Mental Health Archives - Page 2 of 29

As any therapist can tell you, depression is intertwined with sleep disorders. Persons living with depression may also suffer from insomnia, hypersomnia, or more, and lack of sleep may exacerbate the symptoms of depression.

But there’s more to it than just that. The COVID pandemic and resulting economic recession have greatly increased the likelihood of depression for many. During the worst of the pandemic, 4 in 10 adults in the U.S. reported symptoms of anxiety or depressive disorder. That, too, led to increased sleep problems, with researchers coining the term “coronasomnia” to describe the fact that many Americans have found their sleep disrupted by worry and fear throughout 2020.

If all this sounds uncomfortably familiar to you, you’re not alone, and you should be congratulated for searching out possible solutions to the double challenges of sleep and depression. Depression can be overwhelming, and your first course of action should always be to consult with a physician on the best course of treatment.

In this article, we will discuss the relationship between sleep and depression and offer some tools for living that can help. We’ll also share resources that provide aid and assistance for you if you are living with depression.

Boundaries and Creating a Safe Space

April 12, 2022/in Mental Health

NATALIE ALTENBURG shared in the Take Care DePaul Blog that now, more than ever, it is important that we have a “safe space” to allow us to cope with our emotions and regulate them. In this sense, a safe space does not necessarily have to be a physical place; it can simply be having tools prepared to help you feel safe when handling challenging emotions and situations. Here are a few tips we have for setting up your safe space!

Set and maintain boundaries. By doing this we are being proactive and protecting ourselves by setting clear expectations with others regarding what is and is not okay. Boundaries can be physical (ex: “Knock before coming into my room”) or social/emotional (ex: “I am not in the emotional space to be able to help you with this problem right now”). It is important for everyone’s physical and emotional safety that we set boundaries and respect the boundaries of others.
Know when to take a break and what to do. We all need breaks to ensure that we are preserving our health. This may look like turning off your microphone and camera for a few minutes during a Zoom class to get up and stretch, calling a friend to rant, or even just taking a nap at some point in the day. It is important that we are able to not only identify when we need breaks but also what we need to do to make these breaks beneficial.

Tips for People With Dementia

March 15, 2022/in Health, Mental Health

Alzheimers.gov shared that people with dementia experience a range of symptoms related to changes in thinking, remembering, reasoning, and behavior. Living with dementia presents unique challenges, but there are steps you can take to help now and in the future.

Tips for Everyday Tasks for People Living With Dementia

Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias get worse over time. Even simple everyday activities can become difficult to complete. To help cope with changes in memory and thinking, consider strategies that can make daily tasks easier. Try to adopt them early on, so you will have more time to adjust.

You can:

Write down to-do lists, appointments, and events in a notebook or calendar.
Set up automated bill payments and consider asking someone you trust to help manage your finances.
Have your groceries delivered.
Manage your medications with a weekly pillbox, a pillbox with reminders (like an alarm), or a medication dispenser.
Ask your doctor to provide a care plan and write down care directions (or have a family member or friend take notes during the visit).

The Ultimate Guide to Working From Home the Right Way

March 10, 2022/in Health, Mental Health

Creately, an online visual platform designed for seamless collaboration, with features and tools to improve personal and professional productivity, remote team communication, organizing or prioritizing tasks, and more, shared the following information:

You are at home. You have your laptop. The Wi-Fi connection is working fine. You are wearing your PJs. You can eat at your table, whatever you want and whenever you want.

It’s comfortable, relaxing, and your boss can’t hover over your shoulders watching your every move. So you can even take those few minutes to fill that BuzzFeed quiz because sometimes it’s fulfilling to know which Disney character you are based on your fast food preferences.

But you still have to work. Get that last code written and blog post reviewed. At the end of the day, you don’t want the work to pile up.

If you are procrastinating and feel unproductive when working from home, here are some effective practices you and your team can follow to get the ball rolling. Read more

MINDFUL MENTORS: SHORT EXERCISES TO DECREASE STRESS

March 9, 2022/in Mental Health

Rise and Shine shared in their blog that at Children’s National Hospital, they are committed to helping those who are stressed, anxious, and just overwhelmed. Their hospital-wide Mindful Mentors program has created a library of short exercises to decrease stress. These short techniques will help you to calm your mind and body and find your focus again.

CNH encourages you to find two minutes in your day to recharge and take a moment for yourself. You can also easily do any of these exercises while sitting, standing, or on the move – with a friend, your child, or alone.

Click on one of the links below to listen (with headphones/earbuds if in a public space) and follow the instructions.

Breathing with finger tracing (female voice): This simple exercise guides you as you trace the fingers of one hand with your other hand, and gently breathe in and out. (2:12 min.)
Brief mindful breathing anytime, anywhere (female voice): Increase your self-awareness and create a sense of calm and peacefulness with this mindful breathing exercise. (2:53 min.)
Refresh – recharge (female voice): Breathe in relaxation and let go of your stressors as you exhale in this guided exercise. (2:01 min.)
Soothing breathing with heartbeat (female voice): Allow your mind to refresh and refocus during this breathing exercise that is accompanied by the sound of a steady heartbeat. (2:05 min.)
RAIN exercise (male voice): Let us help you reset your mind in this breathing exercise where you can Recognize, Allow, Investigate and Nurture (RAIN). (3:06 min.)
Enhance empathy and compassion (male voice): Join us on a journey to increase your empathy and compassion for those around you. (2:55 min.)

Children’s Mental Health: Understanding an Ongoing Public Health Concern

March 8, 2022/in Mental Health

The CDC shared that a new report on children’s mental health used data from different sources to describe mental health and mental disorders in children during 2013–2019. Poor mental health among children continues to be a substantial public health concern. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and anxiety among children of all ages, and symptoms related to depression among adolescents, are the most common concerns. More information on positive indicators of mental health such as emotional well-being and resilience is needed to truly understand children’s mental health. Read more