Category Archives: Mental Health

Jan9

3 Chilled Out Ways To Become A Master Of Relaxation

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3 Chilled Out Ways To Become A Master Of Relaxation

In the fast paced world of the twenty first century, it can be hard to find time to relax. The stresses of work, family, and the business of our social lives can mean that we don’t have much time to concentrate on ourselves. To master the art of relaxation, you will need to take a step back from your busy lifestyle, try to gain a bit more perspective, and foster a better work-life balance. To take a more relaxed approach to life, check out these simple ways that could see you enjoying a more chilled out existence:

Your Home:

Your property should be a haven of tranquility. It should be a place where you can enjoy feeling stress-free and happy. It can be tough to maintain a household if you have a young brood, with toys, clothes, and ‘stuff’ adorning your beautiful, humble abode. It’s vital that you can create a clutter free environment as much as possible. A clutter free home can foster a clutter free mind. At the very least, put junk away in drawers, store unwanted items in the loft, or even sell your unwanted gear.

Go room by room and see if you can add a more relaxing ambience. Your bathroom can be the perfect place to create a spa like atmosphere. Check out the scented terpenes for sale and light some essential oils to enjoy the intoxicating aromas of pine forests, ocean breezes, and citrus scents. In your bedroom, get rid of the darker, damson hues and repaint your walls a brilliant white to bounce more light across your room. A lighter room can lift your mood and make you feel more relaxed.

Both your bedroom and living room should be the ultimate in relaxation in your home. The living room is the perfect place to veg out with a good book or your favorite show. Increase the R&R even more by visiting a reliable wholesale supplier for all of your terpenes and essential oil needs!

Yoga:

You really don’t have to be a commune dwelling hippy who loves nothing more than going through their incense collection in order to partake in a spot of yoga. Yoga is the perfect exercise to help your joints, maintain your suppleness, and help with your breathing. Breathing techniques can allow you to focus on relieving your anxieties, combating stress in a more effective way, and leaves you heading back home after a session feeling more refreshed and relaxed.

Work/Life Balance:

If you are spending too much time in the office and you’re failing to switch off when you walk through your front door in the evenings, you need to take a step back. Take the holiday you are owed or consider a sabbatical to relieve the pressure for a little while. Spend some time at home, take up a new hobby, and enjoy having some time away from work. This can help you reevaluate your job. You may choose to change careers to find more satisfaction in your nine to five existence. Go away on holiday, relax, and pamper yourself. If it is hard to achieve a spa like vibe in your home, an afternoon getaway of pampering could be just what you need. Simply enter a search for “Skincare in Orlando, FL” (or your local area) to explore different treatment options and get that appointment booked! You will return back to work glowing and feeling refreshed.

Forget social media to try and switch off in the evening. The endless scrolling really is doing nothing for you. It’s time to quit the procrastinating and take a more proactive approach to becoming a master of relaxation.

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Dec21

Stress, Coping Mechanisms, & You

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Stress, Coping Mechanisms, & You

Stress has been described as one of the principal threats to human health in the 21st century – and it’s easy to see why. While stress is often described as a psychological issue, it can also cause a myriad of physical health problems, and can even be a significant risk factor for certain serious health conditions.

The reality of stress:

Realistically, the chances of anyone reading the above paragraph and being surprised to learn that stress is a health concern, are slim. Huge awareness campaigns have sought to outline the risks of stress to the general populace, but have had little effect. For most people, stress is something that they know they should avoid, but are mostly unable to actively solve – modern life is tough, and stress seems to a be a natural byproduct of this simple reality.

It would be silly for this post to continue along a vein of “you must fix your stress, it’s a serious problem”. It’s also somewhat unhelpful to suggest that stress can just be fixed as simply as flicking a switch; that a few self-care treats will be enough to overcome a serious, often systemic problem. Instead, we’re going to focus on another aspect of stress that tends to be overlooked: coping mechanisms.

