SOVA Blog

by Moderator ★

photo of a person in a library reading a book. in the foreground there are books stacked so that there is an open circle framing the reader

Curling Up With a Good Book

November 17, 2023 in Be Positive

There are so many ways to get comfortable with a book and get lost in the words and stories that it contains. You can read in the car during a long journey, in between classes, at the dining table, your bed, the couch, the bath, and so on. There’s the classic physical books that can be compact and slim and easily carried in one hand, or so heavy that you can use it as a weight. E-books like Kindles or Nooks can hold hundreds upon thousands of stories in one small device, providing an endless selection in the palm of your hands. These e-book services are also available as apps, so if you already have a tablet, you can read them on there, or even on your phone.

Nowadays, many wonder if kids and adolescents even read for fun anymore, often citing social media and technology as the major factor. The question about youth reading habits is not new, however. For example, when the Harry Potter phenomenon was at its peak, many noticed that kids had an increased interest in reading, despite being more consumed with TVs at the time. Despite this, young adult novels are still being published (and often adapted into TV shows and movies).

Studies have shown that leisurely reading can have a positive effect on anxiety and stress. There are several ways that this happens; some psychologists believe that because reading is such an intensive activity that requires concentration, it can drown out distractions while also indulging you in a good story. These good stories can ease muscle tension and lower heart rates in as little as six minutes! In fact, reading can reduce stress up to 68%, having a greater effect than going for a walk or listening to music.

It’d be impossible to list the kinds of books that you can read, but there are so many genres and so many new releases that it can get pretty overwhelming to decide where to start. There’s always the New York Times bestseller list – and they even have a specific list for young adult hardcovers as well. You don’t need to stick to the most popular books though: ironically, social media websites like Goodreads and tumblr are great outlets to find books that match up with your interests. They usually have forums or blogs specifically for more diverse literature in both characters and authors too.

So when you find yourself having some free time, or simply want an escape when things begin to get too stressful, reading just the first chapter of a book, whether old or new, can have a tremendous effect.

Do you like to read? What kind of books are you drawn to? Do you have any recommendations? Let us know in the comments!

Tags: , , , , , 1 Comment »

by Moderator ★

Positivity During Thanksgiving

November 16, 2023 in Be Positive, LINKS

You’ve probably seen a lot of posts and ads about giving thanks, especially now that the Thanksgiving holiday is near. In general, this time of year is one meant to be filled with joy and positivity, sharing events with loved ones and making memories.

thanksgiving-3719249_1920

It can be difficult to have these feelings however, especially with mental illness. This in addition to the stressors that can pop up during the season, particularly if your relationship with family members can be tense, finances can be an issue, or social anxiety spikes with the increase of shopping crowds and relatives (and not to mention feeling conflicted about the history of the holiday too). While it’s meant to be celebrated, it’s hard for some to be positive during this time of year, especially if they feel like they need to meet these exciting, celebratory expectations.

Positivity is an individual feeling, and can still be experienced, but just in different ways. If you find yourself having a hard time experiencing Thanksgiving the way it’s “meant” to be celebrated, you can still find ways to enjoy the break for yourself. For example, NAMI has a few simple strategies specifically for staying positive for Thanksgiving. These include thinking about personal things that you’re grateful for, volunteering and incorporating self-care.

There are other ways to find ways to cope with mental illness and negativity during the week too. Sometimes all you need is those few days off to recharge, whether it be meeting up with old friends or catching up on a show. If you’re able to, now’s the perfect time for some retail therapy, or maybe you find cooking and baking to be therapeutic (whether it’s to help with Thanksgiving dinner or to have it just for yourself).

If you’re still looking and want to seek for more advice about dealing with these feelings over the week, Healthy Place has a page specifically about the topic, with different linked articles relating to different issues. Ultimately, you can enjoy Thanksgiving and celebrate it – you get some days off from school and there’s a chance of good food in some way – but there are other ways to find enjoyment in your own way too.

What are you doing for Thanksgiving? Do you think it can be difficult to be happy during the season? What do you to to relax over the break?

