9 Stress Management Minimizers

Anxiety, Depression, Bipolar, PTSD: Chronic Issues

Living with a Mental Health Condition- 9 stress management minimizers

Chronic mental health issues have plagued us humans for centuries.  How do we live productive lives with ours?  Lots has been said recently about mindfulness- living in the moment.  But what about the motivating force of a worthwhile future?

Let’s take a page from history.  Such creative greats as composer Ludwig Van Beethoven, composer Robert Schumann , artist Michelangelo. scientist & mathematician Isaac Newton, cartoonist & writer Charles Schulz and musician Charlie Parker, are some people whose lives have been researched to discover signs of mood disorder even serious mental illness. Yes, we all know of others who have taken their own lives, but why not these?

The answer is- their view of the future. They saw themselves as having important things to live for and, therefore, needed to carry on. We mere mortals need that same view.  Is there work to do, children who need us, love, even creative passions?  We must carry on too.

If you have a mental health condition, you’re not alone. 1 in 5 American adults experience some form of mental illness in any given year. And across the population, 1 in every 20 adults is living with a serious mental health condition such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or long-term recurring major depression.

As with other serious illnesses, mental illness is not your fault or that of the people around you, but widespread misunderstandings about mental illness remain. Many people don’t seek treatment, or remain unaware that their symptoms could be connected to a mental health condition. People may expect a person with serious mental illness to look visibly different from others, and they may tell someone who doesn’t “look ill” to “get over it” through willpower. These misperceptions add to the challenges of living with a mental health condition.

Every year people overcome the challenges of mental illness to do the things they enjoy. Through developing and following a treatment plan, you can dramatically reduce many of your symptoms. People with mental health conditions can and do pursue higher education, succeed in their careers, make friends and have relationships. Mental illness can slow us down but we don’t need to let it stop us.

In a great many cases, stress is the great challenge and it needs to be managed.  Developing a personalized approach to reducing stress can help you manage your mental health condition and improve your quality of life.  Once you’ve learned what your triggers are, experiment with coping strategies. Here are 8 ways to do just that..

• Ways to Manage ( And Reduce) Stress

1. Accept your needs.Recognize what your triggers are. What situations make you feel physically and mentally agitated? Once you know this, you can avoid them when it’s reasonable to, and to cope when you can’t.
2. Manage your time.Prioritizing your activities can help you use your time well. Making a day-to-day schedule helps ensure you don’t feel overwhelmed by everyday tasks and deadlines.
3. Practice relaxation.Deep breathing, meditation and progressive muscle relaxation are good ways to calm yourself. Taking a break to refocus can have benefits beyond the immediate moment.
4. Exercise daily.Schedule time to walk outside, bike or join a dance class. Whatever you do, make sure it’s fun. Daily exercise naturally produces stress-relieving hormones in your body and improves your overall physical health.
5. Set aside time for yourself.Schedule something that makes you feel good. It might be reading a book, going to the movies, getting a massage or taking your dog for a walk.
6. Eat well.Eating unprocessed foods, like whole grains, vegetables, and fresh fruit is the foundation for a healthy body and mind. Eating well can also help stabilize your mood.
7. Get enough sleep.Symptoms of some mental health conditions, like mania in bipolar disorder, can be triggered by getting too little sleep.
8. Avoid alcohol and drugs.They don’t actually reduce stress: in fact, they often worsen it. If you’re struggling with substance abuse, educate yourself and get help.
9. Talk to someone.Whether to friends, family, a counselor or a support group, airing out and talking can help.

(National Alliance of Mental Illness at: https://www.nami.org/Find-Support/Living-with-a-Mental-Health-Condition/Managing-Stress#sthash.IQLiHQwt.dpuf)

Need extra support?

This is where Counseling on Demand.com comes in.  Any member of our team can help you to get through day-to-day.  You can easily match up with your counselor.  It can be done quickly and conveniently.

 

Here is how we can help:

We can teach you how to:

Reduce anxiety with tension-reducing activities to lower the amount of stress in your life.

Change how you think:  Noticing & stopping negative thoughts and replacing them with helpful ones, choosing a healthier way of thinking.

We are online. No need for you to leave home for help. We can get you through. You need not suffer forever. Your condition is treatable.

That’s us, Counselingondemand.com.  You need not go through this alone.  You needn’t leave your favorite/private place.  Nor must you wait for an appointment.  We are always there for you.  You can begin in 24 hours or less.

With our support, you can get through these times.  Talk Therapy is not just talk.  It is the formation of a unique relationship.  It’s the relationship itself that heals.

Why online??? Online, you can get help NOW.

Contact us now.  Talk to us now- free.

Call, email, text or Skype us on your computer, cell phone or tablet- even on your E-Book

We are just a click away.