How to Cope When Everything Feels Out of Your Control
Today is #BellLetsTalk day, a day when we focus on broadening the conversation around mental health, supporting those in our circles + community who are struggling, and creating positive change around the way we approach mental health and treatment. While we believe this is a conversation that should continue every day and we will continue our work on this, we wanted to take time today to shine some light on mental health awareness + treatment. Following this blog post from wellbe’s social worker + psychotherapist Claire Molloy you’ll find a list of resources + blog posts that you might find useful if you or someone you know is having difficulty coping right now. If you are struggling with your mental health right now, wellbe offers virtual counselling and therapy sessions to find the best therapeutic approach for you and your family.
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When it comes to coping with stress and anxiety, one of the first things you can do to help yourself through it is acknowledge what you are feeling, name your worry, anxiety, or fear and come up with a plan for how you will manage it or address it.
Coping with these stressful situations means that you will need to take care of yourself.
Self-care can look very different from one person to the next. Find what works for you. Get creative and be open-minded because you never know what you might discover about yourself along the way.
When you’re feeling overwhelmed, isolated, and/or experiencing anxiety, try incorporating these strategies to help you cope:
Share your feelings with someone you trust.
Get it out there. When we engage in conversations about how we are feeling, it helps us process these experiences. And listen to others with non-judgemental compassion. Three simple but impactful questions you can ask yourself and your loved ones to start talking about our feelings and thoughts are:
What am I most worried about right now, as it relates to…?
What am I most grateful for during this last year? Now and for the upcoming few months?
If something good can come of all this, what are my biggest hopes for when this is all over?
Be active. Be well.
Body activation helps our mental and physical health in so many ways - and there’s no need to run a marathon. Just go for a walk, play tag with your kids, or build a snowperson with your neighbour. Kitchen dance party, anyone?
Your activity doesn’t have to be high intensity; just let your body move and release tension.
Find something that soothes you.
Light a candle, get a cozy blanket, read a book, and listen to some calming music. Oh, and don’t forget to breathe. When done correctly, deep breathing exercises can help regulate breathing, reduce heart rate, and maybe even lower blood pressure. Win-win.
Positive Self-Talk can be an Act of Love
Our inner dialogue can often be negative and we don’t even know it. When we intentionally practice the use of positive self-talk this can help us through stressful moments and improve our overall health and wellbeing. When anxiety is near or you're in a stressful situation, say to yourself “I’m going to be alright. Anxiety is not dangerous, it’s just uncomfortable. I’ve done this before and I can do it again. I am strong and I will get through this.”
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This post was written by wellbe’s social worker + psychotherapist Claire Molloy. If you’re struggling with stress, anxiety, or depression, she offers counselling options to help you be well again. Book a complimentary meet and greet with Claire here.
Mental Health Resources
Book a virtual session or complimentary meet and greet with one of our social workers + psychotherapists here.
Sign up for our upcoming maternal mental health group: an online therapy program for postpartum maternal mental health.
Blog posts:
Community resources:
Hope for Wellness (mental health counselling for Indigenous peoples)