What are coping mechanisms?

Coping mechanisms are behaviors, actions, and thoughts that people turn to when they experience stress. For the most part, these coping mechanisms are a good thing; we turn to them as they help us to feel a sense of release and go about our usual day.

However, not all coping mechanisms are equal – and some are downright dangerous. For example, some people smoke, drink, or burn the candle at both ends to relieve stress. While these behaviors may help to alleviate their anxiety, they have significant downsides that eventually results in a zero-sum game – or worse.

What constitutes a good stress coping mechanism?

Essentially, anything that helps to relieve the burden of stress without causing other lifestyle or health issues. So, you may find it beneficial to rant about the problems you’re experiencing, or you might find it more cathartic to cry on someone’s shoulder. Some people turn to exercise to help manage stress; others find a night in curled up on the sofa is more suitable. It depends on what you personally find beneficial; there’s no cure-all that fits everyone.

What if you only find “bad” coping mechanisms helpful for alleviating stress?

It would be wrong to suggest you should immediately desist, even from “bad” coping mechanisms – we all need ways to get through the day. However, you may want to consider substitutions. So if you tend to smoke when you’re stressed, you could switch to vaping, purchasing the best cheap premium e juice as a treat; if you tend to shop, then you could restrict yourself to low-cost, bargain stores; if you tend to opt for alcohol, then dilute the strength and try to stick within recommended limits. With a few tweaks, you should be able to achieve the same stress-reducing benefits, but without such a significant impact on your health as the truly bad options.

Final thoughts:

It’s important to note that if your issues with stress are chronic, and you are turning to any coping mechanisms – both good and bad – more often than not, it may well be worth discussing the issue with your doctor. Coping mechanisms are there to get you through particularly rough days, but any long-running stress issues can usually benefit from medical intervention.

Featured Image By: Pixabay (CC0 Licence)

Dec21

Coping With The Stress Of An Unexpected Situation

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Coping With The Stress Of An Unexpected Situation

Studies have shown that most of us feel stressed out at least some of the time in our typical day to day lives. We get stressed about work issues. We worry about our family and our relationships. We panic about financial problems. We’re stressed out by constantly being connected to social media and our emails. We worry that we’re eating too much or not enough of the right things. We know we should be exercising more, but we just can’t find the time. We work long, hard hours, we rarely give ourselves a break and when we do we use it to scroll through Instagram feeling envious of other people’s perfect lives.

That’s when things are going well. Our stress levels often reach their peak when something unexpected happens. Unfortunately, unexpected situations can’t always be avoided. Things break down and need repairing. People lose jobs or get sick. We find ourselves facing legal issues or problems with our children. You can’t prepare for them, but you can learn how to cope with the stress that they bring, allowing you to deal with them better.

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Just breathe!

Research:

When something unexpected happens, it’s the unknown that causes us stress. Not knowing what’s going on, or why, or what will happen next causes undue concern, sleepless nights, and panic. Research your situation, employ the right people to help you, look for a lawyer and real time court reporters if you need to. Learn as much as you can, and don’t be afraid to ask for help understanding if you need it.

Speak to Someone:

You’ve probably heard the saying “a problem shared is a problem halved”. Well, it’s often true. We’re frightened and stressed out because of a lack of knowledge, but we almost talk ourselves into getting more stressed out if we deal with it in our own heads.

Speak to someone about your worries and concerns. This might be a professional that can offer you help or it could just be a close friend. Either one will give you a soundboard to get things off of your chest and offer you advice. Sometimes just vocalizing our problems makes them seem smaller.

Look At Your Options:

We often get stressed out because we feel trapped. Something unexpected happens, and we can’t see a way out. We panic, we focus on the negatives, and all we can see is the worst possible outcome. But, chances are, you have got options. Speaking to someone and learning more about your situation will help you to see them. Don’t be too proud to ask for help from the people that love you. They’ll need your help too one day, and you’d hate to think that they wouldn’t ask for it.