Tags: , , , , 1 Comment »

by Moderator ★

photo of a person in a red shirt that says volunteer in white text. person is taking a photograph of other people in the background

Giving Back

November 13, 2023 in LINKS

There are going to be a lot of chances to reflect and give back now that the holiday season is in full swing. This doesn’t only include Thanksgiving during November, but other holidays such as Veterans’ Day here and Remembrance Day in places like Great Britain, Canada, and Australia. While reflecting and giving back can be done on a very personal level, such as evaluating how the past year has gone and what can change in the upcoming new year, or participating in local food and gift drives at school or work.

There are going to be plenty of options and organizations to donate to (some more popular and available than others), and it can get pretty overwhelming to decide which ones to choose (of course, if being able to donate is something you can do). Each organization is different, and everyone has issues that are more personal to them and have respective charities that they’re drawn to, but if you still want some options to consider, we’ve listed a few mental health organizations below. You can directly donate, buy merchandise where the proceeds go to the group, find volunteer opportunities, or even just share the resources on social media to get the word out.

What are you doing for the holiday season? What issues and matters are meaningful to you? How do you think you can help give back besides donating?

Tags: , , , 1 Comment »

by Moderator ★

Ways to Stay Focused

November 6, 2023 in LINKS

It can be incredibly difficult to concentrate on something for a long period of time, especially when it comes to the more mundane and boring things, like chores, homework, or cleaning out your closet like you swear you were going to do when the weather started to change but has only become an even bigger pile of clothes.

Having a mental illness doesn’t help either, as it can play a factor in disrupting your work performance. This doesn’t just include ADHD, but anxiety and depression also have a relationship with difficulty concentrating on tasks. There are a variety of reasons, since mental illnesses all affect people differently, but things such as worrying about doing a good job and your mind struggling to even think about the assignment at hand when it’s hard to function in general are a couple of examples.

The Internet, as usual, can try to help with its endless resources. At the very least, there are apps and websites that can help block electronic distractions so you can focus on what needs to be done. While these aren’t the only ways to help with concentrating, especially since they are limited to blocking out websites and other apps, these are still options that can maybe make finishing that essay a little bit easier.

dictionary-1149723_1920

Self-Control While it can seem a little intimidating at first (the icon is a skull, for example), Self-control has you make a list of specific websites that you want to blacklist, such as social media websites, and once you set a time limit, you can’t access any of them until the timer runs out. It doesn’t block other websites, however, so if you need to do research or Google something, you can still access them. Don’t try and restart your computer to access the blocked sites though, because you still won’t be able to access them.

Focus Writer are for those who don’t need to use anything else on their computer, and just need to write. Here, you also set a timer, and your screen becomes nothing but the document (with a customizable background), so you’re forced to look at it and nothing else on your computer.

Flipped takes things to more of an extreme, as it was created to help people break any bad habits that they have with their phone. It can still be helpful on a lower level, however, since it also gives you the ability to control how much time you need to spend away from your phone and its distractions. Just like Self-control, the main catch is that the apps you choose to block will absolutely stay blocked, even if you try to restart your phone.

Do you have any tips on how to concentrate on important tasks? What do you do to stay focused? Let us know below!

Tags: , , , , , 1 Comment »

by Moderator ★

photo of eggs in a carton. there are 3 eggs in view, each with a different face drawn on it. sad, smiling, and angry.

Can a Poor Diet Predict Mental Illness?

November 2, 2023 in Educate Yourself

Food is so much more than gaining energy to get through the day. Many see food as an experience: some see cooking as therapeutic, eating with others as a way to deepen relationships, and taking photos of their food and posting them as a hobby. This doesn’t even account for how good food can taste, given the variety in cuisine and combinations.

Because of its importance and presence, especially for adolescents as they enter a rapidly developing stage in their lives, food can also be a huge influence in other parts of our lives. Studies are starting to look at the relationship between food and mental health, seeing how one’s diet and what they eat can affect or even influence the presence of mental illnesses.

