Purposeful Habits website. Sheri lists four very straightforward and easy to do strategies for adapting to change: 1. Change Your Attitude 2. Gain Perspective 3. Be Flexible When Embracing Change 4. Be Your Own Best Friend (Sheri, 2016-2021) If you think about the seasons of your life as reflections of the celestial seasons, you can better prepare yourself for these changes as they present themselves. Moving into the summer season this month reminds us that we have spent the Spring stretching out of the Winter doldrums to begin thinking about new opportunities to come. Summer is the time to start acting upon those new opportunities and ideas. Summer can be a time of fulfillment of dreams, brought forth through courage, confidence, and passion. Think about all the Springs and Summers you have experienced in your lifetime. Those times when you were full of energy, ideas, and positive thoughts. Did you act upon that energy, explore those ideas, and set about to positively culminate projects? Summer is coming – time to get ready to consider the things you have learned, the impacts you have had on others, and the new opportunities to learn more and impact more. References
Sicinsky, A. (2022). Adapting to the Seasons of Life. Retrieved from IQ Doodle: https://iqdoodle.com/seasons-of-life/ Sheri. (2016-2021). How to Adapt to the Seasons of LIfe - and Why it's all in Your Hands. Retrieved from Purposeful Habits: https://www.purposefulhabits.com/adapt-to-the-seasons-of-life/ |
AuthorI am a Performance Enhancement Specialist with a background in Emergency Psychiatric Medicine and Community Addiction. Archives
December 2023
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