Category Archives: Mental Health

Mar8

How To Improve Your Physical, Mental, And Spiritual Health

Posted on March 8, 2017 by lifewithlilred

In the hustle and bustle of daily life, it can seem almost impossible to find the time to look out for Number One: Yourself. Creating a healthy lifestyle not only for your physical well being but for your mental and spiritual self, as well, can only benefit you in the long run. In this article, we will explore some simple changes that you can employ for a better, healthier you:

Your Physical Health

Start Eating Well: There’s nothing better for your health than making sure that you eat good food cooked from scratch. Convenience foods may be handy but they often contain more sodium and sugar than you should be eating, which can affect your fitness and moods. Start meal planning so you don’t get stuck for what you should have for lunch or dinner and make sure that you eat breakfast so you aren’t tempted to snack on candy and junk food during the morning at work.

Get Physically Fit: If you don’t feel as though you’re at peak physical condition, now is the time to change that. You don’t necessarily have to go to the gym every day after work – instead, start walking more and make sure that you start to take the stairs instead of the elevator whenever you can. Start a class like yoga or Zumba – you could even take a friend along with you for moral support and a good laugh!

Take Care Of Your Senses: As much as we may rely on them, we often overlook our senses when it comes to making positive changes for our health. Ensure a routine hearing check to get the full scope of your hearing health, and to see whether you might need hearing aids or not. Make appointments for eye tests, as well. As we get older, the chances of changes to these senses increase exponentially, so we have to be proactive in addressing them.

Pain Management: If your aches and pains feel constant, it is not only a huge deterrent to your physical health but mental health too. This is not something that you should simply live with but find a way to improve. Clinics like next pain management roswell (or something similar in your local area) can provide personalized treatment plans to help you get back to feeling your best. With excellent pain management, you will notice a boost in your energy levels and overall sense of well being.

Namaste!

Deal With Your Chronic Conditions: If you have any chronic conditions, then it’s important that you deal with them carefully and that you get healthy to whatever extent that you can. If you have asthma, make sure that you use a preventative inhaler to stop yourself from getting tight chested and suffering from asthma attacks – Ventolin can be ordered online. If you suffer from chronic pain, make sure that you stay active and do gentle exercises to help ease the tension in stiff joints.

Your Mental Health

Pretty!

Learn Coping Strategies: If you suffer from panic attacks or depression, then it’s important that you try to learn coping strategies that will help get you through every day. Learn to identify issues that will affect you – perhaps you don’t like crowded trains or there are certain things that your boss says that rattles you – and focus on how you can better deal with them. Breathing deeply often works wonders as well as giving yourself plenty of time to deal with anything that might arise.

Go To Your Doctor: If you think that you may be suffering from mental health difficulties, then go to your doctor. It’s an illness like any other and you shouldn’t feel ashamed if you’re affected by a condition like depression or anxiety. They can negatively affect a lot of areas of your life, which means that you need to get them sorted out as quickly as possible. Therapy can help a lot of people, as can medication. Remember, you’d medicate a physical health ailment so why not your mental health, too?

Sleep Better: It’s very difficult to get much done during the day if you aren’t sleeping well. If the light comes into your bedroom in the morning and wakes you up, then why not invest in blackout blinds? You should also make sure that you turn off all of your technology like your laptop and phone before you go to bed, because they can keep you awake. Instead, use the hour before you go to sleep as an excuse to have a lavender scented shower, read a book, or light some candles and meditate.

Zzzzzz…

Your Spiritual Health

Pexels Image

Learn To Be Alone: If you don’t spend much time by yourself, now is the time to start. Learning to love yourself begins with realizing that you’re an interesting person to be around. Make sure that you indulge yourself in your hobbies – you can go to see movies alone, you can go to galleries, to shows, to concerts. Take a solo vacation and luxuriate in the joy of having only your own whims to attend to.

Be Around Good People: One of the battles of everyday life is instantly won when you’re around good people who truly listen and want the best for you. If you have any old friends who don’t make you feel good anymore, it’s okay to gently phase them out of your life. Friends who challenge you and make you think are great but if your friends don’t support you, they might not be a healthy fit for your current lifestyle.

