SOVA Blog

Acknowledging the Good as They Occur

April 13, 2020 in Be Positive

We’ve talked about expressing and writing down gratitude plenty of times before. No matter how big and 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.

However, it’s also important to acknowledge these good things as they’re happening. Even if you aren’t aware of it at the time, trying to recognize the good in that moment can help calm you down if you’re stressed or can perk up your mood when things feel bleak.

Recognizing the good could be anything. Are you comfortable where you are right now? Is there a smell around you that makes you happy, like your body wash or a lit candle? Are you watching a show or YouTube channel that you enjoy? It could even be that feeling of finally submitting an assignment and having that relief wash all over you. 

It’s important to know that moments in life, especially now, are rarely all amazing or all terrible, even though it can feel like it can only be one extreme or the other. It’s cliche, but knowing that there is a silver lining everywhere can be a powerful coping mechanism. Enjoy moments of bliss as they happen, because they can be found almost anywhere.


What are small things that bring you joy? How do you celebrate, or even acknowledge them?

Getting Things Done

April 10, 2020 in LINKS

As the weeks continue, you may have already found yourself getting in the groove of things and finding a routine that works best for you. And if you haven’t, that’s okay! There’s no “correct” way to do everything at home.

Each day brings something different too. For those in school, finals and big assignments may be coming up soon, and it can be daunting to figure out how to get everything done, especially with the anxiety you may be feeling with these tasks on top of the anxiety with everything else going on. Ironically, if you feel anxiety when it comes to getting tasks completed, those symptoms of anxiety may actually delay you from starting them, making it take even longer to get everything done. Distractions around you like your phone, bed, and other tabs don’t help either.

Overall, it’s overwhelming and messy.

So, if you have big things that you need to get done coming up – or even if you want to make sure you can stay on task when everything feels distracting – there are ways to focus on them without these daunting anxious feelings.

One way to do this is by dividing your work into intervals. This is known as the Pomodoro Technique, where you spend a set amount of time focusing on whatever you need to focus on, take a small break, and then repeat. The amount of time you choose to do your work can vary depending on how long you realistically think you can focus. Some may be able to do a half-hour of their work, take a three minute break, and repeat until they’re done, while others may think that spending ten minutes working is the most realistic with five minute breaks. Everyone works differently.

There are a ton of apps that you can use that lets you set how long you want these intervals and breaks to be. Some include Be Focused, the Tomato Timer, and Engross. You can check them out and choose what’s best for you depending on what device you want to have the timer on, how they look, and how effective they are.


How are you dividing your time at home? Do you have any apps that you use for productivity? How do they affect your stress and anxiety?

Curating a Personally Positive Social Media Experience

April 9, 2020 in Social Media Guide

While it’s impossible to tell everyone that you’re following on any of your social media platforms what they should be posting, it can sometimes be tempting to. This is true now more than ever: there are common themes of the kinds of posts that you’ve likely seen on your feeds, and while some are more helpful than others, it can get overwhelming, stress-inducing, and quite frankly, just not the type of content that you want to see right now.

Whether it’s the constant news updates, reminders to keep busy, the reminders to not be busy, or personal posts about how COVID-19 is affecting them, being online can feel like too much is happening at once. This is especially true now that you’re more likely on social media more often than you usually are during your regular routine. 

There are little things that you can do to help yourself though. Even with this increased social media use, it can be hard to cut back since there are limited things you can do at home. Regardless of how often you’re using social media, you should still be able to have as pleasant and healthy experience when online.

For example, if you’re on Twitter, you can turn off retweets from certain accounts if you’re uncomfortable with the content they’re sharing for any reason. Sometimes, deleting one app entirely, even for just a day, can help calm you too. Some websites let you mute certain words so that content containing them won’t appear, and others can completely hide accounts that you don’t want to see.

Whatever it is, you still have some control in having a positive social media experience, despite the chaos and size of it all. Hopefully taking a few of these steps can alleviate the stress that can come with constantly being on and repeatedly seeing the same upsetting things.


Have you taken any measures to change your feeds to make them more positive to you? Have you found yourself doing this recently? What do you do to give yourself the best social media experience for yourself?

Loneliness in Adolescents

April 8, 2020 in Educate Yourself

When was the last time you felt lonely? What about left out?

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A national study published this year showed that 39% of high school seniors said they often feel lonely in 2017, an increase from 26% in 2012. 38% of high school seniors also reported often feeling left out in 2017 compared to 30% in 2012. According to a national study from the health insurer Cigna in 2018, young adults between the ages of 19 to 23 are the loneliest.

