Melissa's Blog

You might not notice it, but one factor that brings stress, anxiety, and depression to an overboard state is a lack of self-love. It disconnects you from giving your best to cope and overcome life challenges. It makes you lose confidence and self-awareness. It leads you to desperation, emotional instability, and mental pressure. But what exactly is self-love?

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Self-love is not just about taking a bath regularly, changing your hair, or buying yourself beautiful clothes. It is not about the attempt to redefine yourself based on what you perceived is changeable. Instead, self-love is the practice of appreciating yourself despite imperfections. It is the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual support you give yourself no matter what. Though it is not a fixed state of mind, its actions surely develop over time and guide you to maturity.

Establishing self-love is not an easy task and can be a long journey, especially when dealing with many emotional and mental struggles. Thus, you need to think about it as a vital step in improving your health and happiness in general. Here are a couple of suggestions that can assist you along the way with your self-love development.

Always Forgive Yourself

One thing that can often lead to severe emotional and mental stress is the habit of always being tough on yourself. There is a struggle deep within that you somehow push your limits to win a battle for perfection. There is too much self-deprecation that takes you away from seeing things from a positive perspective. With that state of mind, you end up overlooking the fact that you are a human that is still incapable of so many things. So instead of getting stuck with so much harshness and self-hate, learn to forgive yourself. Think about the mistakes you make as an opportunity to develop your skills. You can start the process by working on the following:

• Embracing negative emotions such as anger and frustrations
• Staying positive by telling yourself that you are still worthy of love and care
• Understanding the essence of sincere apology not only to others but to yourself as well

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Be Mindful Of Your Overall Wellness

Usually, the problem with unstable emotional and mental health comes from the overwhelming things you want to change or achieve in life. There is nothing wrong with that, actually. However, the danger can happen once you set goals that are not entirely what you want or do not involve even the slightest things that make you happy. If what you’re trying to accomplish is only the ones pushed to you by society, you need to have clarity. Thus, be mindful of what you genuinely want to achieve so that you can arm yourself with enough knowledge that you can use to move forward. To practice mindfulness, here are some of the things you can do to take some time to self-reflect.

• Meditating
• Keeping a journal
• Listening to soothing music
• Going for a walk outside
• Spending time with nature

Identify The Things That Make You Feel Better

Perhaps you already know what makes you happy. You understand the possible consequences and sacrifices you need to obtain whatever it is that you desire. But sometimes, even if you try harder, it would still feel that your efforts are not worthy enough. Apparently, you shouldn’t worry too much about that because that is normal. You have to be open about the fact that there are things that you cannot have. Therefore, you need to focus on those that can make you feel better and set aside the ones that can make you feel worse. This particular habit of knowing what you need is a form of self-awareness and self-love that contributes a lot to your emotional and mental well-being.

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Setup A Healthy Boundary

There are quite a few things that can make you feel uncomfortable and some of those are behaviors that you are not willing to put up with. That is the primary reason why you need to set up boundaries. However, setting up that barrier is not intended to shut down and push people out of your life. Instead, remind yourself that it is a healthy strategy that helps you distinguish what acceptable and restricted behaviors are. Setting up a boundary allows you to protect yourself and filter out some toxic individuals that drain your energy. Here’s a way you can set out a healthy boundary.

• Figure out what you socially need and start building your restrictions from there
• Identify your safety requirements so that you can avoid emotional, mental, and physical harm from people you don’t consider getting close with
• Focus more on understanding and accepting social uncertainties to get rid of fake and manipulating friends or anyone who takes advantage of your well-being.
• Build your self-esteem by surrounding yourself with good, influenced people.
• Surround yourself with supportive, loving, and caring people that boost your self-confidence and self-esteem.

 

Are you often emotionally and mentally unstable? Do you understand why you feel so stressed all the time? Have you experienced a sudden spur of negative emotions? Well, if you are under these certain pressures and more, perhaps you do not have that right mindset. That is correct! You are too focused on negative things that you can’t find enough reason to celebrate life. You are preoccupied with so many petty problems that you can’t be truly happy. But why is that?

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Unfortunately, everything in your life happens based on the decisions you make. You experience the consequences of your actions, words, and behaviors. That is okay. It is a cycle of life that you have to live through. But please remember, not all things deserve your time, effort, and energy. Therefore, for you to have contentment and live a peaceful and happy life, you should learn how to stop giving a damn about everything.

