It is National Mental Awareness Month. So we are taking a look at some of the common causes of mental health problems and identify ways that you can fight them in your life.
Stress, depression, and anxiety are three significant problems that can affect anyone at any point in their lives. The chances are that you have already experienced one or more of these conditions; however, you may not have realized that you were going through them at the time.
Depression, stress and anxiety can be uncomfortable, and for many, the negative emotions that they drag up can be tough to handle.
In many cases, depression comes from prolonged periods of stress and anxiety.
But how can you reduce your stress and anxiety levels?
What Causes You To Feel Stressed?
Stress and anxiety are caused by an overproduction of hormones such as adrenaline or cortisol. These hormones are designed to kick us into action at the first sign of danger. They are there to protect us.
The problem emerges when our bodies start to produce these hormones too often. It might be that everywhere in your life; there are stress triggers. It could be work-related or to do with interpersonal relationships.
Having these hormones continuously produced can leave you feeling uncomfortable.
How Can You Spot Mental Health Problems?
Spotting the signs of stress, depression, and anxiety can be challenging. You may get good days, and you may get bad days. It can be hard to tell whether these are brought on by your health or your current situation.
If you are experiencing feelings of hopelessness, irritability, low-self worth, lethargy, and a change in your sleep or eating patterns, these could be signs that you are suffering from depression.
For many, there may be a temptation to brush mental health problems under the carpet. This might be in the hope that they will just go away on their own, or it might be out of a misplaced belief that mental health problems are a weakness or are somehow not important.
Often, if you try and ignore your mental health problems, they will come back. They may even get worse.
Managing your mental health problems is not a weakness. In fact, it shows strength to persevere and fight depression, anxiety, and stress in your life. It’s a fight that may require lots of energy because it is one that will be ongoing.
How Can You Manage Stress In Your Life?
There are many ways that you manage and reduce the stress and anxiety that you are experiencing in your life.
Not every solution is suited to all. Some people may find greater success with one technique, while others will struggle.
It is important to give everything a try. Some things need some patience, so stick with them.
Find the right combination of these elements that will you manage the stress in your life.
Regular Exercise
Exercise can be very beneficial for your mental health. Through regular exercise, your body will produce both endorphins and serotonin. These are feel-good hormones that can help you to reduce any of the negative emotions that you might be experiencing.
Pick a form of exercise or a sport that you will enjoy and that you can fit into your lifestyle easily.
Getting the motivation to exercise can be a challenge when you’re feeling stress, anxious, or depressed. For this reason, you should always start off with small amounts of exercise, and you should be tempted to push yourself too hard.
Set yourself small and achievable goals. For example, if you wanted to start running, for the first few sessions, you will want to run for a minute and then walk for a minute, and repeat this several times. Then, for future runs, build up the length of time that you run for each time.
The same logic can be applied for any form of exercise. This could be running, swimming, working out, or playing a team sport.
CBD
CBD is an alternative remedy for mental health problems that many people swear by. It is one that has become very popular over the last few years.
Derived from the cannabis plant, CBD is a legal remedy without any of the psychoactive properties associated with cannabis.
You can take CBD at any time. Because there are no side effects, you can take it as and when you need it. It is quick to work and provides an immediate sense of calm. This will help lessen feelings of stress and anxiety. It can be bought in the stores, and you don’t need to have a prescription to buy it.
CBD comes in several forms. CBD oil, gummies, and CBD Isolate Slab. It is possible to buy varying strengths of CBD to suit your needs.
Other Herbal Remedies
Many people find St. John’s Wort can be effective in helping you to manage the symptoms of depression. This herbal remedy can be bought in health food stores, supermarkets, or in most chemists. You won’t need a prescription to buy it. Some people find it very beneficial, while others less so. In many cases, it is worth a try.
Medication
Your doctor may suggest that you take antidepressants. These are designed to help you manage your symptoms on a day-to-day basis, allowing you to get on with your life.
If you’re offered medication, ask questions and do everything that you can to understand what you are being offered. There are many different types of medication. It can take some trial and error to find the right option for you. Understanding how the drug will work and what side effects you might experience will be important. Find out how long it will take for the drug to become effective. It can take a few months for your tablets to start to work properly. In the meantime, you may experience some side-effects.
Make sure that you’re happy with all of the information that your doctor gives you before you start taking the medication.
Breathing Techniques
Deep breathing techniques are one of the most effective ways of dealing with stress and anxiety. This is particularly useful at times when symptoms start to increase.
If you start to feel the symptoms of anxiety, breathe in slowly over the count of five. Then, hold your breath for six seconds, and then breathe out over the count of seven seconds.
You should keep repeating this counting in your head as you breathe in and out. As you breathe, focus on each breath.
Using breathing techniques like this, one will calm you down. It will lower the levels of stress in your body and give you more clarity in your thoughts.
Meditation
Meditation is a powerful tool that is very useful for helping to deal with mixed up and jumbled thoughts. This type of thinking can make your mind become cluttered. You’ll find it difficult to focus on certain things, and it can be hard to get anything done.
By meditating, you will be able to clear your mind so that it feels less cluttered. Meditation helps you to think with a much greater sense of clarity.
There are several different types of meditation that are very popular. These include mindful meditation, transcendental meditation and guided meditation, amongst others.
One of the simplest forms is guided meditation. In this type of meditation, you’ll have someone speaking to you telling you what to think and do. You’ll be led towards calmer thoughts.
In mindful meditation, the aims are to obtain a sense of presence and to not be bogged down in your thoughts. You can practice this type of meditation anywhere and at any time. This type of meditation does take some getting used to.
On the other hand, transcendental meditation takes a lot of practice. In this type of meditation, you aim to find a deep state of relaxation.
With any type of meditation, it can take time to get used to it. Don’t give up if you don’t get it right on the first few attempts.
Mindfulness
The idea behind mindfulness is that you are able to feel completely present at any moment, regardless of what you are doing at the time.
Mindfulness is designed to help you to lower stress and anxiety, but it can also help you with your focus and concentration levels.
There are numerous different activities that come under the mindfulness umbrella. These might include completing tasks that require focus, such as puzzles, coloring, and meditation.
Talking Therapies
When you’re experiencing mental health problems, it can be very useful to get help from a therapist or a counselor. When looking for a counselor, ask about the types of problems that they can help with. Many will deal with specific mental health concerns. Make sure that your needs will be met.
Therapy can open up a lot of old emotional wounds. At times it can be uncomfortable. However, many people find this can be very helpful. Allowing you to understand why you think, behave and feel a certain way.
This article is a partnered post that contains affiliate links.