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The same study from this year shows how our activities have changed too. From the 1970s to 2017, the percent of 12th graders who met with their friends almost every day dropped from 52% to 28%. To be exact, they got together 68 fewer times per year (that’s 1 or 2 fewer times per week). They also went on dates 32 fewer times a year than in the 1990s. High school seniors spend less time on paid work and the same amount of time (or less) on homework and extracurricular activities than they did in the 1980s and 1990s, so having more work may not be a huge factor for young Americans’ increasing social isolation.

What’s wrong with feeling lonely? Feeling lonely is different from being alone – it is an intense, uncomfortable emotion that makes you feel isolated and as if no one understands you or what you are going through. While not a mental illness, it could be related to anxiety and depression. It also has the same impact on death rates as smoking 15 cigarettes a day.

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How do we explain this trend in loneliness? Some say technology use has a hand in this in two ways. First, as social media takes the lead in younger generations, it gives a sense of closeness and connectedness, which can replace face-to-face contact and ironically makes us increasingly alone. Second, social media can represent all the things we could be doing but are not, thus feeding our FOMO.

However, social media alone has not been found to be a predictor of loneliness, especially if one makes the effort to follow up with in-person contact. Rather, it’s argued that when technology is used to the extent that it replaces relationships is when it becomes problematic.

It’s a worrisome sign when some Americans prefer their smartphone and gaming more than socializing with friends. Through these virtual relationships, young people may start to hold unrealistic expectations of achievement and accomplishment, as other social media users post only the very best and happiest part of their lives which becomes interpreted as their norm. This replaces taking the time to relax and be who they are. A conscious effort needs to be made to save us from loneliness. Psychologists and other experts in the field have a few easy tips to ease the loneliness in our day-to-day life:

  • Eat healthfully
  • Get 7-8 hours of sleep
  • Exercise regularly
  • Maximize your human contact in a day
  • Join groups based on shared interest (a religious organization, book club, therapy, classes, pets, volunteering, fitness centers, meet-ups, and others)
  • Monitor alcohol and drug use

Do you feel lonely or left out, or know anyone who does? What are some tips that you can share to ease these feelings? Share your thoughts and experiences below!

How Siblings Can Affect Your Mental Health

April 7, 2020 in Educate Yourself

No two sibling relationships are the same. Some may not see theirs very often, while others see them all the time and share the same room. Some only have one, while others have enough to count on both hands. There are some who may hate a sibling, while others see a sibling as their best friend (and honestly, a lot of us feel both of these feelings towards one at the same time!).

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There are already so many people who play a huge role in our lives as we enter adolescence, whether we want them to be or not. Adolescents start becoming more conscious of how others their age see them – especially their friends – and may start conflicting with their parents as they start to establish their independence and want to distance themselves from them. The amount of research about peer relationships and parent relationships affecting teenagers and young adults continue to pour in, but siblings are usually just as present, and can therefore also play a significant role. Most kids have a sibling too – 82% live with one, in fact.

This is especially true when it comes to mental health and when adolescence begins, and the quality of sibling relationships is one of the most significant long-term predictors of mental health quality as people enter adulthood and old age. For example, those who have a poor relationship with their sibling as a child are more likely to be depressed, anxious, and engage in self-harm in adolescence. Those who have positive relationships with their siblings during their adolescence can make them more empathetic and motivate them to do better in school, however.

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Generally, siblings are a child’s first time developing a relationship with a peer and someone close to their age. Siblings almost use each other as a “training dummy” in a way – for example, they can use each other as a way to figure out how to handle their aggression, changing it depending on the reaction of their siblings. This has long-term effects on both the one acting on the aggression and the one receiving the aggression. On the other hand, establishing that warm, reliable connection with someone their age can serve as a buffer and protective factor for a child, and help protect them from the impact of potential stressful life events.

These effects can also be the result of how parents treat the siblings too. Kids can see how their parents treat their sibling and can adapt their behavior to either match that if it’s good treatment or avoid it if it’s bad. One example is through academics: if one child sees that their parents punish their sibling for not doing well in school, they may adjust their studying habits and prioritize their studies so that they don’t receive the same punishment. This can make them not only more anxious about their school performance and constantly doing well to meet their parents’ standards, but they can also be more anxious in their fear of how their parents might react to their grades.

There are all different types of siblings and many different types of dynamics that come with them. As children and adolescents, it can be hard to try and figure out what’s working and what’s not in a relationship with someone closer in age to you, especially since those interactions can play a huge impact on how you see others, yourself, and the effects they have on mental health.