But note, not giving a damn about things around you does not mean you should avoid and completely ignore the world. You shouldn’t use that mentality to pick on destructive behaviors carelessly. You shouldn’t allow that attitude to control your mental and emotional capabilities. Instead, you should be mindful of what you should and shouldn’t pay attention to. Here are some of the things that might help you understand.

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You Don’t Need Approvals.

One significant reason why you may be having a hard time developing your overall wellness is that you consider approval all the time. You believe that other people’s appreciation matters, so you focus more on providing them reasons to like or consider you. You always feel the need of importance that you expect so much of their compliments. You desire positive feedback even if you know it doesn’t entirely help you succeed.

Honestly, there is nothing wrong with that. If that’s what makes you feel good about yourself, then you deserve all the approvals you need. However, the dangerous part of always needing approval is the possible buildup of dependence through the good and comforting words that don’t mean a thing. So how do you know you’re giving too much damn about approval? Here’s some of the list.

• You make life-changing decisions by consulting or asking people’s opinions first.
• You always feel the need to respond to other people’s good and bad comments about you despite its ineffective contribution to your daily life.
• You depend on other people’s fake compliments only to feel good about yourself.
• You pay attention to what people tell you and follow them thoroughly because you believe that is the right thing to do
• You crave to be appreciated, only not to feel alone, helpless, and worthless.
• You chase people’s approvals and push yourself to the extreme even if it does not make you happy.

Actually, there’s a lot of stuff that you can add to that list of negative mentality. However, you might be surprised how much impact does a single approval brings on your overall well-being. Consider this, the more you seek other people’s approval, the more you live in a life that doesn’t entirely belong to you.

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Stay In The Present

Giving a damn about everything is genuinely exhausting because you constantly have a lot in your mind. You keep doing things repeatedly despite all of them bringing a negative impact on your mental and emotional well-being. You have to address that and give yourself a break. Live in the present moment and develop the right habits that can contribute to your overall self-improvement. Here are some of the things you can do.

• Set achievable goals that you care about. Makes sure that it is something that you can commit regularly. Practice time-management
• Focus on self-care. Pay close attention to your sleeping hours, eating habits, hydration, and physical activities.
• Stop worrying about things that are not there. Instead, learn to value the moment and start working on things that need immediate resolutions.
• Genuinely live your life according to your means. For example, don’t spend too much on things you don’t need so you wouldn’t end up selling those you have to keep.
• Limit the information you share with people around you and stop depending on their sometimes unhealthy but frequent unsolicited advice.
• Face your fears and believe that you can do it. Then, stumble and learn through your experience.
• Value your effort and always give your best no matter what
• Own your thoughts and emotions and use them to build constructive solutions to your problems
• Build emotional and mental stability and start from within. Value yourself and strive to become the best version of you

Taking a quick evaluation of what needs to be done is an essential part of emotional and mental stability. If you managed to stay in the present, you would understand the significance of being imperfect. You will realize that the complication of life has nothing to do with your ability to move forward, let it all go, and never give a damn about unimportant things.

 

It is not common to say that you are someone with high self-efficacy. It often comes with words like self-esteem and self-worth. However, self-efficacy is just as important, particularly in specific situations like job interviews or membership activities.

Self-efficacy refers to the belief we have in our ability to complete tasks, overcome challenges, or find solutions to problems. It is a major factor that can determine our potential for success in life. Self-efficacy is a more practical concept in contrast with self-worth and self-esteem. It looks into an individual’s actions and behaviors instead of how they view or value themselves.

Albert Bandura, a well-known psychologist, coined the term self-efficacy. He proposed the social cognitive theory and the Bobo doll experiment. Bandura states that a person’s motivation and well-being come from a sense of self-efficacy. You can develop and strengthen your sense of self-efficacy through the following sources of influence:

• Mastery Experiences

This is also known as performance outcomes. The state of a person’s self-efficacy is strongly reliant on this factor. The more successes you attain in life, the stronger your self-efficacy will be. Experiencing failures only weakens an already weak sense of self-efficacy. Successes must result from difficult obstacles or challenges to permanently benefit your self-efficacy.

• Vicarious Experiences

Seeing people similar to you succeed in what they do or what they try can also boost your self-efficacy. Through observation and vicarious learning, you can learn to understand and be confident about your ability to create or solve something. Seeing other people perform well and comparing their success to your potential is a significant factor in self-efficacy.

