It’s easy to say, “I’m fine, no worries,” when someone asks you how you’re feeling. And let’s face it—we’re sometimes the last people to notice how we’re affected by stress, life events or the general craziness of life. 

There’s nothing wrong with admitting things aren’t quite right. Asking for help is easier said than done, but it does not mean you’re failing at life.

Signs to seek help

Stress is unavoidable, however, when you’re finding yourself in a downward spiral and you can’t shake the depression or anxiety you feel, then it’s time to reach out and get help. Signs that you’re struggling include:

• Friends and family commenting that they’re worried about you or that you’re acting differently.
• You’re less productive at work.
• You’ve withdrawn from your social life.
• Activities that once gave you pleasure are no longer fun.
• You’re not sleeping or eating well.
• You’ve got unexplainable aches and pains.
• You’ve stopped exercising or you don’t exercise consistently any longer.
• You’re self-medicating with alcohol or drugs.
• You consistently don’t feel like yourself.
• You’re entertaining thoughts of self-harm or suicide.

Healthy home environments: good for mental health

Your environment affects your well-being either positively or negatively. It can influence your mood, affect your behavior and motivation, encourage or discourage interactions with family and guests and create or reduce stress.

It’s worth it to take time to optimize your home for stress-free, healthier living. 

• Declutter your spaces and incorporate a storage and sorting solution such as baskets to corral and contain paper piles.
• Audit your clothing regularly for items that don’t work for you any longer.
• Keep chores from building up by tackling a few each day.
• Studies have proven that natural light has a positive effect on mental health. So, roll up the blinds, open the curtains and let the light shine.
• Stock your kitchen with healthy snacks that provide your body with the nutrients it needs.
• Add a touch of nature with fresh flowers to brighten a room. Hang pictures and art that makes you happy.
• Unplug from electronics each day—ideally, at least an hour before bedtime.
• Create a calm space where you can relax and unwind for a few minutes or meditate.

Create a meditation space in your home

Our homes have spaces dedicated to eating, sleeping and relaxing, cooking, and maybe even a spot for creating art or music. There’s no reason you can’t also design a small space—whether it’s a room or a place within a room—that’s devoted not to action but simply to being.

Meditation spaces remind us to take time to be still, not to think about making dinner or paying bills. To create a space for quiet reflection, consider these suggestions:

• Find the right location. Choose one in which you feel relaxed and comfortable. Pick a spot away from your home’s heaviest traffic flow. 
• Consider the light. Some people want natural light while others seek a dimmer place lit with candles. Other people prefer nearly total darkness. 
• Declutter and organize. Whether your space is a dedicated room or a section within a room, keep it clutter-free. You could include a rug, mat and pillow in your meditation room.
• Decorate. People who’ve meditated for many years recommend a minimalist approach to reduce distractions. Choose what’s meaningful to you and sets this area apart from the rest of your home.
• Add nature. Since meditation includes connecting with nature, bring some of the outside in. Include your favorite plant, a water feature, a jar of seashells or vase of flowers.

Mental health is an integral part of what makes you… you. It influences so many parts of your well-being, including how you think, feel and act each day. As Helpguide.org says, “Your mental health also affects your ability to cope with stress, overcome challenges, build relationships, and recover from life’s setbacks and hardships.” 

There’s no shame in asking for help. Recognizing that you can’t just power through a bad patch alone—and taking steps to reach out—shows strength and courage.

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Coping with grief after losing a loved one can be one of the most difficult things you’ll ever experience It’s hard to know where to go from here, or how to think about moving on when all you want to do is honor your loved one’s life and the impact they had on yours. You may feel depression, anxiety, anger, sadness, or a combination of them all, and these can take a toll on the way you function at work or school and in your relationships. 

With grief affecting so many parts of life, it’s no wonder many people turn to unhealthy choices to cope. Sometimes, it seems they are the only way out of the pain. These choices can include substance abuse, poor eating choices, not getting enough sleep, or engaging in dangerous activities. These actions can have a huge impact on your physical and mental health, some of which might last the rest of your life.

Fortunately, there are methods of coping with grief in a healthy way so that you can take care of yourself at the same time. With a good plan, you can get through this difficult time with grace and find a light at the end of the tunnel. 

Learn to like being with yourself

Sometimes, coping with a difficult life change means you just don’t feel like being around other people for a little while, and that’s okay. We all need time to ourselves now and then; as long as you don’t make it a lengthy habit or begin isolating yourself, it’s perfectly healthy. Learning how to be alone and enjoying it can help you build up self-esteem and confidence, so go to the movie theater or go for a hike at a nearby park. Take this time to be introspective and think about what you need to get through the next several weeks.