Concentrate On What You Can Change:

We can’t change everything. If something has happened, it’s happened. You can’t change it, and you can’t fix the past. So stop worrying about it. Focus your energies on the future, the things that you can change, and you’ll feel much better.

Featured Image By: Unsplash

Dec16

Unpretty

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Unpretty

Hi everyone! Ugh, I’ve got to say, it’s been a really shitty past few weeks. Since my wisdom teeth surgery. I have been in a lot of pain and I just can’t seem to shake it. My sleep schedule has been thrown off completely, as I now wake up multiple times during the night to deal with the constant throbbing, which then results in bathroom breaks, and me not being able to fall asleep again for another hour or so.

And, because I am not sleeping well, I am so damn tired upon awakening that I can’t even get myself ready for an agonizing day at work. Not to mention that it would hurt too bad to try, anyways! I legit haven’t done my hair or makeup in well over a week now and it’s really starting to get to me.

I always pride myself on getting dressed to the nines to go about my day. It makes me feel good to know that I truly put my best face forward and when I’m out and about on the job, the most professional form of myself is out there. So, my self esteem has taken a beating post-op because of my no makeup streak.

Now, don’t get me wrong – I live for my no makeup days during the weekend. It doesn’t get much better than sporting a fresh face after being on the old nine to five grind for the week. But, almost two weeks of being au natural is pretty excessive for me, especially when my face has been bruised and swollen for the majority of it. And, because the pain has been so bad, I’ve been dressing for comfort, which Lil Red never does! Combining all of these circumstances has left me feeling downright Unpretty, and I just want to get back to my normal self.

Reading this, I’m sure it’s easy to say that I’m being too hard on myself. And, I know I am, which is the crazy thing. But, I hate not feeling like myself and this surgery has left me feeling so broken. Even now, I feel like I’m totally rambling but, ugh, I just needed to get all of this off my chest so thanks to all of you so much for listening. ❤

How do you get yourself feeling back to normal after being in the doldrums? What are some of your natural pain relief tips? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dec7

Take Back Control Of Your Health And Life

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Take Back Control Of Your Health And Life

If you have been seriously ill or suffered from mental health issues, the time might have come for you to take back control of your health and of your life. Give in to these conditions and you will live a life of misery and despair. Fight back and you can turn your life into something much better. Give some of the following a try:

Take Little Steps:

You will be doomed to failure if you try to change everything in one go. Look at each symptom you are suffering from and tackle one at a time. Choose to deal with the simplest first, as each time you conquer one it will empower you to move onto the next.
Regardless of whether your illness has been physical or mental, it is very likely that you are suffering from anxiety because of it. This can always be a good place to start, as it will make it harder to cope with everything else.

Mediation and yoga are just two ways to help reduce your anxiety, and as this starts to happen you may well notice that your other symptoms start to improve. Give it a try, you might be surprised at just how much it improves your wellness levels.

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Annnd break!

Ask For Help:

You should never be afraid to ask for help. It could be from friends and family, in a sober living community, therapists, or maybe from a personal trainer or life coach. The point is, that there are people ready and willing to help you and you should take advantage of that to assist you on the road to recovery.

Don’t Shut Yourself Away:

Although chatting with friends and family might be the last thing you feel like doing, it can be one of the finest things for you. You may find it tiring, but the benefits are well worth the effort. Socializing can take your mind away from the issues you have, which will always seem worse if you isolate yourself. Just a few minutes of interaction every day can make a big difference in the way you feel, and if some fun and laughter can be involved, that is even better.

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Spend some time in the sun, too!

Don’t Beat Yourself Up:

No matter what health condition you are up against, there will be times that you have a bad few hours or a bad day. These are all part of the recovery process and you should not give up or beat yourself up over it. It is perfectly natural for this to happen, and you just have to put it behind you and look forward to the new day tomorrow.

