Refresh Mental Health

When you’re feeling low, the pick-me-up you may need may be as simple as getting your blood flowing. Yes, we’re talking about exercise. Some research has shown movement can be a mood elevator. It’s also shown exercise may help prevent and ease certain mental health conditions. (CNS Neuroscience & Therapeutics) But when you don’t feel well emotionally, it can be hard to find the energy to do some things. So it’s important to reach out for help if you’re not feeling well. It’s also important to follow instructions from your doctor or other care provider if you’ve been diagnosed with a mental health condition. Adding in exercise or other physical activities to your routine may further help you take care of your emotional health. We want to hear from you! What’s your favorite type of movement? 🚴 👇 #movement #exercise #mindbodyconnection

🧠 Expect some mixed emotions. It’s natural to at once feel eager to leave and sad to say goodbye. Also, expect your emotions to fluctuate as you adjust. 🧠 Learn practical skills. Consider what you need in terms of food, shelter and health, and begin tackling the “how to’s” of cooking, cleaning, budgeting and all the rest. 🧠 Develop soft skills. Living on your own brings new interpersonal challenges. Treating others with respect and considering different perspectives can go a long way in smoothing this part of the journey. 🧠 Live your own life. Avoid comparing yourself to others in unrealistic or unhealthy ways. Remember, you’re on your own path and in your own body. 🧠 Give yourself space to change. Whether you’re heading off to university, moving to a new city or starting a job, you don’t have to know everything right now. Expect to grow and shift as you experience life. 🧠 Make good choices. You need to look out for yourself. That includes considering the consequences of your actions, like staying out late the night before a major exam or splurging when you’re on a tight budget. 🧠 Understand you’re a work in progress. You may legally be an adult, but your body, mind and spirit continue developing well into your early 30s. Don’t be afraid to ask for help thinking through tough decisions or difficult feelings. 🧠 Stay connected. Regularly keep in touch with trusted adults who can offer support and valuable advice. 🧠 Take care of yourself. Practice self-care for better health and wellbeing. That includes getting enough sleep, eating nutritious foods and being active.

Life can be challenging. If you or someone you care about is struggling, know that help is available 24 hours a day. Call or text 988 if you have: • Thoughts of suicide • A mental health crisis • A substance use crisis 📲 The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline connects you to caring support from a trained crisis counselor.

Cover the basics. ✏️ Before you dismiss your child's outburst as a lack of control, ask yourself if there is a simple explanation for what’s going on. Are they hungry or thirsty? Are they too hot or cold? Are they overstimulated? Did they get enough sleep? Are they feeling under the weather (i.e. – colds, allergies, headaches, upset stomachs)? Environment matters.✏️ Do your best to create a home that is low on stress, safe, and supportive. A “Mary Poppins”-type household would be great, but let’s get real. If you and your significant other get in a fight, keep it away from the kids. Give reasonable timelines for getting chores done. Praise your child for the things they do well and let them know that you love them. Create calm. ✏️ A child in crisis and out of control cannot rely on reason. Your gut reaction may be to panic or go into mama/papa bear mode, but they rely on you to help them regain a sense of calm and stability. Soften your voice and use short, clear directions: “Come with me.” “Sit down.” “Take a deep breath.” “Tell me what’s going on.” Create routines. ✏️ Routines give a sense of stability to children and teens, especially those who struggle with anxiety. Keep both bedtime and the morning in mind. The Sleep Foundation recommends 9-11 hours of sleep for children ages 6-13, and 8-10 hours of sleep each night for teens ages 14-17. #backtoschool #parenting #youthmentalhealth

1. Meditation can lower your stress. 🧘♀️ Your brain and central nervous system are in charge of everything you do. Those are the millions of tiny nerve cells that send your body messages. They tell you what you need to do and when you need to do it. One of your nervous system’s most important tasks? Regulating your fight-or-flight response. That’s your reaction when something scary happens. If a big dog attacks, you can either fight it off or run away. You need your fight-or-flight response to stay safe and out of danger. When that happens, your heart rate and blood pressure go way up. Your muscles get tense and ready to move. Your body reacts the same way to emotional stress. If you have an argument with a friend, that response can kick in the same way. And if you’re stressed out for too long, it can lead to health problems. 2. Meditation can help you think more clearly. 🧘♀️ Let’s say you’re working on five different tasks at work. Then your boss calls. You might feel a little overwhelmed. That’s where meditation can help. An important benefit of meditation is the ability to clear and focus your mind, says Carpenter. When you meditate, you focus on the now. You may think about the past or the future, but you let those thoughts go. And you always return to the now. Focusing on the moment can help you in lots of ways. For example, it can help you concentrate on the job you’re working on. That in turn can help you do it better. It can also help you listen carefully to your friends and loved ones. That can make your relationships better. 3. Meditation can help make you healthier. 🧘♀️ Meditation can do a lot more than just lower stress. According to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, meditation may also: Ease anxiety and depression Lower symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD Help you heal from substance use disorders Help you sleep better Improve mental health for those with breast cancer #meditation #stressmanagement #calm

