HumanaCare

Mental Health- The Emotional Aspect

When things in life seem like it’s going alright, and things are going smoothly, a difficult event can bring out feelings in us that disturb our emotional balance. The two major ones in our life are anger and grief. What happens when these feelings progress and become to overwhelming, they damage friendships, family and others.

Anger: The worst thing someone could do is “bottle up” their anger. It will cause problems for them, and the ones that surround them.  Here are some tips for to know when  it is the right time to get some help:

• Constantly on your mind for several weeks and is beginning to seriously harm your enjoyment of life,
• Caused by something that happened a long time ago,
• Causing you to do vengeful things,
• Making you act violently to others or to yourself,
• Interfering with your ability to do your job,
• Hurting your relationships with your family and friends.

Grief: Loosing someone in your life can be very stressful.  They say time heals, because it does. Learning to cope with grief effectively is vital to our mental health. The period of grieving al depends on the situation. It varies greatly from person to person. The benefit of grieving helps us come to terms with the need we had for that deceased person, and helps us refocus our minds to the future.

The 3 stages to the general grieving process are:

1. Numbness or Shock- This happens immediately, you will experience unreality.
2. Disorganization-  The shock wears off, and some physical and emotional symptoms begin to reveal themselves. For example tightness in the throat, or anger at the loved one for dying.
3. Re-organization- You feel better. You can perform daily tasks with focus. The hurt is never completely forgotten.

Some things one can do to deal with their grief is,

• Be with caring people.
• Take enough time
• Express your feelings
• Reach out for help.
• Take care of your physical health.

Want to relax without the aid of medication and without devoting hours to time consuming relaxation techniques? Sometimes it seems impossible to relax, but it may not be as hard as you think.

First, remind yourself that relaxation is a natural state of being. Think of things that make you feel calm and relaxed. For example, imagine being in a peaceful location or revisit pleasant memories. Lay down and focus your energy on inhaling and exhaling. Continue until you begin to feel heavier. Imagine yourself becoming heavier and heavier and feel your limbs begin to sink. Continue to do this until you feel calm and relaxed.

It may help to create a specific location and schedule for relaxation. Relaxation may also be easier if you have an empty stomach, or haven’t eaten in at least three hours. Proper exercise will also help.

If you are having difficulty achieving relaxation, look into guided relaxation CDs. You can also download relaxation podcasts, or stream a relaxation aid live from the internet.

If you’ve found something that has helped you to relax, share it with others here!

So many of us have trouble sleeping and don’t get enough sleep. Whether you’re having trouble falling asleep or sleeping through the night, chances are you’re frustrated and tired. Here are some tips that can help you sleep better.

Get on a sleep schedule. Varying your sleep schedule disrupts the quality of sleep you get. Try to go to bed and wake up at approximately the same times.

Keep the room as dark as possible. Our brains are naturally wired to sleep when it’s dark and awaken when there is light. This is especially important if you have an alternative sleep schedule.

Maintain your mattress by flipping it every few months and replacing it after seven or eight years. Finally, Take time to exercise daily to make your body tired. It may help you sleep and give you more energy.

If none of these tips help, make an appointment to see your doctor. Sleep is essential for your physical and emotional well being. Without it, the body and mind can not work optimally.

Confidence in yourself is required in order to achieve almost any goal you set for yourself. So what should you do when you have little or no self confidence? How can anyone meet any of their goals if they truly believe they can’t? No one can acquire confidence over night, but anyone can improve their confidence with a tiny bit of work.

First, take a short amount of time to identify your insecurities and talk about them with family and friends. Often, these conversations can be enough to help make the feeling of insecurity lessen.

Remind yourself that no one is perfect. Everyone has flaws, and everyone makes mistakes. You are no less perfect than anyone else, because no one is perfect at all.

Recognize your successes and surround yourself with things that remind you of these. For example, if you overcame your fear of heights last year by bungee jumping, keep something that reminds you of that moment displayed in your home. You’ll revisit that feeling of self pride every time you look at it and will begin to feel more confident.

Lastly, be positive and accept the compliments that you receive. When it is tempting to roll you eyes and think negative thoughts, stop yourself and remind yourself of your positive qualities and successes.

Smile even when you don’t feel like smiling. It really will make you feel better. Continue doing these simple things and your self confidence will grow slowly.

Children as young as ten now how their own cellphones. With cellphone signals everywhere, it is difficult to find a cell phone free zone. Rude cell phone users are disrupting our nature walks, shopping trips, and even trips to the movie theatre. Most people who are impolite don’t seem to notice they are bothering anyone. Are you a rude cell phone user? Chances are if you are, your children may be as well.

Setting up cell phone rules with family members can help teach your family proper cell phone etiquette while preventing interruptions during family time.

Here is a list of five simple rules your family can follow to help prevent cell phones from having a negative impact on your life, and the lives of others. Go over them with your family, and you could be amazed what a difference it makes.

1. When talking on a cellphone, maintain a minimum distance of three meters from any persons surrounding you.
2. Do not talk about personal details in public.
3. Try not to use your phone in the following locations: Bathrooms, elevators, waiting rooms, auditoriums, buses or trains.
4. Use your ringer sparingly. Keep your phone on vibrate when you are able to, and turn the ringer off when appropriate.
5. During ‘quality time’ with any friend or family member (example: dinner) do not use your phone

Teaching your family proper cell phone etiquette is important. Have any comments or stories about cell phone use in your family? Share them here.

Just like everyone else, from time to time I find myself stuck in a rut. I feel lazy and bored with my life. I start to loose sight of all the good around me. Luckily, for moments like these, I have inspirational quotes posted around me that really help to lift my spirits. These are some of my favorites.

-  When one door of happiness closes, another opens, but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one that has been opened for us. Helen Keller

-  100% of the shots you don’t take don’t go in. Wayne Gretzky

-  Think of dealing with problem people like going to the gym. They are giving you a workout of your communication muscles! Dr. Rick Brinkman

Post some of your favorites. It could really help to lift someone’s day!