• Social Persuasion

This is also known as verbal persuasion. Receiving comments or feedback that speak of your ability to accomplish specific tasks boosts self-efficacy. Discouragement or negative statements, however, will result in the opposite effect. 

• Emotional States

This fourth factor refers to how you interpret, perceive, or understand certain things that affect you on an emotional or physiological level. It is your reaction that is important rather than the volume or intensity of a particular stimulus. Positive responses increase a person’s sense of self-efficacy. Adverse or harmful reactions may reduce it.

This article goes through the most frequently asked questions about self-efficacy related to psychological theories and applications.

What is self-efficacy theory in psychology?

Psychologist Albert Bandura described self-efficacy as individuals’ beliefs in their capacity to control their function and situations that impact their lives. A person’s sense of self-efficacy provides the basis for well-being, personal achievement, and motivation. 

What are the four ways one can develop self-efficacy?

Bandura documented the four primary sources of self-efficacy. These include social modeling, mastery experience, psychological responses, and social persuasion.

What are some examples of self-efficacy?

Below are two examples of self-efficacy:

• A confident student is capable of learning information and knowing that he will do excellent on an examination. 

• A woman who struggles to deal with her chronic diseases, yet she is confident that she will regain herself and improve her health by striving hard and following her doctor’s orders. 

What are the two types of self-efficacy?

Experts suggest that various self-efficacy types commonly embody one of two broad classifications or components of the concept of self-efficacy – a regulatory component and a task component. 

What is the difference between self-efficacy and self-confidence?

Suppose the word ‘confidence’ in this setting means possessing a strong belief in himself, whether in something negative or positive. In that case, self-efficacy implies that you have a solid and optimistic view that you have the skills and the capability to accomplish your goals. This difference is vital.

What are the key principles of self-efficacy theory?

The theory of self-efficacy states that people tend to perform activities to the point where they see themselves as competent. The four self-efficacy sources are vicarious experience, physiological and emotional states, performance accomplishments, and social persuasion.

Why is self-efficacy important?

Self-efficacy can play a vital role in how individuals deal with their nutrition, health, illnesses, and health psychology. For instance, possessing a solid sense of self-efficacy helps a person try his best to stop smoking and stick to his goals. 

Is Self Efficacy a skill?

Self-efficacy is a component of the self, which comprises a person’s abilities, attitudes, and cognitive skills. Hence, self-efficacy is a valuable part of a self-system. 

Is Self Efficacy a personality trait?

A person’s traits and qualities and self-efficacy function on distinct levels – personality traits may be considered defining an individual’s intrinsic character. In contrast, self-efficacy signifies how the individual deals with his behavior and interacts with his surroundings and circumstances. 

How do you use the word efficacy?

Efficacy is the capacity of a person to do a task to an acceptable or anticipated degree. The word efficacy originates from the same root word as effectiveness, and it has frequently been used interchangeably. However, in the field of pharmacology, a distinction is now made between effectiveness and efficacy. 

How can I make my sense of self stronger?

You can build a stronger sense of self by:

• Defining your values. These, along with your personal beliefs, are the major aspects that make up your identity. 

• Spend quality time alone.

• Create a plan on how to accomplish your goals. 

• Practice making your own decisions. These decisions should primarily, if not always, mainly benefit your well-being and your health. 

How does self-efficacy affect behavior?

Self-efficacy refers to a person’s sense of control over his behavior and environment. It influences the time and work that one puts into something to change his behavior and the perseverance to move forward despite setbacks and obstacles that may challenge his motivation. 

How do you teach self-efficacy?

Below are some strategies that you can teach to those who need to improve on their self-efficacy:

• Focus on the person’s interests. 

• Use moderately challenging tasks. 

• Provide encouragement and motivation to the person concerned. 

• Encourage proper recognition.

• Allow the person to make his own decisions and choices.

What is the self-efficacy theory of motivation?

In the theory of self-efficacy, an individual’s beliefs become a principal, precise justification for motivation. Self-efficacy is the having trust that you can do a specific task or of attaining a particular goal. Remember that the belief or the faith and the goal or the action are specific. 

How is self-efficacy measured?

The new General Self-Efficacy Scale developed by a team headed by psychologist Gilad Chen is now being used to measure self-efficacy. It is a scale composed of eight items that assess and calculate how much a person believes they can attain their goals despite barriers and challenges. 

Conclusion

Self-efficacy is one of the most underrated concepts of psychology that people must learn more about. Understanding self-efficacy enables you to leverage moments, actions, and people in your lives that have affected you positively.