Congratulate Yourself:

Sometimes, you need to stop and look back at how bad you were before you started your journey to recovery. It is easy to forget the things that you have managed to put right because they have gone from your daily life. You should be proud of what you have achieved so far and congratulate yourself on it. Always do this if you start to feel a bit low, as the reminder of what you have managed to pull yourself through can help to lift your mood.

The little tips above can make a big difference, so follow suit and get back to living your best life!

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Dec4

Newsflash!

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Newsflash!

Helloooo everyone! We interrupt your scheduled programming of Urban Decay palette swatches with a very important Newsflash. Becauuuuuse GUESS WHAT?! Some very exciting things are happening in Lil Red’s world and I wanted to share it with all of you first. So, let’s get started!

For those of you who don’t know, I used to be very big into theater and acting in plays. Then, when college began as well as the blog, I just kind of fell out of it. I haven’t done a show in about four years but, I’d be a liar if I said that I didn’t miss it. In fact, a month or so ago, I was chit chatting at work and talking about how if an acting opportunity came up, that I’d love to do it.

Well, the cosmic gods answered this seemingly meaningless conversation because, about a week ago I got a Facebook message from an old theater friend inviting me to act in one of her shows. The play is called the Parish Chronicles and it was written by her. The role that she offered me was one of the female leads and, coincidentally, I read that part for her about five years ago when we were just having some fun performing other people’s scripts.

I was so flattered and happy and then had an “oh shit” moment when I realized how demanding it would be to do a show. I already couldn’t make the scheduled rehearsal times but, that was solved when they offered special times just for me to be able to make it. And, then, I thought how the two weeks that the play runs would really put a damper on my work life as I work most evenings.

I was so beside myself because, as excited as I was to be offered this part, it would really shake my work schedule up. I asked my friend for a few days to think it over and, after some deliberation, I accepted the part the following day. How often does a leading role just fall into someone’s lap? They are making a rehearsal schedule just for me and I work hard enough that a minimal few work weeks when the show runs won’t be an issue, either.

I felt so good when I started ice skating again and I know that getting back into theater is going to be an amazing thing for me, too. And, you know what the best part is? When I participated in theater and figure skating during my teenage years and early twenties, I was so depressed and miserable that I didn’t even enjoy it. Frankly, I didn’t want to get out of bed unless it was to cut, make myself throw up, or get drunk. So, of course I didn’t fully get to experience the joys of skating and theater no matter how much I wanted to.

Now, since I’m in a better place in my life, I am ready to finally revel in the fun, excitement, and craft of acting as well as continue on with my skating. I feel proud that I’m letting myself get back into my once loved hobbies instead of falling into the trap of not doing it because I haven’t in so long. Being on the ice again was just like riding a bike and I know that acting will be the same way. I feel happy and I can’t wait to dive into this new adventure!

Do you have any exciting news to share? Who else has been bit by the acting bug? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov23

Learning To Love Your Appearance Every Single Day

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Learning To Love Your Appearance Every Single Day

You might have laughed at the title of this post because it’s not possible to love your appearance every single day, right? We all have the occasional “good hair day”, but that’s it. However, there’s no need to be so cynical. There are always going to be days on which you’re not a fan of your hair or you look a little sleepier than usual, but you can learn to love your appearance even when it’s not 100%. It all comes down to improving your mindset. And your mental health is linked to your physical health, so this will help to give your appearance a glow too. Reducing stress can reduce acne, for example, so there’s a clear correlation. Here’s how you can improve your mindset and learn to love your appearance every day:

Facial Beauty:

Let’s start off with your face, because that’s often the main point of focus when it comes to appearance. Many of us are critical of our facial appearance, but this is an aspect of beauty that’s easy to alter. You could start off by trying out microblading if you want to improve your brow game. Eyebrows have become a very important part of facial beauty over recent years, and you might find that changing the shape of your brows changes the appearance of your entire face. You could also try cutting back on foundation; makeup doesn’t always have to be the answer. Giving your skin a break from excessive use of foundation might help to clear up any blemishes, and it’ll make you naturally glow.

