Fitness Tuesday: Reasons to try Therapy

Via

     With all of the unrest in the world at the moment, many of us are at our breaking point physically & mentally. For some, talking to others help with vocalizing our stress, pain, & your current mood. Taking care of ones' mental health is impartive especially for POC. Seeking help for mental health is seen as a taboo in Black culture. There is a stigma associated with having a mental issue. Many try to deal with their issues on their own or ignore them. According to the National Alliance on Mental Health, approximately 30% of African American adults with mental illness receive treatment each year, compared to the U.S. average of 43%.

Recently though, that stigma has change. With race issues boiling over (it has been a long time coming, if you want to know my opinion), black people deciding to start taking care of themselves, finally. Black women in particular, have always put others feelings & needs before our own. Now is the time to put our needs first for ourselves. I know that for me, talking to a therapist was a major breakthrough for me. Talking to a person who is unbaised, that is not a friend or family member helps you open up more. It is easier to share & get an outsiders opinion to help you with clarity on situations sometimes.

Below I am going to share some reasons to try therapy from Healthfully:

Helps with organizing your thoughts
Most of us need a sounding board that is not involved directly with whatever situation that is happening. Everyone should get feedback during stressful times. Finding that person who can give you constructive advice should help in making clarity to appear.

Healing from Past Pain
Therapist can help you address issues from your past. This can include problems,situations,
or moments from your childhood, relationships, and other life events. Therapy can help in getting rid of the negative thoughts.  help things in perspective, & give one a more positive outlook on life. It’s important to have a positive mindset to be able to enjoy life more freely without worrying.

Can Pin-Point Cause of Problems
Seeing a therapist can help you in seeing what's normal behavior & what isn't. Many who struggle with anxiety or anger don't examine what is causing the problem on their own. A therapist can aid in discovering what is causing ones' reaction to situations in their life.  Discussing what’s on one's mind with a therapist will help you process your thoughts better.

Getting Information from a Third-party
Whether one is having problems in their work or personal life, it's good to find information from someone not directly involved. Most of us don’t always have the answers when trying to communicate with others. Gaining insight on how to handle situations are key when one is trying to grow and heal.

Improves Overall Well-being
Seeing a therapist can be beneficial to your overall mental health. And that's good for your general well-being. Many face the stigma that going to therapy means that there is something wrong with them. People that go usually are healthier mentally since they are verbalizing their feeling.

For those of you that are looking for resources about mental health & wellness, here are a few website with some more information:

The Nap Ministry

Therapy for Black Girls

The Loveland Foundation

Black Mental Wellness

And I also want to put one of the podcast I listen to as well on here: Balanced Black Girl podcast.

 

Peace & blessings, have a great Tuesday!!!

Fitness Tuesday on a Wednesday: How to handle your Mental Health & Anxiety during a crisis

Via

     Good day, everyone. I was going to post this yesterday but I ended up having to go try to do some errands before things closed down. The mood is not only somber due to all of the social distancing but I think literally not doing anything is causing some people anxiety. A while ago, I did a post on managing stress. 

This stress post is a bit different due to the situations we are all in at the moment. Some people are self-quarantining here but many have to still go to work until told otherwise. All of that is putting stress at an all-time high for many. According to the CDC, stress can lead to change in your sleep or eating patterns, difficulty sleeping or concentrating, chronic health problems becoming worse, & increased alcohol or drug use. Below are a few suggestions on how to navigate the stress & anxiety that you may feel right now from the CDC, Today, & Mashable:

-Read news from trusted sources 

Read & look at sources that you trust to get your information that are accurate. For sure look at the CDC & WHO for update information pertaining to the virus in the US & other parts of the world.

-Curtail your social media time 

Unfollow or mute anyone who is putting out inaccurate reporting. If you're finding social media useful for getting information on friends in affected areas, pay attention to how much time you're spending online. Also, social media can increase anxiety in some who already have it so be mindful of that. Cutting down on the news alerts you receive on your phone will help as well.

-Watch your conversations

Think about how you are talking about the virus and with whom. We all deal with situations differently. Some maybe of us worry more that others. Check to make sure that your worrying is being considered helpful meaning taking sensible precautions. Constantly worrying & thinking about it, focusing on the worst scenario in the situation is not helpful for anyone.

-Try mindfulness 

Doing a daily 10-minute meditation with apps like, Headspace, Calm, and Aura might be useful. Trying deep breathing exercises or breathwork can help relieve any stress or anxiety as well. Focus on the positive & the things that you can do at this time,not what you can not do. Writing down your thoughts in a moment of chaos can help you get a hold of your negative thoughts also.

-Practice self-care

Make sure to get your nutrients by eating fruits and vegetables, exercise regularly and get enough sleep. Sleep has a direct impact on the immune system. If you’re sleep deprived, your immune system is compromised. Stress has a negative impact on your immune system too by weakening it. Get some sunlight by going for a walk. Sunlight can also aid in lowering your blood pressure. Being in nature can help with calming the mind.

All of these tips can help in this time. I am going to try to at least do three post a week for the moment since I clearly have a great bit of time on my hands. I might even post on social media. Other than that I will be finishing the Reiki courses I paid for (finally), read some books, and watch what is going on in the sports world since all sports have been cancelled. 

Anywho, tomorrow I am going to do something different with the thoughts that I will post. I a going to try my hand at making some myself ones. We will see how it goes when I get ready to post them. Peace & Blessings, all!! Try to enjoy the rest of your day!