You can also look back and recall how specific kinds of encouragement, discouragement, or response have shaped you to become who you are today. In doing so, you would be able to rectify inevitable mistakes and develop better approaches moving forward.

It is vital to strengthen self-efficacy through challenges and difficulties in life. If you do not face any challenges, it will be easy for your high level of self-efficacy to plummet. 

High self-efficacy has multiple benefits to the day-to-day life of an individual. Resilience in the face of adverse circumstances and stressful situations is one such benefit. It should lead to better decision-making and life choices, even with your food consumption, exercise, and social interactions with others. 

There is a large body of evidence that indicates the relationship of self-efficacy with human accomplishments and positive well-being. These are important as they represent an optimistic outlook in life and a sense of self. These ultimately benefit you and the people who surround you.

Having a robust understanding of self-efficacy goes hand-in-hand with your willingness and perseverance to accomplish tasks and overcome hindrances in life, no matter how long or tiring it may be. 

People with a firm belief or sense of self-efficacy can indeed do greater things and be better people in life. There is no point or stage in life in which it is too late to work on self-efficacy. The best time to begin is now. Regardless of your pursuits in life, be it social, artistic, political, or scientific, higher self-efficacy will lead you to your full potential.

 It’s funny that I often find myself thinking about so many things that do not entirely concern me. I mean, I always have this “thing” on trying to solve other people’s problems regardless if that does not relate to me at any cost. I don’t know. I have this so-called “sense of passion” that I want to help people every time I think or believe they need help. Unfortunately, I always end up with frustrations, agitations, anxiety, and emotional stress because they somehow do not want me to get involved.

Of course, that is just insulting. I am trying to help, and that’s what matters, right? Unfortunately, people do not see it that way. They think of me as a nuisance and an annoying individual who’s about to make things worse every time. Honestly, I can’t blame them. As much as I want to mind my own business, I still have this delusion that I am needed, and I can be a bigger help. So when people ignore, neglect, and pushed me away, it gets to my nerves. It makes me feel so anxious that I keep thinking and asking myself why they are like that.

Unfortunately, when I get to feel a little anxious, I begin to lose control. I sometimes lose the sense of happiness, which by the way, makes me think of unnecessary things, particularly hurting myself. I know that is a bit scary. That is why I will share my mental health issue with you through these answered frequently asked questions.

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Can you get anxious for no reason?

Most individuals with anxiety have a lot of triggers. However, for some, their anxiety episodes can arise without any cause at all. Because of this, it is vital to learn and be familiar with all your anxiety triggers. Identifying them is a significant step in effectively dealing with them.

In my case, I often get anxious because I am thinking about getting one. I’m sure it is not yet a thing, but I feel like I can’t do anything when I am anxious.

How can I stop myself from feeling anxious for no reason?

If you’ve been feeling anxious over nothing, some tips might come in handy. It is important to remain in the present moment as anxiety is future-oriented. Double-check and challenge your negative thinking. If you can allow yourself some time, practice breathing in and out slowly. Also, check your posture and make sure that you are standing or sitting straight. Avoid consuming too much sugar and do something productive.

These might sound a bit easy to you, but to be honest, once you are anxious, these seemed to be “an easy thing to do” can get a little complicated and difficult. So I would remind you to stay connected with yourself and focus on what you want to emotionally and mentally achieve.

What causes anxiety all of a sudden?

It is still unclear what causes sudden anxiety or panic attacks, but specific factors may be possible contributors. These include major stressors and genetics. Panic attacks normally occur as a result of misconstruing anxiety’s physical symptoms.

If in case you get anxious for no reason, immediately divert your attention to other things. This tactic does not always work, though. You can at least buy yourself some time to think about the necessary action you have to take to get rid of your anxiety.

Why am I worrying for no reason?

Intermittent anxiety is normal at some point in our lives. You may be worried about things like money, family, or health issues. However, individuals with generalized anxiety disorder feel intensely concerned or feel tense about different things – even if there is nothing to worry about.

Is overthinking a sign of anxiety?

Overthinking is associated with psychological problems, such as anxiety and depression. It is highly possible that overthinking leads to mental health decline, and as this happens, the higher likelihood for you to overthink. It is a vicious cycle.

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How can I beat anxiety?

Try these when you want to get off your anxiety quickly.

