Taking mental health courses online is one of the better things you can do during the pandemic – and beyond. The next time you find yourself spending the whole weekend binge-watching or playing video games, why not set aside an hour or so to learn something new that will help with your wellbeing?
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How to Manage and Get Over Analysis Paralysis
“Progress, not perfection,” I remember hearing this in the Denzel Washington film, “The Equalizer.” It has stuck with me since and, while the thought is comforting, it is actually very hard for me to digest.
You see, I grew up a perfectionist. I’m still a bit of a perfectionist now. I am diagnosed with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and, for me, things always have to be aligned, uniform, even-numbered or divisible by two, and precise.
Anything less or more is unacceptable. So unacceptable, in fact, that it stresses me out and the stress manifests physically, either as hives or as swelling (sometimes red and itchy) or as an upset stomach or hyperacidity.
It sometimes feels like my brain is its own enemy, and this is most evident when I go through analysis paralysis. I can only liken the feeling to being petrified as it is demonstrated in “Harry Potter” where one turns into stone, unable to move.
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4 Simple Strategies to Cope With Lockdown Isolation
Our lives were changed in an instant when the pandemic COVID-19 hit the world. Young or old, single or married, working or jobless – nobody was spared. Without a cure or vaccine yet in sight and the weeks of isolation in our homes stretching longer than we ever imagined, it is only natural that so many are experiencing feelings of fear and unease. [Read more…] about 4 Simple Strategies to Cope With Lockdown Isolation
STRESS SMACKDOWN: How to Create Calm Despite COVID-19 Chaos
Being quarantined during a global pandemic is not how most of us envisioned spending our spring! Rather, we were planning fun vacations, preparing for long-awaited graduations or weddings, or just excitedly getting out of our winter confinement. Instead, we find ourselves amidst a medical, economic, and mental health crisis all rolled into one. Can you say worry, anxiety, and stress on steroids? The good news is that practicing a few simple strategies can help bolster our biological and psychological immune systems. Stress and worry are designed to help cope and find solutions for short periods of time. During times of prolonged stress, poor handling of our emotions and reactions can quickly erode both our physical and mental health. [Read more…] about STRESS SMACKDOWN: How to Create Calm Despite COVID-19 Chaos
How to Take Care of Your Mental Health During Quarantine
There are times in life when keeping a positive outlook truly is a challenge. The COVID-19 pandemic sure is one of those moments.
Not only is the world faced with a major global health crisis, but we’re also witnessing economic consequences and prevailing uncertainty. Combined with the fact that most people are either self-isolating or quarantined, it becomes increasingly obvious that taking care of our mental health should be a priority. [Read more…] about How to Take Care of Your Mental Health During Quarantine
One Man’s Story: From Anti-Social to Social
I find that it’s always good to start from the beginning and say what I am in order to inform what I am not. I am an autistic social worker, author, and motivational speaker from Derry City in Ireland’s northwest.
Like many autistic children, I went through mainstream school, and compared to everyone else, I felt debilitatingly different. I had a classroom assistant follow me everywhere I went, and I couldn’t mingle and play like my little peers could. It was a bewildering time for me, and I was too young to understand the extent of my social and sensory differences. I spent most of my early youth reading books and writing short stories. [Read more…] about One Man’s Story: From Anti-Social to Social