Be Kind To Yourself: Finally, you need to make sure that you treat yourself with as much kindness as you treat others. Cut yourself some slack – make sure that you have a night in by yourself if you feel tired and worn out by other people and don’t beat yourself up too much for any little embarrassing moments. We often tend to treat ourselves a lot less kindly than we would treat others so try to remember how supportive you’d be for someone in your situation and treat yourself the same way. And remember: You’re one hundred and fifty percent totally awesome.

Take some you time!

Featured Image By: Pexels

Feb14

Spring Clean Your Way To a Healthy Mind

Posted on February 14, 2017 by lifewithlilred

Standard

We’re only going to whisper it, since it’s still pretty chilly out there, but…spring is just around the corner (!!!). And you know what that means: no, not lazy Sunday strolls hand in hand with your loved one, we’re talking spring cleaning! But don’t worry, because we’re going to be talking about it in a different way. Specifically, how you can use your spring cleaning as a way to reach a healthier state of mind – for both yourself and your family. That’s right – we’re suggesting you declutter your home, get rid of the mess, and adopt a minimalist lifestyle, both in your home and in your mind:

A Calm Mind: It is easy, all too easy, to acquire a large number of material items in the 21st century. Things are cheap so we buy them without much of a second thought. We have space and a need to hold on to signs of our success, so we hoard our items. But by hoarding our items, what are we really doing besides clogging up our home and denying ourselves of a pure mind? Take a look around the house, gather everything that hasn’t been used in the last 6 months (unless it’s sentimental), and contact samedayrubbishremoval.com.au to take it all away. We can’t function with stuff piled up around the house. When it’s gone and things look orderly, you’ll find it much easier to adopt a happy, carefree state of mind.

Space for Passions to Grow: Have you ever had to live without a television or the internet? If you did, you’ll remember the feelings of boredom, and then shortly after those feelings were replaced by a burst of creativity. Boredom brings out the best in us, it really does. It’s an opportunity for passions to grow and for us to do things that we never usually do. Getting rid of your junk is the same as getting rid of the television and changing the wireless internet password. With an empty home, where will your imagination take you?

Bringing the Family Together: Decluttering isn’t just good for you, it’s good for your partner and children, too, both on a personal level and as part of the family. With less distractions, you’ll find yourself naturally gravitating towards one another. Instead of living “alone together”, under one roof but decidedly different lives, you’ll be able to enjoy the rich and joyful moments of a calm space together. You’ll find you’re more interested in playing childish games with your kids, and they’ll naturally feel calmed by the serene surroundings you’ve created during the spring clean.

Boosting that Confidence: Maintaining a neat, uncluttered, orderly home also has one more benefit: it will boost your confidence. That’s a certain confidence we can draw from being in control of our surroundings, of knowing that we’re not tied down by the things that we own. Everything in your home has a purpose, you have already decided that. Instead of being owned by your possessions, you own them – and you’ll soon find this control seeping into other areas of your life, too.

Featured Image By: Pexels

Jan27

Boost Your Body Confidence Now

Posted on January 27, 2017 by lifewithlilred

Standard

If you’re the kind of gal who wears baggy sweaters in the blistering heat, just so you don’t have to show off your wobbly bits, you need to boost your body confidence now. There is not a person alive who does not have some kind of issue with at least one aspect of their body, but there is little point in beating oneself up about it, especially when there are so many things that you can do to boost your body confidence immediately.

Here are some simple things you can do to feel more confident, whatever your body issues may be, right now:

Stop With the Negative Self-Talk: Women especially have the knack of torturing themselves with their own thoughts. If you are someone who’s endlessly telling yourself you’re fat; you’re ugly; no one will want you because you have stretch marks… just stop! Instead of engaging in negative self-talk, start focusing on your positive features (and you have tons!), and you will instantly feel better.

Emphasize the Good: If you have great eyes, look up makeup tips that will help you to show them off, or if you in have great arms by a pretty sleeveless dress and let the world see them. You can always camouflage the bits you don’t like, while showing off what’s good about your body, so there’s no need to worry about your appearance at all.

Improve What You Want: If there is a particular area of your body that you would really like to change, then there is no shame in seeking out a plastic surgeon for help. Certain insecurities cannot be improved by simply going to the gym, dressing your body type well, or being skilled with a makeup palette. If this is something you are considering for yourself, simply enter a search for “plastic surgeon nyc” (or your local area). Schedule multiple consultations to find the best fit for you and make your decision wisely. The chances are very high that you will be extremely happy with the outcome.