• Exercise regularly. This is beneficial for both your physical and mental health.
• Spend quality time for yourself.
• Maintain a healthy and well-balanced diet.
• Avoid caffeine and alcohol, as too much of these aggravate your anxiety symptoms.
• Get sufficient amounts of sleep every day.
• Practice deep breathing and meditation.
• Try your best to think positively.

How can I kill anxiety naturally?

Here are several strategies you can use when you are experiencing anxiety.

• Acknowledge the fact that you have anxiety.
• Do deep and slow breaths.
• Keep calm by closing your eyes.
• Be mindful of the things around you.
• Find something to concentrate on.
• Learn progressive muscle relaxation.
• Picture yourself happy and peaceful.

Can you get rid of anxiety forever?

Anxiety does not disappear permanently because it’s the same as any other emotion we have – happiness, sadness, love, anger, disappointment, etc. You can’t ever get rid of these emotions from your system, and you can’t eliminate anxiety forever as well.

What drugs get rid of anxiety?

The most widely recommended anti-anxiety medications for immediate relief are called benzodiazepines. These include clonazepam (Klonopin), alprazolam (Xanax), Lorazepam (Ativan), and diazepam (Valium), among others.

What is the root of anxiety?

Several reasons could cause your anxiety, including environmental reasons like personal relationships or unemployment, past traumatic events, or medical illnesses. However, research suggests that even genetics can contribute to anxiety.

What vitamins help with anxiety?

Omega-3, magnesium, multivitamins, L-theanine, vitamin D, and vitamin B-complex have been proven to help alleviate anxiety.

How can I calm my anxiety fast?

To try to calm your mind instantly, try these:

• Take deep, gradual breaths
• Soak in your tub with warm water
• Listen to your favorite mellow or instrumental music.
• Learn mindfulness to concentrate on other things that are occurring in the present moment.
• Write down your feelings.

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What foods prevent anxiety?

Foods known to help prevent or alleviate anxiety include dark chocolate, pumpkin seeds, yogurt, chamomile, eggs, fish like salmon and mackerel, and nuts.

What is the best natural supplement for anxiety and depression?

Lemon balm, kava, lavender, valerian, and passionflower are commonly used natural supplements for anxiety.

 

We entirely understand the stress and what it physically, mentally, and emotionally gives us daily for most of us. But of course, the signs and symptoms, as well as their severity, vary from one person to another. So, no one can genuinely pinpoint the general effects of the mental health condition. Some may handle anxiety pretty well and manage to bounce back from a devastating situation, while others can’t seem to fight the battle and struggle with all life aspects.

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In most instances, experts believe that one of the proper ways to deal with and reduce anxiety is by focusing on something productive. It could be learning a new hobby, engaging in physical activities, or simply enjoying all sorts of arts. But often, even though there is a focus on stress reduction, the anxiety still kicks off. That is because of the factors that can contribute to the mental health condition such as genetics, environmental influence, current medication, chronic health diseases, relationship matters, and so on.

Here are some answers to the frequently asked questions that many people have to understand more about stressful anxiety.

Can anxiety last for months? 

Unfortunately, yes! While some anxiety moments are briefer and shorter than others, the mental health condition can last up to a few months and even for years. These anxiety feelings are more than just a stressful day at work or passing worries from daily duties. The excessive, persistent troubling, and hard-to-control anxiety that lasts for at least several months can turn into a generalized anxiety disorder.

In line with this, any possible symptoms should not be ignored. Even if you sometimes thought that a sudden change in mood and mental state is normal, you should still consult a doctor for a specific diagnosis. Because when you left anxiety untreated, it can take a toll on your life and soon ruin everything you have.

 Why do I have anxiety if I’m not stressed? 

Anxiety can come from various things, such as stressful situations at school, home, or work. It could also come from traumatic events or other environmental factors. Genetics and brain chemistry can also become factors.

Therefore, regardless if you are stressed or not, anxiety can still kick in, especially when there are triggers. There is no stopping anxiety from happening as it promotes alertness that prepares your mind and body for an unexpected situation. This automatic physiological reaction is what you call the “fight or flight response” that allows you to deal with stress and danger.

 How do I permanently stop anxiety? 

There is no way you can permanently stop anxiety since it is part of the human body’s system. However, there are natural ways you can stop its symptoms. These include staying physically active, getting enough sleep, drinking enough water, eating healthy foods, taking vitamins and other helpful supplements, practicing deep breathing, and quitting smoking and alcohol consumption.

As you can see, these are basically lifestyle changes. So when you are used to doing the opposite of these, you might want to consider changing your ways to help reduce your anxiety.