Express yourself

One of the hardest parts of grief is having various emotions piled on top of one another and not knowing how to unload them. Finding a healthy way to express yourself can help release stress and help you find closure. Consider using art therapy to help with your feelings, or join a support group where you can talk to people who understand what you’re going through. 

Take care of your body

Many individuals experiencing grief are shocked at the toll it can take physically. The harsh combination of emotions that accompany a loss often bring about physical pain and can make it difficult for you to complete everyday tasks. They can also result in stress and anxiety, which cause loss of sleep, so it’s important to take care of your body during this time. That means eating well-balanced meals, staying hydrated, and getting enough sleep every night, as well as exercising daily. It may be hard to think about working out, but going for a long walk after dinner can help get your heart rate up and boost your energy levels.

Grief can affect people in different ways, so what works for one person may not work for another. Keep this in mind as you try various coping methods. Do make a point to go easy on yourself, especially in the first few weeks. Grief has no time limit, and it’s best to move slowly at first.

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Recovering from substance abuse is hard work. Recovery requires that you identify the factors that led to your addiction so that you can make proactive changes and decrease your likelihood of a relapse. Many experts agree that the best way to combat addiction is to create a new life that makes it more difficult to use substances. Self-reflection and introspection aren’t activities that come easily to most people, but identifying and eliminating people, situations, and behaviors that led to the problem in the first place are cornerstones of success.

Seek Treatment for Mental Health Issues

Substance abuse and mental illness often occur together. If you turned to drugs in the past to help ease pain and stress from anxiety, depression, or PTSD, continue getting treatment to help you manage your mental health. Trained professionals will help you identify coping skills that work best to help you manage your symptoms.

Make Time for Self-Care

Everyone needs self-care — it’s not a luxury, it’s a necessity for your physical and mental well-being. It’s required to maintain a healthy relationship with yourself. Self-care is personal and looks different for everyone, but it generally includes staying active, eating healthfully, and fostering positive relationships. 

Build a Support Network

Peer pressure isn’t something to which only kids fall prey — adults do, too. Avoiding high-risk situations and people while cultivating friendships with positive people who will support and encourage you to make the right choices is another component of building a healthier life. Friends and family are invaluable assets — but if you’re worried about rejection because you’ve let them down before, consider attending family therapy or relationship counseling. Create a sober social network; sober friends provide a great resource, too.  

Exploring Holistic and Natural Therapies

Don’t eschew traditional addiction treatments — they’re valuable because they work. However, many treatment centers and programs have recognized the validity of other more holistic therapies as a viable supplement. Those therapies may include:

Meditation, which provides mental clarity, calms and quiets your mind, and promotes relaxation. Those who regularly practice transcendental meditation tend to significantly decrease their engagement with drug abuse — and the longer that you engage in this meditation, the stronger and better equipped you are to resist negative urges or cravings. 

Yoga and mindfulness enhance concentration, improve attention, use posture to connect body and mind, gently strengthen core muscles and increase flexibility, You’ll increase your self-awareness and grow spiritually through self-observation that yoga promotes.

Acupuncture stimulates specific points on the body and has been recommended and used to reduce withdrawal symptoms. The practice encourages endorphin production and relaxation; while no definitive studies can verify the efficacy of its treatment, many people do find relief.

Learning Coping Skills

During treatment and recovery, you’ll still experience many of those emotions, including stress, frustration, anger, shame, loneliness, anxiety, and helplessness. Explore different options to more healthfully manage your stress in lieu of drugs.

Activity, like a brisk walk around the block or neighborhood, staves off negative feelings. Fresh air and a dose of nature often help, too. If you’ve joined a support group, don’t be afraid to reach out to your sponsor when you’re struggling. Light a scented candle or incense, or add a few drops of essential oil into a diffuser. Close your eyes and imagine a place that gives you wonderful memories. Indulge in a piece of chocolate, ripe piece of fruit, or steaming cup of coffee or tea. Play with your pets — take the dog for a walk or play ball in the yard.

Canine backup

Research has shown that pets positively affect your mental and physical health. Many different dog breeds have been specifically trained as service dogs to help people suffering from anxiety and depression. These dogs are trained to recognize panic attacks and use passive methods to protect their people. Dogs provide sensory stress relief through physical interaction which releases feel-good hormones from the brain. Adopting a mental health service dog requires that their owners take responsibility for their well-being and, in return, gives unconditional love. 

Addiction recovery takes time. Be patient with yourself, learn to forgive yourself, and focus on achieving a happy, healthy sober life that you deserve.

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