Invest in Good Products: There are lots of products out there which will help you actively improve any of the bits you don’t like. For instance, a good breast lifting cream can help you with boobs that are heading south and an effective eye cream can deal with your crow’s feet, so if you really truly can’t deal with a particular body issue, there’s a good chance there’s a product that can help you.

Granted, products alone are not a cure all and you might want to consider using plastic surgery for your problem areas. That is perfectly okay! Just make sure you are doing your due diligence to find an excellent surgeon to take you on. Start by researching “breast lift surgery in houston” (or your local area), reading reviews, seeking advice from friends and family, and reading into all that your desired surgery entails. When you are armed with knowledge, you can make the best decision for yourself.

Don’t Compare Yourself to Others: Women are great at comparing themselves to other women. We can walk into a room, and within seconds we’re comparing our legs to those of the waitress, or we’re telling ourselves off for not putting in as much effort as the more made up members of our party. This can be so damaging, and it rarely tells the whole story. The waitress may have good legs because she spends all day on her feet and the heavily made up woman may not get out much so she’s making the most of it. You have to do your best and not worry about how you look in comparison to another person on any given day.

Exercise: Whatever your body shape and no matter how much you weight, taking part in regular exercise can give you a huge body boost just because you are taking the time out to look after it. Exercising, you will also come to realize just how amazing your body is and how much it can do, which can put concerns about trivial cosmetic matters into perspective.

In the end, you just have to accept that your body is your body, do what you can to enhance your appearance and not worry too much if you fall short of your own realistic expectations!

Featured Image By: Image source

Jan26

The Holy Grail: Achieving Peace Of Mind

Posted on January 26, 2017 by lifewithlilred

Standard

If you ask ten people what happiness means to them, you’re likely to receive ten different responses. Being happy isn’t necessarily about feeling ecstatic every single day. Many people associate happiness with a sense of calm and being in the world without too many stresses. It’s not possible to remove all stress from your life, but it is possible to take steps to prevent issues from arising and giving you peace of mind:

The Worst Case Scenario: If worrying about what may or may never happen is one of your problems, this directive may seem strange. However, if we think of the thing that we fear the most and accept it, then take the necessary steps to a better outcome, we can go on with our life. At least it may lift the worry a little. In his book, ‘How to Stop Worrying and Start Living’, Dale Carnegie outlines this strategy of trying to accept the worst case scenario.

Sometimes, despite all of our best efforts, things go wrong. Relationships fail and household disasters occur. All we can do is to mitigate the risk as much as possible and act quickly. Putting a plan in place is also helpful. So, if your power goes off at 9 pm on a Friday evening, having an after hours electrician in your address book will provide a quick and simple solution. Or, if you fear being late for work, make a strategy to help yourself to leave early to beat the morning traffic and arrive with time to spare.

Health Woes: We all want to protect our families and those closest to us and this may lead to fears over health. We never know what life is going to throw at us. Even the healthiest people such as marathon runners and surgeons get ill. All we can do is take steps to lead a balanced and healthy life to prevent illness from occurring.

Getting Things Done: Another common source of stress is how to get everything done. This includes work, home, and even getting the kids to school on time. Usually, these fears are at their most active when you’re doing too much. This leads to exhaustion which just exacerbates the problem. The best way to tackle this is to write down all of the tasks you have to complete each day. Next to the items write down the outcome or benefit you receive from these tasks. If it turns out you’re spending all of your time working on projects or items that don’t generate results, it could be time to make some adjustments.

If you’re spending too much time at work and still getting nowhere, you may need to review this with your boss. This could involve receiving extra training or delegating to a colleague. It may involve a tricky conversation about what hours you are prepared to work and where the line is drawn.

Learning To Troubleshoot: Possessing excellent problem solving skills is often an effective way of reducing your anxieties. Once you have learned this technique, you can use it in almost all situations. First, write down your problem. Next, analyze it and look at it from all angles. Be specific and outline exactly what the problem is. Then, provide several solutions for the problem and analyze each one. What are the advantages and what are the disadvantages? Now, decide which solution you’re going to adopt and when you’re going to put it into practice. If you’re good at resolving problems, you’re less likely to worry as you’ll understand that there is nothing that can’t be fixed.