 Why can’t I stop worrying about everything? 

Occasional anxiety is acceptable because it is a normal part of life. There is worry about things like money, health, family, or relationship problems. However, with people diagnosed with a generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), the worry is different as it can escalate quickly into something unexpected. There is an extreme feeling of fear that affects everyday life.

But to be honest, worrying about everything is not something one is not doing. In fact, all people in the world have a list of worries and fears they want to get rid of. No one is exempted as everyone is battling with anxiety mildly or severely.

Does ignoring anxiety make it go away? 

No. anxiety may not be that bad at times, but that does not mean it should be ignored. If unfortunate things happen, it may lead to untreated anxiety disorders, which can have extremely negative consequences. It can impact a person’s entire daily life causing an inability to work, go to school, or have normal social relationships.

Therefore, never practice leaving your anxiety untreated. Make sure that you pay close attention to your mental and emotional needs.

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 What causes constant anxiety? 

Usually, stressful life situations trigger anxiety excessively and unnecessarily. That is due to its effect on the emotional aspect as people experience a death in the family, work and school stress, and ongoing battle with financial matters. It can also come from a stressful relationship or an excessive fear of death due to chronic conditions.

 What are the five emotional signs of stress? 

The five most common emotional signs of stress include racing thoughts or constant worry, feeling overwhelmed, irritability, anger, and extreme sadness.

Though these feelings are common, it is vital to note that these same emotions can warn other mental health problems. To be sure that these only reflect stress, consult a licensed professional for a diagnosis if symptoms persist.

 How long can anxiety last? 

Depending on the negative impact of the situation, anxiety attacks heighten within 10 minutes. It rarely lasts more than 30 minutes, and during that short time, the tendency of experiencing terror and persistent fear is at risk. It is so severe that it can make you feel like you are about to go crazy or lose control.

 Does stress cause anxiety? 

Unfortunately, yes. Stress is the number one triggering factor of anxiety. Therefore, it’s important to grasp the mental condition’s symptoms as early as possible to prevent the development of a mental illness.

 Does CBD help anxiety? 

Yes. Studies and research show that CBD helps a lot in treating different types of anxiety conditions. These include social phobia, general anxiety disorders (GAD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), etc. Aside from that, CBD also has the potential to treat epilepsy as well as depression.

 What vitamins help with anxiety? 

Vitamin D, L-Theanine, magnesium, Ashwagandha, and valerian root help reduce anxiety. Also, consider taking vitamin supplements to fight stress. You can take Melatonin, Rhodiola Rosea, Glycine, Kava, and B complex vitamins.

 What to drink to calm nerves? 

The best drinks to calm your nerves and reduce your anxiety are Valerian Root Tea, Anti-Anxiety Smoothie, Tart Cherry Juice, Kava Tea, Peppermint Tea, Green Tea, and Warm Milk. Water and Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Juice also help.

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 Is overthinking a sign of anxiety? 

Unfortunately, yes. Overthinking is linked to psychological problems, including depression and anxiety. Overthinking causes your mental health to decline as it discourages you from fighting whatever is going through with your emotional, physical, and mental health.

With this, you must pay attention to your thoughts and feelings. Avoid triggers that can cause you a series of uncontrolled worries. If it is already too late and you experience the negative signs and symptoms, check with your doctor right away.

 How can I beat anxiety? 

There are ways that you can beat anxiety. But it is vital to realize that not because some strategies work best with others, it does not guarantee to give the same beneficial results to you. Anxiety can flare up at any time, and in some worse cases, you might not be able to handle it on your own. Learn to identify your triggers and work your way through self-care. If in case it does not help, consult a medical professional immediately.

 What can you do when you can’t stop worrying?

Break free of excessive worry and learn to stop anxious thoughts immediately before they can escalate into something you are not supposed to experience. Try to determine the things you can control and identify your fears. Focus on your overall recovery and plan to manage your stress accordingly. It would be a great option if you learned to differentiate problem-solving from ruminating.

 

 

 

 

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We pursue creative hobbies like painting, writing, drawing, dancing, or acting merely because we love doing them. Instinctively, we do know that practicing creativity is healthy for us and our creative desires give us joy and fulfillment. But can we benefit mentally and emotionally from being creative? Indeed, art therapy makes us feel unburdened and happy at the end of the day, but what are other benefits that we can get from it? Can it help improve family wellness?

