Do you find it harder to wake up in the mornings when it is cold outside and all you want to do is stay in your comfy bed? Do you find yourself grasping for any bit of motivation along the way in the mornings? A lot of people feel these emotions during the cold and sometimes dark winter months. We are used to a couple extra hours of daylight, more outdoor activities, and just more sun in general. How can we find the positives in the winter?
I have been so self-confident over the past few months, but sometimes I wonder if it’s true or if it’s an act. When being faced with situations where it’s clear that I’m getting to know someone who doesn’t respect me, or it’s clear that an old friend is trying to take advantage of my kindness, I wonder what my responses to these things show about myself. Dealing with difficult people is not my strong point at all. I always go for the idea that it’s good to let people express themselves, but sometimes I question that thought and think to myself, “at what expense.”
We’ve talked about expressing and writing down gratitude plenty of times before. No matter how big or how small, being able to name anything positive can have an impact on your mental health and wellbeing. Whether it’s being able to acknowledge the good things at the end of the day or being able to look back and read them if you’re feeling down, remembering that there are always good things that can happen, even when it doesn’t feel like it, and knowing there’s a light when things feel bleak can make the biggest difference.
It may be hard for some to remember the last time that they got a proper, full night’s sleep. Schoolwork, jobs, and extracurricular activities are just a few things that can contribute to an adolescent’s hectic and busy schedule. Simply put, there aren’t enough hours in the day for people to do everything that they want, and they often sacrifice the time they should be using sleeping to get everything else done.
How often have you looked at yourself in the mirror and thought, “I need to change this” “I don’t like this” or “Why can’t I look like this instead?” Trust me – you are not alone!
“Make small obtainable goals!” is what we hear most of our lives growing up in school from teachers. I’ve never really thought about this until this point in my life where I am trying to grow and make changes in my life to be happier and live a calmer life. An example I’ve heard in therapy is that if someone wants to start going to the gym in the new year, they usually make a goal to go 3 times a week. If they currently go to the gym 0 times a week, 3 times is usually way too many to start out with. In a lot of cases, it is better to start out with 1 day a week as your goal. This is more attainable and if you achieve it, your brain will be happy. When we divert too far from routine, our brain gets scared and can sometimes just not accomplish the goal at all.
It can be easy to put on music that matches your mood when you’re not feeling your best. The best way to describe it is by thinking of the phrase “misery loves company,” or that having something (or someone) that feels just as bad as you are makes you feel slightly less alone.
For a number of reasons, young people today are incredibly privileged to have access to empathetic and thoughtful therapists. However, for children of South Asian immigrants, it can be awkward at times to bridge the culture gap with a therapist from a different background. Many scenarios South Asian youths want to discuss in therapy are deeply tied to their cultural identity. Therapists can help navigate these experiences, but South Asians often find themselves giving a lot of context and education.
You’ve likely heard the phrase over and over again: don’t believe everything you see on social media. This could apply to pretty much everything online, from the content that people choose to post, how they choose to post it, what they include and leave out, and who they choose to share it with.
Ever since I was a toddler my mother has described me as anxious, but ironically enough this is one of the few illness I do not have a diagnosis for. Sure I have anxiety especially social anxiety, but I do not care if I do not have an official paper saying I have it or not. Although my psychiatrist may have diagnosed me, I do not really care to look through my medical files to confirm. It is debilitating at times when I am too afraid to order my own food or am unable to talk to a new person. I’m a champion at crying in restaurants. A diagnosis likely will not change that for me, but it might for you. When I am in therapy they’re usually aware right off the bat that I’m an anxious person so I do not need a diagnosis as it does not change my own quality of life.
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