My colleagues and team members are passionate about mental health. I’m happy to share some of their reflections and tips, based on their own experience. I’ll add more as they come.
Shawn: Shared insight into overcoming fear of negative emotions: “I wish I had never been afraid of ‘negative’ emotions like shame, rage, grief, or sadness. Learning how to face these feelings with curiosity (and good therapeutic support) was hard, but the best thing I have ever done for myself and all my personal relationships.”
As well, “‘Nobody’s perfect.’ ‘We all make mistakes.’ ‘You can’t be right 100% of the time.’ We all know this, but do we really allow ourselves not to be perfect, to be wrong sometimes? Learning to be ok with being wrong, even about things I care a lot about, was necessary before therapy really started working for me.”
Marc: “Regular and consistent journaling, combined with gratitude, can make the world of difference in building positive attitude and resilient mindset.”
Lori shared her own family’s experience: “Find just one person you trust, and talk about it. Then, find more. Once we started talking about it, we found we were not alone, there was a large community of people dealing with similar challenges, and the burden felt lighter when it was openly discussed.”
Angele shared: “Don’t be afraid to ask for help. There are so many reasons we put off seeking help. The key is to ask for help, don’t be afraid, try different strategies until you find the one that works for you! Don’t be embarrassed, you are worth it!”
Alex shares how the forest has become a key part of her everyday mental health: “I’m lucky to live in the forest. Hiking familiar trails over and over fosters mindfulness, bringing me down to the level of each step, each rock, each bridge. It grounds me in the now while connecting me to something bigger than myself.”
I hope you will add activities and habits to your life that help you feel mentally well. You may want to read this post on gut health (leads to healthier brains) and/or this on how having pets can improve mental health
This blog includes posts that look at the state of our mental healthcare system and ways we can create sustainable change to improve quality and outcomes for anyone impacted by mental illness.
What’s it like to live with OCD? Dr. McIntosh talks to Nadia, a mother of two, about how she’s coping with the challenging and sometimes alarming symptoms of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Summary of “This is OCD”, Episode 2 of the PSYCHEDUP Podcast.
In episode 1 of the PSYCHEDUP podcast, Canadian four-time Olympic rower and mental health advocate Silken Laumann talks to Dr. Diane McIntosh about her battle with depression. This post a summary of that episode.
There’s something about flipping the page on the calendar from December to January. For many of us, the beginning of a new year represents a clean slate. So, if you find yourself in the mood to take that time to pause and reflect after the holidays, here are a few tips on making smart New Year’s resolutions.
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