Often, people do creative activities as a form of recreation, while others do it as a livelihood. No matter which path you have taken to release your imaginations and your need to express your self-kempt emotions, it’s quite obvious that creating things is part of being human. We’ve been using art for centuries, owing from the vague marks of the hands and rough drawings of images on caves. We could say that our desire to use art is inherent. We had benefited from art over the years when we learned to make houses, cook food, draw blueprints, and even formulate medicines.

At times, however, we make things just to make it. Does this mean that sometimes art is useless? Regardless of this theory, several studies, particularly in the medical arena, have shown that almost all kinds of art forms are, in fact, beneficial for one’s physical, emotional, and mental health.

Below is a list of proven benefits that creative pursuit – dancing, drawing, writing, etc. – can provide us with. We strongly recommend that you incorporate creativity into your life as well.

Positive Impact On The Brain

Writing in the form of poetry or simply journaling can effectively help a person learn and memorize. But not if you intentionally type or write down the concepts that you want to recall – now, that won’t work. If learning efficiently is your purpose, experts suggest that you do it conventionally by using pen and paper.

Additionally, writing music also promotes better brain function. If Albert Einstein had not been a genius physicist, he confessed that he would have become a great musician. This is further proven to be true by a study done in 2014 about participants who had musical training, like those who practiced using a musical instrument. At the end of the study, a majority of the participants who played instruments had increased connectivity between the two cerebral hemispheres.

 

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Enhanced Mental Well-Being

Science has time and again revealed that painting, drawing, and clay work is tools that can be used for individuals that experienced trauma. An article also described art as something that aids people in expressing how they feel about their encounters that are too hard to explain verbally. It also stated that self-expression might probably even help maintain or create a positive identity.

Expressive writing, on the other hand, which involves individuals to recount a situation and discuss how it has impacted their lives, has been shown to help those who have been traumatized and have enabled them to deal with their negative emotions. Like visual expression, this form of writing gives people the ability to take unpleasant situations that are difficult to alter and incorporate them into the story of their life, which eventually creates meaning for experiences that have left deep-seated scars. Examples of these are the loss of a loved one, sexual abuse, or a medical diagnosis.

Benefits To Physical Wellness

People who have jotted down their traumatic encounters have exhibited substantial improvements in different measures of physical wellness, a decrease in doctors’ appointments, and improved immune system functions. This was supported by a trial that entailed participants going through HIV treatment, which showed that expressive writing aided the participants in improving their immune systems.

The reason for this is not very clear, but those who reported their experiences regularly presented with a boosted CD4+ lymphocyte count.

Music Therapy

This is also another immune system booster. Music impacts our brains in complicated ways, activating the limbic system, and soothing one’s responses to stress. Experts Nobel and Stuckey state that listening to your favorite music may help regain one’s immune system functions partly through the hypothalamus and the amygdala, regions of the brain that are for hormonal and mood regulation.

Benefits of Dancing

Creativity could also be a mobile pursuit, the kind of mobility that provides its range of benefits. For example, a trial that focused on breast cancer survivors revealed that dancing helped promote better shoulder stability and function and positively affected their self-image. Also, dancing is an enjoyable means of keeping yourself fit and healthy.

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Studies on Zumba and hip-hop programs, improving one’s blood pressure and other vital signs, have encouraged many men and women to continue dancing as a form of keeping themselves physically and mentally fit.

Ultimately, if we can maintain or improve our physical and mental states by painting, journaling, playing the piano or guitar, or just dancing our problems away, then why not welcome more creativity and art into our lives?

 

 

 

In this pandemic spread of COVID-19, there are two kinds of fear you can see in people. One is the fear of getting sick. People understand the virus’s capability in damaging a person’s overall health. That is why they are afraid they might end up getting the diseases. There is also the fear of infecting someone they love because they do not like the idea of hospital pain and death. Second, there is the fear of financial instability and loss. Honestly, with the situation right now, that ends up being a more significant threat to people. But unfortunately, that only takes a small percentage.

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What people are dealing with right now that they cannot seem to notice is the emotional and mental problems. They assume that it is okay to feel bored, lonely, and isolated during this situation. They say they understand the purpose of social distancing, but the truth is, most cannot handle it anymore. Most of them want to be around people. So to manage this Coronavirus hysteria, here are some suggestions on what people can do.