One recent article explored this, focusing on a poor diet, and particularly how sugar can impact a teenager’s mental health. In it, they explained the results of a study that showed that men who consumed 67 grams of sugar a day were 23% more likely to be diagnosed with depression than those who ate under 40 grams, as well as how teenage girls who consumed fast and processed food were associated with a higher risk of depression. These sorts of results can have a huge impact on adolescents in general, not just because they’re more at risk for mental illnesses, but youths are often the key demographic when it comes to marketing. The bright colors and cartoonish imagery in advertisements for sodas, sugary cereals, and processed snacks are meant to target those who are younger.

brain-1787622_1920

Another study back in 2014 also looked into previous research to see if there was any overlap between a poor diet and mental health in children and adolescents. While not as strong, the results were still similar, the relationship was still there. This study went into more detail as to why this relationship exists, giving one example that the nutrients found in healthier food, such as magnesium and zinc was inversely associated with depressive disorders. This means that those nutrients were less likely to be consumed by those who have depressive disorders. Another explanation says that high-fat and high-sugar diets can negatively affect proteins that play a huge role in brain development. This sort of impact can affect how our brain processes things, and therefore can make people more susceptible to mental illnesses.

With this information, we must also keep in mind that some don’t have a choice in their diets. Eating healthy can be a privilege given the costs of organic products and food alternatives, as well as the accessibility and location of certain grocery stores and restaurants. Depression can influence how much and when we want to eat, and some may eat more as a coping mechanism when they’re anxious. Though studies have shown a link between mental health and a poor diet, there are still so many factors to consider as to why there is such a connection.

How do you think what you eat affects your mental health? Do you think your mental health affects what you eat? How do you think that changing one’s diet can impact their mental health? Let us know below!

Tags: , , , , Comments Off on Can a Poor Diet Predict Mental Illness?

by Moderator ★

photo of a hallway. the walls are painted in a rainbow going from green to teal to blue to red to orange to yellow.

Bringing Some Color In

November 1, 2023 in LINKS

There are many outlets to take advantage of if you need a distraction that go beyond procrastination purposes. These kinds of situations can include sitting on public transit, waiting for a doctor’s appointment, or those times when anxiety can feel so overwhelming that you it can seem like you’re frozen, itching to do something to make the feeling go away. One of the most simplest and convenience ways to waste a little bit of time and keep yourself busy is through the infinite number of games available through the app stores on your smartphone.

 

 

While some are designed specifically for stress relief purposes, some simply end up being that way. This can be through the low stakes involved (such as the levels not being timed) or the minimal thinking required. One such game is I Love Hue, which is based on organization and color. Your goal is to move around scrambled colored tiles so that they create a gradient, which can seem complicated, but can feel incredibly satisfying once a pattern begins to emerge. Not all of the tiles need to be moved, and some are locked with a black dot to serve as reference points.

The game has an overall tranquil vibe to it, with soft sounds and pleasing, supportive words like “magnificent” when you finish a level and “mystic” and “prophet” to refer to the level types. The colors are also soft as well as aesthetically pleasing, and can also feel a little educational, helping your eyes recognize the subtle differences in colors better (Is this red-orange? Or orange-red?). There is a slightly competitive component to it too, as each level shows the average number of steps people take to complete it, which can be a bonus for those who want to build up their motivation towards another task.

The game is free and available on both the App Store and Google Play.

Would you consider playing a game like I Love Hue? How do you think puzzles help with stress? How do you think colors help with stress?

Tags: , , , , Comments Off on Bringing Some Color In

by Moderator ★

group of students talking in the foreground while one student sits alone at a desk in the background

Can You be Extroverted and Have Social Anxiety?

October 16, 2023 in Educate Yourself

Our minds often give us images of certain types of people when we think about certain things. For example, we tend to think of those with anxiety to be by themselves, preferring to be alone and in the quiet. It can be easy and even confusing to separate introversion and social anxiety, since both include a preference of being alone and away from crowds. Even though there are significant differences, the assumption is that most people with social anxiety are also introverts, and that the two go hand in hand.