Suicide is a global health issue. But it’s not often discussed openly. Silence, or even hushed tones, can add to the stigma. That can cause feelings of shame for people who have survived a suicide attempt or lost someone to suicide. Instead, it’s important to show others that we care. We will listen without judgment and will help them get support when they need it. Wondering what you should say or do if you’re worried about someone? Want to show support in your community? Here are some ideas for getting started. 🧠 Call or text 988 today. Visit http://spr.ly/6045oDyNT #nationalsuicidepreventionmonth #988 #helpishere

🤐 Symptoms They may experience symptoms, such as: Fast heartbeat, rapid breathing, shaking, sweating Blushing or stuttering Nausea, diarrhea Difficulty concentrating Sleep problems Changes in appetite Irritability Persistent worrying or negative thoughts Restlessness Social anxiety disorders can vary in severity. Some youth may feel anxious about certain events, but still participate, while others might avoid necessary or enjoyable activities, impacting their daily lives, personal relationships and academic or job performance. 😁 Self-help strategies Self-help strategies can help relieve symptoms. These include: Offering tips to get through those feelings, such as taking a few deep breaths to reset or thinking about a similar experience they successfully navigated Teaching them to challenge negative thoughts, so they can reframe them into more manageable ones Sharing content — such as age-appropriate books, articles, movies, podcasts — with themes about being comfortable in one’s own skin and living in the moment Building resilience through stress management and relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing exercises, physical activity and relaxing 📝 When to seek help Self-help strategies can be beneficial and help relieve symptoms, but professional help may be advised if: Self-help methods are not helping Fears and worries are not improving or are worsening School performance or personal relationships are suffering Social anxiety disorder is highly treatable. A medical or mental health professional can help your child learn how to manage it. #anxiety #socialanxiety

Everyone has sad days. Feeling down from time to time is a part of life. But when that giant storm cloud overhead doesn’t move on, it could be a sign of something more serious. ⛈️ 🌪️ What’s the difference between sadness and depression? We’ll tackle sadness first. It’s an emotional state of unhappiness. Feelings of sadness can be slight. Or they can be intense and last for longer periods, as with the death of a loved one. Depression is more than just sadness. It’s a mental health problem that doesn’t always go away on its own. Lingering sadness is often a symptom of depression. But it’s certainly not the only one. Depression can make you feel worthless. You may even have physical symptoms such as body aches.1 The cause of depression is also much more complex. A stressful life event may spark depression. But other factors, such as the balance of brain chemicals, are also involved. Depression seems to run in families, too.4 To top it off, there are different types of depression. Some are more severe and may be clearer. Others are much more subtle. One important sign to watch for? It’s hard to do your usual routine. “When it impacts how you’re functioning, that’s when you should definitely seek help,” says Shara Sand, PsyD, a psychologist based in New York City. #sadness #depression #mentalhealthtreatment

Life can be challenging. If you or someone you care about is struggling, know that help is available 24 hours a day. 📲 Call or text 988 today. Visit http://spr.ly/6048Wc4wa #nationalsuicidepreventionmonth #988 #helpishere

Anything that brings unknowns and disrupts routine, like beginning a new school year, can bring emotional challenges for them — and you. Your child may act out or turn inward. They also may feel a spectrum of positive and difficult emotions. 👶 🧒 Encourage communication and expression 😜 When they begin sharing what’s on their minds, do your best to listen and give them space to feel what they feel. As a caregiver, you can help them process their thoughts and emotions — and find comfort in the process. Use gentle, age-appropriate prompts to help guide them to think through their feelings and worries. For example, if they’re worried about getting all their schoolwork done, ask them if they’ve thought of solutions to manage their time. If they’re self-conscious about fitting in, you could suggest they consider joining activities where they’d meet like-minded people. Empower decision-making 😀 Giving them age-appropriate choices can also help them feel more in control. For a younger child, it could be picking a book to read or choosing their favorite snack. For an older child, it could be letting them choose their own outfits or supplies. For an adolescent considering universities, it could be narrowing the options based on practical criteria — such as admission requirements, cost, location, fields of study, their interests and cultural or familial considerations — and letting them make the final decision. Cultivate resilience and coping strategies 🤔 Helping your child build resilience will also help them adapt. Encourage positive thinking and teach them stress-reduction techniques, like relaxing, doing enjoyable activities, spending time with friends, getting enough sleep, eating nutritious foods and staying active. For older children, remind them of past transitions and what they gained. Also, share potential benefits of the upcoming change, such as meeting new friends, learning new things and gaining independence. #transitions #schoolyear #youthmentalhealth