If you’re a natural worrier, finding peace of mind may seem like finding the holy grail. But, with the right mindset and a few simple techniques, this is certainly possible.

Featured Image By: Pexels

Jan20

Lacking in Self-Confidence? Why Not Make These Changes To Give Yourself a Boost?

Posted on January 20, 2017 by lifewithlilred

Standard

Lacking in Self-Confidence? Why Not Make These Changes To Give Yourself a Boost?

We all have people that we look up to and admire. They might be people that we know or celebrities that we have never met. But the thing that they all seem to have in common is their confidence. People that are self-confident are often admired by others and they can also boost confidence in other people. Self-confident people also tend to have more of a positive outlook on life. They are more inclined to think that they can deal with anything that comes their way. So it is easy to see why confident people are nice to be around. Being confident isn’t always about being the loudest in the room or the chattiest. But it is certainly about being happy with yourself and being more positive. If you think that your self-confidence needs a bit of a boost, then here are some ideas to help:

Avoid Negativity: When you are around people that are negative, it can have more of an impact on you than you think. So it might be time to think about who you associate yourself with. Even the most positive of people are going to be negative when they are constantly brought down by negativity. You should also try to be as positive as you can be. You might not be feeling super positive at the moment but if you think your way to being positive it can really help – there’s no shame in faking it until you make it!

Make Physical Changes: When you want something to change in your life, you need to start off with making some physical changes. It might just be to not slump your shoulders when you’re talking to others, but standing tall and upright instead. People that have positive body language look much more confident than those that don’t. You might also consider some other physical changes like getting a new haircut or even something more extreme like plastic surgery. I am a huge supporter of the latter because I have had a breast reduction before but there is nothing wrong with going bigger with breast implant surgery, either! Being able to change something that made me feel completely awful about myself was empowering and it improved my confidence one million fold.

Use Eye Contact: When you can’t look someone in the eye that you are speaking to, it just shows to them that you are not very confident or even, perhaps, a little aloof. It is important to give the right impression by looking the person that you are speaking to in the eye. You’ll be able to read feelings much easier this way, too. This can help you to be more positive and enthusiastic with the people around you that you are dealing with.

Don’t Accept Failure: This does relate back to the whole positivity thing, but you will feel much more confident in yourself when you are thinking about what you can learn from failure, rather than just focusing on your failure. That is something that will differentiate people with low confidence and those with lots of confidence. So next time you hear a negative thought creeping in to get you down, switch it around and it will give your confidence a boost.

Featured Image By: Pexels

Dec9

Confessions Of A Shopaholic

Posted on December 9, 2016 by lifewithlilred

Standard

Heyy everyone and TGIF!! So, if you have been reading my blog for a while or just take a look at the plethora of posts under the “Fashion” category, you might be able to guess that I love to shop. Honestly, the word love is an understatement because I am lightweight obsessed with purchasing all things fashion, beauty, and accessories. There’s just something about the act of going to your favorite store or getting comfy on your couch to shop online that’s moderately addicting to me.

Why is that? I guess because it feels good, damnit. Sometimes I have a really hard time feeling good. Long story short, things at home are basically a shit show seven times out of ten so when I can just go and surround myself with things that are pretty, it feels like a much needed vacation. Even if I don’t end up buying a single thing, I could spend an hour filling up a cart on ModCloth and wind up feeling infinitely better.

Is this a bad thing? Sometimes! My bank account definitely doesn’t love me for it! In fact, just last night I had a splurging sesh on TJMaxx’s website but it was a graduation gift to myself so I thought that it was okay (the voice of an addict!). BUT sometimes I think that my shopaholic nature is a blessing.

1) I have the most phenomenal wardrobe that I know of.

2) I am never spending money that I don’t have.

3) I rarely turn to getting sloppy drunk or self harming methods anymore when I feel like shit.

As I mentally rearranged new homes in my closet and shoe wall last night after my TJMaxx graduation shopping spree, I had to stop and think if some of the purchases that I have made in the past have been worth it. And honestly? I answered with “yes” to every single one of them. If it takes treating myself to something new and pretty when I’m feeling blah every so often, then I say go girl!