Sometimes treatments and makeup aren’t enough to make a drastic change. If you are looking for big improvements, you could find a reputable plastic surgeon to consult with. Looking for something less extreme? How about changing your eye color! Hazel, green, even purple, and blue eye contacts are available to see the whole world through a different set of eye colors!

Fashion:

Fashion is another integral part of loving your appearance every single day. The way you dress has a massive impact on your overall look. If you dress well every day, then you’ll look good every day. It’s as simple as that. But avoid fast fashion; opt for clothes that are timelessly stylish so that they can stay in your wardrobe for years. That being said, if you give away some of your old clothes to charity because they no longer fit or suit you, then there might be an opening in your wardrobe for some new additions. If you want to get inspired, then you should look into some fashionable boutiques which offer modern yet varied options. It’s important that you’re not too restrictive with your choice of style. Fashion should reflect your personality, so have fun with it.

Sleep:

One of the best ways to improve your appearance is to improve your health. The way we look on the outside is a reflection of how well we take care of ourselves. Cutting out unhealthy habits such as smoking and drinking can help to improve your skin quality, for instance. You also need to prioritize a healthy sleeping pattern. The term “beauty sleep” is probably nothing new to you, and there’s a lot of substance to this idea. A cup of coffee might make you feel more awake, but does it get rid of the bags under your eyes? No. And that’s because your body is trying to tell you it needs rest. You can’t cut corners when it comes to sleeping well. Sleep deprivation can weaken your immune system, slow your metabolism, and even reduce muscle repair. In other words, your healthy workouts won’t have the impact you want. Start sleeping better if you want your body to improve in appearance. You’ll look and feel good. It’s about more than vanity; it’s about your physical and emotional wellbeing.

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Catch some Z’s!

A strong sense of self confidence can help you get through the toughest of times, so start building up yours little by little with the above tips!

Featured Image By: Pexels

Nov23

How To Pull Yourself Out Of A Slump & Get Motivated

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How To Pull Yourself Out Of A Slump & Get Motivated

Getting motivated can be hard work, especially if something big has happened to demotivate you. This could include losing your job, not achieving a goal, or even just life in general. You have to remember that only you can get yourself out of the slump that you are in right now and, by putting the effort in, you can be sure to give yourself the boost you need:

Have One Goal:

If you are in a slump, then there is a high chance that this is because you have far too much going on in your life right now. You are probably trying too hard, and you may be trying to accomplish too many things at once. If you want to try and get around this, then you need to choose one single goal. You also need to focus on it completely and give it everything you have. This will help you to achieve it much more efficiently and it will also help you with your motivation, especially once you complete the task at hand.

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Pexels Image

Find Inspiration:

Inspiration is quite possibly the best way for you to get motivated. Look at what you want to achieve, and then look at the people who have actually done it. You will soon see that they went through stages where they were demotivated, as well, but it didn’t stop them from going out there and making their dreams come true.

Get Excited:

If you want to get out of a slump, then you need to get yourself excited about a goal. Talk to other people about what you want to achieve and visualize what it would be like to be successful. When you do this, you can then get that additional drive and push yourself harder.

Get Some Support:

It is incredibly difficult to accomplish something on your own. If you want to run a marathon, for example, then you need to have your friends and family around you. You may want to join a running club and even go onto forums to find out what other people do in order to get motivated. If you have been in an accident that stops you from achieving what you want, then look for legal support, such as an injury lawyer. The support you get will largely depend on your own situation but, either way, you should never try and get by without it.

Commit:

If you have something that you want to achieve, then don’t be afraid to go public with your idea. When you do this, you give yourself more motivation than ever and you can also prove to those around you that you can do whatever you put your mind to. This can be a really big self-confidence booster too, so this is an important factor for you to take into consideration when planning your goals.

