Mental Health Mental Upper

Hi! I came across this today so thought I would share. "Saturation Praise" For 60 secs the only things you can think about are what you like about yourself or the world. So if you're feeling a little down try to muster up enough energy to give it a go.

Our viscious cycles

I've regularly counselled people where, before the session begins, I'm fairly sure I will find a dys-functional pattern of behaviours that lead to a regular cycle of predictable outcomes. Just recently I counselled a man 'stuck' in depression. According to him he'd had depression for at least 6 months and had been on medication for a few months, having to change medications 3 times until he found one where the side effects were minimal. He said the medication stopped the severity of the lows. What medication will not do is stop the pattern of thinking that may lead to depression.

In the first session of counselling often what takes place is a lot of listening on my behalf as the counsellor. This gives the client the chance to 'off load' what they see is the problem. For this man it was feeling as though he could not make a choice, resulting him often feeling as though his head was 'stuck in the sand', blocking out the outside world.

It became apparent that this result of feeling as though his head was stuck in the sand had happened quite a few times in his life. It had happened at work, with his family, at school (years earlier) and now in his marriage.

It appears a cycle occurs where the 'reward' is his stuckness - his head in the sand feeling. It seems odd saying this is a reward, but it is a reward in the sesne that when things get tough, when problems arise, when stress builds up, at least he can bury his head in the sand and block out the world. Trouble is he doesn't know how to get his head out later!

We attempted to work on some strategies that could break the cycle but it's proving hard to break so far. The head in the sand 'com-for-tability' combined with depression was making change very difficult. He wants to change but stuckness is proving very attractive at the moment. After all it's predicatable and 'comfortable' - nothing to do with happiness but more comfortableness.

So what's your cycle? What keeps you stuck? What are you comfortable doing (what's your head in the sand trick?). It's worth thinking about. It could be the key to getting your head out of the sand - or what ever your 'thing' is!

Staying mentally well

In the western world it is easy to relate happiness to material possessions. The more we have, supposedly the happier we are. A new car is meant to be better than an old car. Earning more money allows you to buy more and go on more holidays, buy a bigger house, a flashy boat. On it goes.

However, research repeatedly shows this is not the case. In fact happiness is an illusion if you strive for it constantly. Particularly if you believe having more means you will be happier. That would then indicate wealthy people are happier than those with less. This is certainly not the case. Mental illness does not discriminate against those with wealth and those who do not have as much. We also know a lot of mental illness, particularly depression, can be triggered by our life style and life events. Taking that into account, if more wealth makes you happier you would expect levels of depression in the wealthy to be less than those who are less wealthy. This is not the case.

So what can contribute to our happiness? It really is engaging in very simple activities. Fixing the lawnmower. Going for a bike ride. Doing a bit of gardening. Doing someone a favour. Helping others. Spending time with your family. Catching up with a friend. Engaging in a hobby. Trying something new. Taking a risk. What would it be that you would like to do that you haven't done for a while or something you've always wanted to do but haven't got around to it yet? Why not give it a go?

In fact there is a great deal of evidence to show that helping others is beneficial to our health. Volunteering to help others in some way, even something like giving someone a lift to the shops who might not otherwise be able to manage it on their own, releases the 'happy' hormones that help us be happier.

So what can you do today that does not involve spending money or striving for more in the material world? Give it a go! It might make you happy!

How can I become more mentally healthy?

Keeping mentally healthy is just as important as staying physically healthy and it’s as easy as A-B-C: Act-Belong-Commit.

Act:
take a walk, read a book, do a crossword puzzle, dance, say g’day. Being active physically, socially and mentally helps us cope with stresses, builds friendships and lifts our spirits. Make a list of things you enjoy and spend more time doing them!

Belong:
join a book club, a sporting team, a walking group or start a cooking class. Be more involved in community organisations and attend community events. Hang out with people who share your values and interests. Belonging helps build friendships, creates opportunities for meaningful participation, strengthens communities and it simply feels good!

Commit:
make that extra ‘commitment’ to a hobby or a good cause. Help out a neighbour, or volunteer for a good cause. Be a coach or a mentor. Support your community clubs and groups. Try something challenging; learn a new skill. These activities give meaning to life. Being active, having a sense of belonging and having a purpose in life all contribute to happiness and good mental health. Act-Belong-Commit.

How can I get involved?

Look in your local community directory for hobby groups in your area
Contact your local council, community development officer
Surf the web. Most local governments have a community directory on their website
Ask your friends, neighbours and colleagues about groups they are involved in
Scan your local newspaper; community newspapers contain a wealth of information on local activities and events

Article from http://www.actbelongcommit.org.au/-Individual-.html

When things go wrong ...

Don't Quit

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will

When the road you're trudging seems all uphill

When the funds are low and the debts are high

And you want to smile, but you have to sigh

When care is pressing you down a bit

Rest, you must - but don't you quit

Life is queer with its twists and turns

As everyone of us sometimes learns

And many a failure turns about

When he might have won had he stuck it out

Don't give up, though the pace seems slow

You might succeed with another blow

Success is failure turned inside out, the silver tint of the clouds of doubt

And you never can tell how close you are, It may be near when it seems so far

So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit

It's when things seem worst, That you MUST NOT QUIT!

(Author Unknown)