It’s important to remember though that those with disorders and illnesses do not have to have the same personality traits. While the idea of extroverts – those who thrive off of crowds, enjoy talking to large groups of people, and get their energy when they’re around others – also having social anxiety doesn’t seem to make sense, it’s something that can still happen. Being an extrovert is not a protective factor against anxiety, since anxiety is something that your mind can’t help but think about.

StockSnap_GL2I1BU9Y3

Extroverts with social anxiety have two major parts of themselves conflicting, but if you take a step back, you can see how the two can influence each other. Social anxiety often includes fears of having their anxiety be noticeable and facing criticism, and those who have these and are also extroverted can feel these fears to a larger degree. They like to be around people, but they also want to make sure that they are being accepted by them. Because they want to be accepted, their anxiety can make them afraid of the worst-case scenarios and that people won’t actually like them and will actually find their outgoing traits to be annoying.

Those with social anxiety (or other mental illnesses) who are also extroverts can also be afraid of admitting they have these issues, because people don’t think that this combination is possible. Because people expect extroverts to be social, lively, and loud, extroverts can feel that they have to be that way all the time, not just to meet the standards of others, but the image they have of themselves. One 24-year-old woman goes into detail about her experience as someone with anxiety and depression but considers herself to be an extrovert. She explains that her more extroverted traits, such as being loud, can come out because she uses it to try and make up her fears of being judged by others when in public.  

While there are images that we think of when we think about mental illness, they can still be stereotypes and damaging to not just those who meet that image, but those who “conflict” with it.

Are you an introvert or extrovert? How do you think that the stereotypes and stigmas about mental illness can affect those who don’t meet them on the outside, such as outgoing and extroverted people?

Tags: , , , , , 3 Comments »

by Moderator ★

picture of a black PlayStation controller

Controlling Emotions

October 13, 2023 in Be Positive

It’s impossible to be in control of our emotions all the time. After all, we’re only human, and we react to things in different ways as they happen, whether we want to or not. We may get overly excited about something we’re passionate about during a time when it’s probably not the most appropriate, or we might find ourselves getting a little too heated when someone insults someone close to us.

In moments when your mental health might not be the strongest, navigating and controlling your emotions can feel like a lost battle. It’s like you’re fighting with your mental illness to see who is in control over your brain and how you respond to things, and before you know it, you find yourself on edge and even the slightest inconvenience can have you bursting into tears.

Feeling like you don’t have control, especially over your emotions and reactions can be incredibly overwhelming, but it’s not impossible to take that control back.

The Internet has a few guides on how to control your emotions when they’re leaning on the more negative side. These include taking a deep breath and taking a moment to ground yourself before reacting to something, rewinding to see how you got to that feeling in the first place, and replacing negative thoughts with positive ones to redirect your mood.

And remember this: although it can feel like you’re fighting your mental illness over the remote control for your brain and emotions, you have the strength to take it back. No matter what, that remote will always end up back in your hand. 

Have you ever felt like you weren’t in control of your emotions? How did that feel? Do you have any advice on how to improve your mood or combating negative emotions?

Tags: , , , 2 Comments »

by Moderator ★

photo of several yellow balloons with smiley faces on them

Gratitude Prompts

October 9, 2023 in Be Positive

According to Grateful, researchers at Harvard Medical School report, “Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships.”

However, Brianna Steinhilber writes that while practicing gratitude seems simple enough, it can be difficult for some, “especially if you’re a person who has a hard time expressing emotions, or you’re going through a rough patch that makes channeling gratitude difficult.”

Therefore, to begin, use a gratitude prompt. Gratitude prompts can tap into your creativity and help you recognize the things you’re grateful to have in your life. You can also use gratitude prompts as a conversation starter with others. And try writing them down by keeping a gratitude notebook or using an app!

