Preview some of the blog posts below to gain a better understanding of mental wellbeing.
All evidenced-based articles are grounded in scientific research and use cognitive behaviour therapy.
#anxious #worry #panic
Anxiety is a common emotion and it is normal to feel anxious sometimes. But it’s important to recognise there’s a difference between feeling anxious and having anxiety...
#relaxed #calm #wellbeing
Stress management strategies can often seem like common sense or too basic to make a meaningful impact. But it is actually about doing small things, in a consistent, continuous...
#confidence #self #esteem
Coping with self-consciousness firstly requires you to understand what it is and it’s various types. Self-consciousness can be overcome by building our sense of self...
#anxiety #anxious #panic
Anxiety is a common emotion and it is normal to feel anxious sometimes. But it’s important to recognise there’s a difference between feeling anxious and having anxiety.
We might feel anxious when we are making a speech, before an exam or walking in unfamiliar places. Feeling anxious is a natural reaction in these situations, especially the more unfamiliar they are. This is what is called the ‘fight or flight’ response - our body prepares itself to either fight or flee because we sense some form of stressful or threatening situation.
Feeling anxious before flying on a plane, for example, is a situation many people find stressful. Having anxiety is different (also known as an anxiety disorder). An anxiety disorder is where our anxiety becomes too much, we become overwhelmed and stop doing the things we want or need to do in our everyday lives. This could mean you start feeling anxious when you find yourself coming down with a cold, driving instead of catching public transport, or even not wanting to go to school and see your friends. Everyday actions which cause unwanted stress.
If you feel extreme anxiety, even after the stressful event has passed, and these feelings last for more than six months, may mean you have an anxiety disorder. By properly managing our anxiety, we can treat an anxiety disorder and subsequently, maximise our mind to get the best out of ourselves.
But before we talk about managing anxiety, let’s discuss symptoms.
Physical symptoms like:
Emotional and mental symptoms such as:
Unhealthy behaviours like:
If these symptoms are familiar, we would suggest clicking here to read our article about how to manage your anxiety.
If you are concerned that yourself or someone else has an anxiety disorder and want to speak to someone professional, click here to organise to speak to a MaxiMinds psychologist or call your doctor who can organise for a mental health treatment plan. Click here to learn more about a mental health treatment plan (https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/mental-health-treatment-plan).
Remember, if it’s an emergency, please call 000.
References
Albano, A. M., Chorpita, B. F., & Barlow, D. H. (2003). Childhood anxiety disorders.
Clark, D. M. (1999). Anxiety disorders: Why they persist and how to treat them. Behaviour research and therapy, 37(1), S5.
Bandelow, B., Michaelis, S., & Wedekind, D. (2017). Treatment of anxiety disorders. Dialogues in clinical neuroscience, 19(2), 93.
American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.).
#relaxed #calm #wellbeing
Stress management strategies can often seem like common sense or too basic to make a meaningful impact. But it is actually about doing small things, in a consistent and continuous way, to help bring structure, routine and stability to our lives.
1. Actively manage your physical and mental wellbeing
Exercise regularly
It is important we take care of our physical health by exercising regularly. Physical activity releases dopamine (the hormone which makes us feel pleasure) and serotonin (helps us regulate our mood). It also reduces cortisol levels in the short-term, and lowers psychosocial stress levels in the long-term (Klaperski et al., 2014). Moreover, exercising also gives us a healthy escape from the things that stress us out.
Eat well
Taking care about what we eat and drink is very important to managing our gut health, and how our body can regulate our mood. Eat foods that are high in vitamin-D to increase serotonin levels like eggs, and omega-3-richfoods such as fatty fish to regulate mood.
Improve sleep habits
Although stress can negatively impact our sleep cycles by keeping us awake, we can manage our night-time routines to fall asleep more easily and sleep better. Avoid screens at least an hour before bed and switch to a book instead. Take a warm bath or drink a cup of warm milk. Make sure you sleep and wake up at similar times everyday (even on weekends and your day off!) . Get your body into a habit so it’s easier for you and your body.
2. Practice mindfulness
A meta-analysis of 49 studies Querstret and colleagues (2020) found that mindfulness activities and programs have the power to reduce measured stress twice as much than people without mindfulness training. Mindfulness is a type of meditation where you focus on being intensely aware of what you're sensing and feeling in the moment, without interpretation or judgment. Practicing mindfulness involves breathing methods, guided imagery, and other practices to relax the body and mind and help reduce stress.
3. Connect with others
The overwhelming outcome of stress is that it makes us feel defenceless. We narrow our perspective and ignore the bigger picture. But speaking to someone you trust can bring in a fresh perspective to help soothe the stress you’re feeling. It also feels good to connect with someone to help share your burdens, making us feel less alone. Too much stress is also a sign that seeking professional help is needed. There is no shame in speaking to a counsellor, coach, or therapist. They are trained to address your specific problems and help you manage your stress and emotions better to regain the wellbeing you deserve.
4. Assess your stress
On a piece of paper, write down what is bothering you. Then identify what is the best and worst possible scenario for you and what is most likely to happen. Be objective rather than emotional in this exercise as it will provide a more realistic assessment of the challenge you’re facing. It also makes you recognise that not everything is as bad as it seems, and sometimes we’re stressing too much for no good reason.
5. Carve out time for your hobbies.
Regardless of how busy we are, every day we should put aside time to do something we love. Engage in activities that give you pleasure and joy. Research shows this reduces stress by almost half and lowers your heart rate, too (Saihara et al., 2010).
In conclusion
While stress is necessary for normal functioning and keeping us alert to threats, too much can impede our health and wellbeing. Learning to cope with stress is a useful skill. It teaches us to navigate our own emotions and empowers us to build resilience to overcome barriers.
References
Klaperski, S., Dawans, B., Heinrichs, M., & Fuchs, R. (2014). Effects of a 12-week endurance training program on the physiological response to psychosocial stress in men: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 37(6), 1118-1133.
Querstret, D., Morison, L., Dickinson, S., Cropley, M., & John, M. (2020). Mindfulness-based stress reduction and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for psychological health and well-being in nonclinical samples: A systematic review and meta-analysis. International Journal of Stress Management, 27(4), 394-411.
Saihara, K., Hamasaki, S., Ishida, S., Kataoka, T., Yoshikawa, A., Orihara, K., Ogawa, M., Oketani, N., Fukudome, T., Atsuchi, N., Shinsato, T., Okui, H., Kubozono, T., Ichiki, H., Kuwahata, S., Mizoguchi, E., Fujita, S., Takumi, T., Ninomiya, Y., . . . Tei, C. (2010). Enjoying hobbies is related to desirable cardiovascular effects. Heart and Vessels, 25(2), 113-20.
#confidence #self #esteem
Self-consciousness can be overcome by building our sense of self, self-esteem and self-confidence. We can do this by first working out what is causing us to be self-conscious. It is worth spending some time thinking about the situations, scenarios and people that may cause you to feel embarrassed, ashamed, stupid and/or judged.
Once we are aware of what is causing us to feel self-conscious, we can use strategies to manage our feelings of self-consciousness.
Start by trying these strategies:
MaxiMinds is not an emergency mental health service. If you or someone you know are in urgent need of help, please present to the emergency department at your nearest hospital or contact the following mental health crisis teams.
Emergency 000 | Mental Health Line 1800 011 511 | Lifeline 13 14 11