I feel as though some people have a hard time with treating themselves but hey, they don’t call retail therapy “therapy” for nothing! If you get happy or have something to look forward to with a purchase, then do the damn thing! Buy the heels, get the pedicure, take yourself out to dinner. At the end of the day, you have to take care of yourself and if a little splurge here and there helps ease the ache that life can throw at you, then I will be with you there at the checkout line.

Here’s to shopping (In moderation!). Here’s to making yourself feel good. Here’s to treating yourself like the amazing person you are!

How do you treat yoself when you’re feeling blah? What is your favorite way to splurge on yourself? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov24

6 Ways To Soothe Your Anxious Mind

Posted on November 24, 2016 by lifewithlilred

Standard

It is estimated that almost one-fifth of adults in the USA suffer from an anxiety disorder. Anxiety is the most common mental illness. Fortunately, it is highly treatable, and there are practical steps you can take to ease the symptoms.

What Is Anxiety? Anxiety is an umbrella phrase that we use to describe feelings of unease, fear, and worry. It is part of our flight or flight response and is a perfectly natural reaction. Without it, our life could be in danger as we would not be able to perceive danger. However, it can become a problem if it begins to limit your life in some way. Common symptoms include:

Feelings of intense fear and panic
A general sense of unease
A feeling of foreboding
Problems sleeping
Heart palpitations
Dry mouth
Feeling on edge or not being able to sit still
Nausea
Headaches and other aches and pains
Tense muscles
Feeling light-headed or dizzy
Sweating
Panic attacks

Unsplash Image

How To Tackle Anxiety:

Seek Help: If you feel that you’re suffering from anxiety, the first step is to seek professional help. Your doctor can refer you to a psychologist or therapist. Alternatively, you can approach a therapist directly. Psychologists help to identify the underlying problems and take steps to fix them. Always seek professional help if you’re unsure or if you feel like you can’t deal with an issue yourself. If you have feelings of suicide or self-harm then emergency help should be sought immediately. Anxiety by its nature can feel insurmountable. However, it is highly treatable, and you will feel better again. If you are ready to see a professional, simply enter a search for “anxiety therapy near me” and keep in mind that you might need to try a few different therapists until you find the right fit for you.

Identify The Triggers: If you’re feeling anxious a lot of the time, try to identify the triggers. When the feelings arise, notice what is happening in your life. Are you at work? Are you with a particular person? Is it the situation that is stressful? Try to identify the feeling and work out what your fear is. It might not be practical to remove yourself completely from that situation. But you can change the way that you react and think about it. This is something that a therapist can help with.

Take A Break: It’s impossible to think clearly when you’re overwhelmed by anxiety. Your mind becomes cluttered with thoughts and feelings. Try to take a break from the situation. Step outside for fifteen minutes and try to clear your head. Take some deep breaths and than try to better assess the situation.

Wind in the hairrrr!

Imagine The Worst: It sounds counterproductive but sometimes imagining the worst-case scenario helps. If you can imagine the worst and figure out how to deal with it, it can take away some of the fear of all of the “what ifs?” in your life.

Don’t Mask It: When we’re feeling constant fear and worry, it’s natural to turn to a quick fix. This may be smoking, drinking, taking drugs, etc. Though you may feel a short release from the problem, you’re only masking it. Your anxiety won’t go away. It will only come back again later and you’ll have additional problems to deal with. Masking is a common coping skill when it comes to any type of issue but it won’t be beneficial. When you enter a center for depression and anxiety treatment, you will be able to learn new coping skills to ease triggers and remove the ones like masking that were hindering you.

Take Care Of Yourself: Find ways to take care of yourself. This could be doing something you really love or getting a massage. It could be as simple as taking time out to read a magazine. Whatever works for you, practice it often. Though it won’t necessarily resolve the problem, it will help you feel more at ease. Research has shown that meditation and yoga can also help anxiety.

Pixabay Image

Identifying that you suffer from anxiety is the first step. Noticing and being aware of this is part of the process of feeling better. Though we can’t remove our fight or flight response, we can develop strategies to deal with the unwanted effects.