A slump around the holidays can be the worst, so use the tips above and get yourself back on track!

Featured Image By: Pexels

Nov15

A Life Lesson From Facebook

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A Life Lesson From Facebook

Hi everyone! Facebook is the only form of social media that I have and I definitely prefer it that way. For the most part, it keeps me entertained and it would be just too much to have to maintain other social media pages on top of my blog. While scrolling through the book, I came across a meme that said something along the lines of “The people who are doing better than you don’t look down on you, it’s the ones who are falling behind that are hating” or whatever. Reading this poorly paraphrased quote instantly reminded me of a little story that goes like this:

I was once on a date with a guy and we were talking about college while we were in his car. At the time, I was at Cuyahoga Community College and he was at Kent State University studying photography. So, we’re sitting there talking and he tells me that he’s failing basically all of his classes. Meanwhile, I share with him that I’m really enjoying all of my courses and I wish that I had started my college career earlier. And, he snaps back with “that’s because you go to community college”.

Excuse me?!?!

Because he was the one failing his courses and I’m thriving in a college setting, that automatically makes Tri-C easier? Although they offer the same classes as any college in the area? Righhhhhht. I spent over three years out of school and I made the choice to give college a try even though I was so nervous of failure that I sometimes found it hard to breathe. And, instead of congratulating me for what would surely be a difficult task for anyone, he replied with a verbal slap in the face.

I’ll never forget this story, because it is so incredibly off putting. But, seeing it from the light of what that meme on Facebook said made me see it in an entirely different way. It was basically a rephrasing of the quote from The Interview “They hate us cause they ain’t us”. Lol, I was so confident in how I was doing in school and proud of myself but, someone tried to dull that down because he wasn’t happy with himself. And this, boys and girls, is an awful way to be.

I guess the point that I’m making is to not let anyone’s jealousy or whatever they might be feeling take away your confidence. Jealous people want you to stoop down to their level, because misery loves company. No matter what anyone says, words hurt. Use your words appropriately and, if you need to think about whether you should say something or not, chances are that you shouldn’t!

Has anyone ever had a similar scenario to the one that I described? How do you deal with haters? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct30

Making Time For Me

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Making Time For Me

Hello! I know the title of this post might seem a bit extra to some, considering I just recently was on vacation. But, oh my goodness is it necessary. Upon returning home from my trip, my work days were absolutely insane. We’re talking rising at seven to get ready and going, going, going nonstop until my arrival home after nine at night. Ah, the joys of playing catch up when you work for yourself and don’t get PTO!

With all of that craziness in mind, it was so important for me to make time for myself to go skating in between clients this past week. Despite a forty-five minute drive there and back to the rink, just one hour on the ice made me feel much better. The cold air, the challenge, and the exercise was more than enough to clear my head half way through the week and gave me the drive to push through until my weekend days off.

Sometimes, I have a really hard time making time for myself. I will work myself so hard to the point that, when I do have free time, I just want to veg out and do nothing. And, believe me, I was feeling this way last week like no other. But, I pushed myself to get to skating practice, even though I was riding the struggle bus, and it was well worth it. Not only did I feel proud of myself for having a good skate, but it left me feeling invigorated and ready for work, which I had to be at shortly after practice.

Making time for yourself doesn’t mean that you need to take an entire mental health day. Although, sometimes, that’s good too! Rather, I took under three hours of my day to do something that I really enjoy and the pay off was grand. Over the past few months, I have experienced the effects of feeling burnt out, and it is no walk in the park. But, I know that if I keep carving out time for myself during my work week, that my mental health will continue to improve and my determination to finish the week strong instead of idly passing through it will keep me on top in all aspects of my life.

How do you make time for you during your working hours? What do you do for yourself when you start to feel burnt out? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah