Let's continue the conversation

I wanted to continue the conversation on mental health because it is so important! I often talk about how to manage your mental health and action steps to take when you’re feeling anxious or depressed, but do you know how to recognize if you or someone you know might be struggling mentally? Hopefully after you read this post, you’ll have a better idea of how to recognize the signs and symptoms. Once you learn to notice your feelings, it will get easier to catch them quickly and take the necessary steps to start feeling better. Awareness is the first step to change. You don’t have to be controlled by your feelings.

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I didn’t grow up hearing people talk about mental health. I think part of that is because it wasn’t very socially acceptable to talk about and I’m so glad that has really changed. I didn’t know how to name my feelings/symptoms until I went to therapy for the first time and described what was happening in my life and my mind +body. Because I love to research, I started diving into the topic and wanted to learn how my brain and mind worked so I could have better control over it. We are not victims because we feel depressed or anxious. These are completely normal feelings. Your thoughts control your feelings, your feelings control your behavior, your behavior controls your actions. Maybe you are so comfortable with being miserable, distracted, and living in such low energy that you don’t think there is anything “wrong”. Sometimes it’s not until you experience the other side that you recognize how bad it really was. And it can be easy to spiral once you start down the path of depression or anxiety. You are capable of stopping that spiral and you are fully capable of rewiring your brain for better thoughts which leads to a better life. Here are a few ways that mental issues could show up in your life (or someone you love):

• low energy, difficulty concentrating, change in appetite or sleep patterns, heart palpitations, digestive issues, sudden weight loss or weight gain

• thoughts of not wanting to live any longer, loss of interest in activities you typically enjoy, feeling easily frustrated or irritable, many quick mood shifts throughout the day, feelings of dread each day, nervousness and unable to relax

• distracting yourself with hours of television or social media, using food, alcohol or drugs to make yourself “feel better”, addictive behaviors - short term fixes that will only cause long term damage

Pay attention to who you surround yourself with. Maybe someone around you has changed and their attitude or lifestyle has caused your mental health to shift. If you surround yourself with negative people, you’ll become that way too. Or have you started hanging around someone new? Maybe they seem like a lot of fun to be around, but if you pay attention to what they say it’s just complaining and gossip. It seems fun at the moment but after spending time with this person you just feel low and your energy is drained. Take a look at your surroundings, environment and circumstances. People can have temporary feelings of depression based on what is going on in their life, it doesn’t have to mean a diagnosis and taking extreme measures. Do you find yourself wanting to talk to someone to sort out your thoughts but you just don’t know who to talk to or don’t want to burden anyone with your problems so you bottle it all up? It will come out at some point. If not in words, actions. I would encourage you to find someone to talk to. That could be a therapist or coach, but someone who can have an objective outlook and give you tangible tools and resources to control your thoughts and therefore your feelings. Actionable steps that you can take when you don’t know what to do. I hope that by reading more about mental health you can do your part in helping yourself or someone else. Here is the link to my previous post about mental health. And if you’re ready to take back control of your life, book a call here or contact me for more information. - CS