Featured Image By: Unsplash

Oct26

Stop Your Phobias Taking Over Your Life With These Must-Know Tips

Posted on October 26, 2016 by lifewithlilred

Standard

Stop Your Phobias Taking Over Your Life With These Must-Know Tips:

Nearly every single one of us has some type of phobia. The severity of these can vary, as can their impact on your life. For example, a fear of spiders (arachnophobia) is much more likely to affect your daily life than a fear of clowns (coulrophobia) – simply because we see more spiders than we see clowns. It is difficult to pinpoint the origin of most people’s phobias seeing as a phobia itself is an irrational fear. This means that there is no specific root cause behind such a fear.

However, some studies have been performed which appear to show a link between traumatic events (mainly childhood ones) and irrational phobias. Plus, some experts have also claimed that phobias could be due to our genes. Wherever they come from, they can be debilitating and can cause the individual a lot of anxiety. This is especially true if you have a phobia of something that could potentially save your life. Read on to identify some of the most common medical phobias and what you can do to beat yours.

Freestock Photos Image

Needles: A fear of needles is a very common phobia in young people and adults alike. It is known as trypanophobia and is said to affect up to 10% of the population. Of course, no one really enjoys having an injection or getting their blood tested. But it is when this fear puts the patient’s life at risk that there is a cause for concern. You may need to receive an injection of medicine or maybe you need to give blood to help someone else. Whatever the situation, we all face needles at some point in our lives, so overcoming your phobia is essential. Cognitive behavioral therapy is commonly used for overcoming this kind of fear, and there are other things you can do yourself too. Explain to your nurse that you are nervous and make sure to reward yourself after your injection.

Pixabay Image

The Dentist: Dental phobias are also very common. This can be the fear of undergoing a painful examination or the sounds and smells may bring back bad childhood memories. Whatever it is, you will be relieved to know that most dentists understand their patient’s fears and will do everything in their power to make your visit as easy as possible for you. Getting over your fear of the dentist is important as there may come a time in your life when you need emergency dental care. In order to relax more during your appointment, talk to your dentist prior about having a signal you make with your hand that shows them you need a break. Taking a friend with you or listening to relaxing music during the procedure can also help to ease your fear.

Pexels Image

Flying: Despite it being statistically the safest way to travel, around 20 million people in America suffer from a severe fear of flying. Many of us naturally get nervous if flying through bad weather or if there is turbulence on our flight but a true phobia of aviation can be crippling. If your fear of flying has started to have a negative impact on your life, there are things that you can do to ease your anxiety. Fear breeds on ignorance, so familiarize yourself with just how safe planes are and how they work. Speaking to your pilot before taking off, if possible, can also help you relax. Always try to travel with someone you know and trust and let them know what your triggers are so they know how to calm you down.

What are some of your phobias? What are some of your tips to overcoming a phobia? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct24

Post-Traumatic Stress: Dealing With Harsh Events In The Workplace

Posted on October 24, 2016 by lifewithlilred

Standard

Hi everyone and happy Monday! I believe that everyone should feel mentally and physically safe in the environments that they are in. Whether it be at home, school, or work, being subjected to a traumatizing situation is not okay. Here is some advice for how to deal with not so nice events in the workplace.

Post-Traumatic Stress: Dealing With Harsh Events In The Workplace:

We are used to talking about stress as something that builds over time due to an ongoing situation. You have more work to deal with than you can handle and every day the pile grows. You are concerned about a health issue but worried about going to the doctor. You have an impending house move to get sorted out but not enough time to do anything.

All of these situations are classic stressors. But as they grow over time, they are what experts define as “chronic” stress. They certainly need to be addressed. You need to address the source of your stress before you can handle the situation efficiently. But there are other sources of stress that need to be approached differently because they work in a different way. These are cases of “acute stress” where the cause is something more sudden or immediate.

It’s obvious that the main place where people feel stressed is at work. Deadlines loom and the penalty for going over them is severe. People talk at you from all angles and you feel like you’re not giving any of them the attention they’re looking for. There is noise, light, and movement – all of which can make you feel overstimulated. And there is precious little scope for release.

All of these can aggravate the stress that arises when something happens to make you feel anxious. Acute stress is caused by not having the time or the chance to process something awful that has happened. And often the last person to know it is the person suffering. They may try to lose themselves in their work, when the thing causing their stress is related to that work.