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Establish Things You Can Control

First, people should accept that there are a lot of things they can’t control during this pandemic. As much as they want to believe that they can find better ways to deal in life, some will not sacrifice anything and make some adjustments. So in line with this, people must focus on establishing control over the things they can and not dwell on those things they cannot. An example of that is choosing the best way to keep themselves safe and away from the virus. People can simply wash their hands and avoid touching their faces. Honestly, these are natural things that people should never hyper-focus on, but regularly doing it is beneficial for everybody at this moment.

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Connect More With People

Humans are born interactive; that is why they are socially oriented. But since there is a social distancing protocol, they have to limit their connection with other people. Unfortunately, it causes sadness and loneliness. People should try to connect with others in creative ways to fight with the mental stress of physical distancing. With that, social media plays a big part. People can spend time with friends and family through chat, text messaging, and video calls. Honestly, with technology at the tip of everyone’s finger, they can easily manage social boredom.

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Keep A More Structured Day

Some people are okay with the idea of working from home. However, there are those people who lack the emotional and mental strength to deal with work separation. Some of them feel there is no reason for living without their list of things to do. If this is the case, it is better that people should go with the motion of setting up a start and stop time for their entire daily tasks. If it is possible, people should consider making an effort to separate their work and personal space. They should understand that even though being busy serves as a great distraction from the pandemic anxiety, it is still essential that they spend time doing nothing from time to time.

There are a lot of uncertainties during this pandemic. So it is vital that people must take care of themselves no matter what. The struggle is not easy, and the adjustments people will make may not be suitable for others. However, keeping the mental and emotional state can be advantageous is a lot of ways. People should not over-focus on things that don’t entirely matter and pay attention to those things that require necessary actions.

Things get pretty stressful now that the world experiences a crisis. In times like this, where the global health issue is about the Coronavirus, social distancing becomes entirely essential. It is the only available strategy that helps flatten the curve and slows down the spread of the virus. However, if we are not careful, our only chance of not getting infected can also take a toll on our mental health. With that, let us try to understand how social distancing can be dangerous to our mental stability and know how we can help ourselves in managing it.

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It Promotes Loneliness And Sadness

The combination of social distancing and anxiety can cause a negative effect. That is if we suffer from a pre-existing mental illness. Practicing social distancing for an extended period can influence the adverse impact of social isolation, precisely our feeling of sadness or loneliness. Sadness and loneliness are known not only in increasing different levels of depression and anxiety; it can also lead to a decrease in our immune system’s function. So to avoid loneliness and sadness, we have to make use of the available outlets. We must digitally check-in with friends and family so we can keep ourselves emotionally and mentally connected with people despite the social distancing protocol. We can send a text, start a video chat, or make a phone call. Any means are okay as long as we keep connected.

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It Causes Boredom

The boredom caused by social distancing affects mental health in an unnoticeable way. That is due to the limited amount of ideas of what we can do each day. And ever since the social distancing protocol started, all of us feel that days and nights begin to feel more prolonged than usual. It promotes the lack of sufficient engagement with our surroundings, which makes us feel irritated and annoyed all the time. It adds to our stress because we somehow think we are locked up in a situation we cannot control. That explains why even if we already completed some of the tasks we listed, we still get bored. To fight boredom, we need to come up with new ideas and hobbies. There are a lot of things we can do, such as reading, writing, dancing, and learning new things. Anything that can keep our minds stimulated is an excellent way to reduce boredom.

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Its Uncertainty Brings Stress And Panic

Social distancing is the one responsible for our interrupted routines. It limits us from doing certain things because of the idea of not getting infected. However, for some of us, it adds to stress and panic due to its uncertainties. These include the difficulty of our job and financial status. A lot of us are struggling to make ends meet even before this outbreak. And now that there’s a strict requirement for social distancing, the fear of not being able to work and support our family is draining our mental health. That is the reason why we feel a lot of unexplained emotional and psychological burden. To cope with this, we must engage and establish a new routine we can adapt at home. Yes, it might take us a while to get used to the new set of habits. But it will soon help us become more focused on being grounded and productive.

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It is undoubtedly the most stressful time for all of us. But we have to recognize that in a pandemic time like this, practicing self-care is crucial. We need to acknowledge that we are more susceptible to different kinds of stress right now, and the only way we can stay positive is by keeping our mental health better. An easy and convenient way to do this is by subscribing to an online therapist from BetterHelp. With just a click of the app from your smartphone, you are able to connect with a professional counselor who is trained in tackling various mental health conditions, including stress and anxiety. Check out some of the clients’ reviews here to have a clearer perspective of how it works. Good luck!