Try these gratitude prompts:

  1. List five small ways that you can share your gratitude today.
  2. Write about a person in your life that you’re especially grateful for and why.
  3. What skills or abilities are you thankful to have? (You communicate well, you’re a good cook, you have an uncanny ability to dominate in Fantasy Football. Hey, it’s your journal).
  4. What is there about a challenge you’re experiencing right now that you can be thankful for? (This is a tough one, but you have learned something or grown from the hardship—how?)
  5. How is where you are in life today different than a year ago–and what positive changes are you thankful for?
  6. What activities and hobbies would you miss if you were unable to do them?
  7. List five body parts that you’re grateful for and why. (Those long legs help you reach items on the top shelf … don’t forget the little things.)
  8. What about the city you live in are you grateful for?
  9. What are you taking for granted about your day to day that you can be thankful for? (Can’t think of any? Your alarm clock, your coffee machine, the paperboy who delivered your newspaper, your friendly neighbor who always says good morning … and that’s before you even leave the house.)
  10. List 5 people in your life who are hard to get along with—and write down at least one quality for each that you are grateful for.
  11. What materialistic items are you most grateful for?
  12. Write about the music you’re thankful to be able to listen to and why. (We couldn’t make it five minutes on the treadmill without our beats.)
  13. Who has done something this week to help you or make your life easier and how can you thank them?
  14. What foods or meals are you most thankful for? (Bacon, egg and cheese on Monday morning, we’re looking at you.)
  15. What elements of nature are you grateful for and why? (The beach, a starry sky or one speckled with fluffy clouds, the sunset…)
  16. What part of your morning routine are you most thankful for? (A big stretch before you get out of bed, that warm cup of coffee, a cuddle session with your pet…)
  17. Write a letter to someone who has positively impacted your life, however big or small.
  18. What is something you’re grateful to have learned this week?
  19. When was the last time you laughed uncontrollably—relive the memory.
  20. What aspects of your work environment are you thankful for? (Supportive co-workers, flexible hours, great snacks in the kitchen…)

Don’t have time to write?  Check out one of these apps instead:

  • Grateful: A Gratitude Journal
  • My Gratitude Journal
  • HappyFeed: Graditude Journal
  • Gratitude Journal 365
  • Gratitude Journal: The Life-changing App

Answer one of the prompts above, and if you feel comfortable, share your response in the Comments section below!  Have your own prompt? Let us know!

Tags: , , , , , 1 Comment »

by Moderator ★

Learning to Run

October 5, 2023 in Be Positive

StockSnap_MSP33VQB9F

Sometimes all we want to do when going through a hard time is to run away from all our problems. This can be especially true when dealing with a mental illness, when our thoughts and stressors keep building up and are impossible to escape from because they’re trapped in our heads. There are many ways to cope when dealing with these situations, exercising included. Running specifically is metaphorical, allowing you to feel like you are literally leaving your problems behind. There have been multiple studies exploring just how running can benefit your mental health, which include reasons such as increased chances of a better night’s sleep and increased productivity.

Working out, particularly when you’re not athletic, can feel extremely daunting, but there’s something about running long distances that sounds satisfying. Of course, this doesn’t have to mean that you can go online and find out when the next 26.2 mile marathon is and immediately sign up, but even little things like going for a fifteen minute jog on the treadmill or finding trails nearby to explore can make a difference. The latter is especially good for this time of year, when it’s brisk and colorful, which can also contribute to a more positive perspective.

landscape-78058_1280

No one has (allegedly) ever made the decision to begin running and was then immediately able to run several miles the next day. The Internet knows this, and there are endless guides offering advice on how to start. Now that exercising has become more electronic, from FitBits to Apple Health, there are just as many apps to help you build your way up. These include programs like Couch to 5K, which alternates between walking and running, decreasing the former and increasing the latter week by week until you can fully run five kilometers (or 3.1 miles).

This isn’t to say that running is the only exercise, or even coping mechanism, you can use when your mental health isn’t the best and you need a distraction. It’s something that’s still possible, however, and even if those first few steps seem intimidating, they’re still attainable.

If you want to read more about connecting running to mental health, check out this feature about the “Ice Breakers,” six people with mental illnesses who have formed a nationwide running group. They ran around the country in order to open up the conversation more about mental health.

Do you run? If so, why did you start? Do you think that it helps with your mental health? If not, would you consider running?

Tags: , , , , 3 Comments »