Death Of A Co-Worker: Many of us – not all – have experienced the raw emotion that comes with a co-worker dying. In many cases this is sudden but even if it is after a long illness the death is still a trigger point. Certainly, in the former case it can be hard to process. You hear people say things like “but I was speaking to her only yesterday” and “he seemed fine in Monday’s meeting”. When you only see someone for eight-hour bursts in a day, them suddenly not being there can shake you.

This happens all the more often in high-stakes jobs like emergency medicine and police work. Many employers in these industries make a point of advising doctors, nurses, and officers on how to deal with a colleague’s passing. Knowing how to deal with it is one thing but dealing with it is another. And in these situations, the “he seemed fine” line is all the more potent.

Abuse In The Workplace: As much as we may enjoy our jobs most of the time, the fact is that we are in something of a captive situation. If we want to pay the bills, we have to show up when we’re scheduled to work and stay for the duration. This is what makes it all the more unpleasant if we are the victim of workplace abuse.

Workplace abuse can take many forms. It can be the bullying of a co-worker who takes pleasure from insulting us on our looks or anything else. It can be an unreasonable boss who blames us for errors that aren’t ours. It can be customers who take their frustration with the company out on us. Or it can be sexual harassment, often from a senior co-worker who has the ability to make us feel it is our fault.

All of these issues are made worse by the feeling that we are trapped with the perpetrators of our abuse. It’s essential to report it, if it happens. If a culture of bullying is allowed to develop, it can lead to dreadful consequences. As a minimum, critical incident stress management from Health Assured or similar is needed. If your job starts to feel like a prison, stress can become dangerous.

Pixabay image

A Violent Incident: Violence in the workplace can range from someone behaving aggressively to a mass-casualty attack. The people affected will include those in the line of fire, obviously, but also anyone who witnessed the incident. In the case of an attack, it can also affect the first responders and even those who weren’t there that day.

The lower grade of incident may seem like nothing to some people. What’s a little banging of desks and shouting in a pressurized workplace? But it can make people feel threatened – as the situation may escalate at short notice. And being in a workplace where there is the risk of violence is stressful. The higher grade can make people feel scared to come back to work.

Even for those who weren’t there, the consequences can be stressful. You may feel that if you had been there, you could have done something. Or that the people who suffered were innocent victims, and that by being there you could have taken their place. In such situations, it is beneficial for employers to provide an outlet. After-the-fact debriefing and counseling can help heal a workplace. After a period of recovery and, if necessary, mourning, it can let people move forward.

Acute stress is less common than the chronic form of the condition but is no less dangerous. As with chronic stress, the person experiencing it may not even realize what it is. It can be brushed off as “just not feeling quite right” or being tired. This is what makes stress so dangerous. It works unseen and can affect one’s physical or mental health.

People who don’t realize that they are suffering from stress will often push it to the back of their minds. They won’t seek help for something physical that may be aggravated by it and become seriously ill. They may not look for the emotional support they need, suppress their issues, and end up having a more acute reaction later on.

For all of these reasons it is essential to take action. To ensure that people faced with a stressful situation have an outlet for their feelings, yes. But also to make sure that a workplace can come together after a situation stronger than before.

Featured Image By: Pixabay

Oct17

Don’t Feel Glum – Pick Yourself Up With These Happiness Tips

Posted on October 17, 2016 by lifewithlilred

Standard

Hello everyone and happy Monday! I know better than anyone what it is like to feel down in the dumps. Having struggled with depression from at least twelve years old (I am 22 now), I get it. It sucks and it can be exhausting to even try to improve. But, hopefully with these pro tips, you can shrug off some of the sorrow or at the very least, shake off the Monday Blues! Let’s discuss:

Don’t Feel Glum – Pick Yourself Up With These Happiness Tips:

There are some things in your life that will get you down. Maybe you had a bad day (or month!!) at work or end up coming out of a long-term relationship. Whatever the reason, it is definitely easy to let it get the best of you. But, despite the struggle, all of these rough patches are part of life and what makes it…Well, life. However, when you are going through a difficult time, it can be tricky to remember all of this. You may feel like you will never be happy again. But that isn’t the case at all!

There are certain things that you can do to improve your mood when you are feeling down. No matter how your sadness manifests, you can still try to make the best out of your day. And all of these small things that help make you happy for a short while will eventually help you out of the rough patch that you are facing. So are you ready to cheer up? Here are some important happiness tips that may help:

Remember, There Is A Light: There is always a light at the end of the tunnel. And you need to remember that. Knowing that there will be an end to this difficult time will help you get through it. Just because you are feeling down in the dumps now doesn’t mean you still will be in the future. Keeping focused on getting out of this current situation and improving your moods will help you overcome everything. I know, it’s easier said than done!

Smile!

Get Support From Loved Ones: None of your friends and family members will ever want to see you sad and upset. (If they do, they are not your friends!) They will want to support you through whatever you are going through. And it is important that you use them as a great source of support and love. Even if you only use them as a shoulder to cry on! These are the people who know you best and will have a good idea of what it will take to make you happy again. Your friends will be able to cheer you up instantly and will want to spend plenty of time with you to take your mind off of things. So, next time you are feeling upset or lonely, give a close friend or relative a call. They will be able to help put a smile back on your face, which is a great look! 🙂

Stay Healthy: If you are having a hard time emotionally, it is important to keep on top of your physical health. Otherwise, you could also end up physically suffering. Many people tend to rely on comfort eating when they are feeling depressed. It is crucial not to do this, as you could experience an increase in your weight, which could lead to health conditions and possibly feeling worse emotionally. Be sure to keep up with your usual exercise schedule. Physical activity is a great way to release endorphins into your bloodstream. These are hormones created by the body, which it uses as natural painkillers. They can also give your mood a little boost. So next time you are feeling slightly down, hit the gym to get sweaty but ultimately happier!

YUM

Get Help If You Need It: There are times when your emotions can be too much to deal with. If you ever feel like you are unable to continue living your life as normal during a difficult time, you should seek professional help. There are many professional counselors and therapists who will be able to talk to you about your problems. During your chats, they will help you work through your issues. When you are talking to a professional about your problem, you can be sure that the discussion will be completely confidential. They will also be able to refer you to a doctor if they feel that you might benefit from medication. Not only that, though. But many mental health professionals will also inform you of life changes that you can make to improve your moods and emotions.

Stop Relying On Substances: Some people find that alcohol and drugs can help numb the emotional pain that they are feeling. However, it is important not to rely on these substances to pin up your moods. This is very dangerous behavior as it can result in an addiction and can also be very harmful to your health. If you feel like your use of alcohol or illegal substances is spiraling out of control, you can always get help by finding a local non 12 step treatment.

Pexels Image

Set Small Goals For Yourself: You shouldn’t expect yourself to feel down one day and then completely back to normal the next. Getting better and feeling happier will take a lot of work. It can also be a very long and drawn-out process. As the journey back to happiness can be a long one, it can often be easy to think that you are never going to beat your sadness.

One way in which you can motivate yourself is to set up small goals. Even though it may not take much to meet them, these small successes can help motivate you and keep you going. These goals can be anything at all. Maybe you want to finish a book a week. Or go a week without sleeping through your alarm clock. By setting yourself goals, you will also be able to see your progress. And this can help you keep going to achieve happiness again.

Beautiful!

Stop Dwelling: Once your happiness levels are back to “normal”, it is important to make sure that you don’t end up at a lowest of the low point again. One of the best ways to never feel down again is to stop dwelling when something goes wrong. Instead, learn from your mistakes and failures and use them to motivate your successes. If you focus on the thing upsetting you, you will find that you may slip into bad habits again. Instead, try to keep optimistic about life. This will help you to lead a happier life and even more occasions to flash those pearly whites. 🙂

Feeling glum? It’s normal. But if you are struggling and are dedicated to improving, all of the above points can put you on the road to a happy life again! What is one of your go to methods to shaking away the blues? What is one thing that makes you happy? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Featured Image By: Pexels

	oliveunicorn on Labubu Or Lafufu?!
	lifewithlilred on Labubu Or Lafufu?!
	oliveunicorn on Labubu Or Lafufu?!
	lifewithlilred on Bath & Body Works February…
	Dear Quiet on Bath & Body Works February…