Do you have any siblings? Do you talk to them about your mental health? What’s your relationship like with your sibling or siblings? If you’re an only child, how do you think your home life would be different with a sibling?

Understanding the Mental Health Effects from COVID-19

April 3, 2020 in COVID-19, LINKS

There are tons of resources online addressing the mental health effects that are resulting because of the constant COVID news, self-isolation, and the uncertainty about when this will all be over. And that’s a good thing! It can also feel overwhelming to be told how we should be coping and told that feeling vulnerable to depressive and anxious episodes is almost inevitable.

We wanted to offer a few videos that may benefit you, however. They’re no more than five minutes and address different mental health issues, like how PTSD can get triggered, how to find coping mechanisms for anxiety, and just why exactly we feel the way we do. Most of them also feature interviews with mental health experts too.

These videos are by no means the only ones available, but we hope that their easy-to-consume, educational, straightforward format can help in some way.


What resources, if any, have you looked at to learn about the mental health effects of COVID? Do you think that there needs to be more discussion surrounding both the mental and physical effects of everything that we’re going through?

Mental Health Experts on Social Media

April 2, 2020 in Social Media Guide

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When people talk about social media and its effect on people, it’s almost always negative. Many have mentioned and researched about the effect of social media on mental health: feeling unproductive, worrying about what we said or did online, and experiencing FOMO are just a few of the things that affect us from using social media.

Social media knows this though. Even though those feelings can still be present, many are also using the platforms to spread awareness about their own experiences, and social media sites themselves are promoting content to spread awareness about mental health.

These can be sporadic though. No one has an obligation to constantly and only post about mental health awareness – whether it be specifically about their own or as a whole – and social media platforms may only promote mental well-being when it may feel necessary (think of this month as Mental Health Awareness Month wraps up).

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Most organizations today have social media handles so they can help promote their causes to as many people as possible: those focusing on mental health are no exception. However, experts and doctors are also creating their own social media accounts so they can give direct advice and help about mental health, stigma, and overall spreading awareness and educating about mental health.

One such example is Dr. Jessica Clemons, who has an Instagram account giving tips about tackling stigma and taking care of one’s self, especially in the black community (she even has Beyonce’s approval!). Similar accounts from psychiatrists and doctors educating about mental health include Dr. Vania Manipod and Dr. Lisa Long.

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While it could be easy to assume that medical and professional information can be dry, all of these accounts know how to use social media, engaging it in a way that feels like any other fashion, food, or friend’s account. They can seamlessly fit in into your feed, but can have the opposite, more fulfilling effect than the FOMO, self-consciousness, and unproductivity you might feel from other posts.


Do you follow any doctors or medical professionals on social media? Why do you think following professionals can be helpful, especially those focusing on mental health?

Expressing and Feeling Grief

April 1, 2020 in COVID-19, Educate Yourself

You may have seen an article from the Harvard Business Review floating around your social media sites recently. If not, this article puts a name to one of the many emotions you’re likely feeling right now as everything has turned upside down: grief.

Grief is a heavy emotion with heavy associations. Grief is for those less frequent, really sad situations, like death. Because of this, it can feel odd, even inappropriate, to think that you’re grieving at first as we continue to self-isolate and cope with COVID-19. As the article states though, people are collectively grieving in some sort of way, and there’s no single type of grief. We’re all affected in some way and have experienced some degree of loss.

There’s, of course, the loss of normalcy and routine. Even if your routine involved going to shifts for a job you don’t care for or getting up way too early in the morning to go to classes, the extreme shift from commuting and moving around to being confined to your home can have you mourning those few moments of fresh air as you walk to a bus stop or commiserating with peers and/or coworkers. You might be grieving significant events that were scheduled, like graduation, prom, or weddings of people who you’re close to, making you miss out on major traditions and milestones

The article even brings up anticipatory grief, or the grief we can feel when we get bad news and aren’t sure how things are going to play out or how we’re going to react when that situation finally happens. Some may be feeling this and the uncertainty when all of this is going to be over, or feeling unsafe because they aren’t sure if or when they’ll be directly affected.

So how do we process that grief? Well, there are the commonly known five stages of grief. The last one, acceptance, is the one where we admit this loss has occurred, and instead of just ignoring it or letting it affect us, we remind ourselves that we cannot change anything and life moves on. This isn’t to say that we can’t feel upset or angry, but finding a balance between thinking of the worst things happening and the good things that are still happening can help make this time a little easier. The article gives other suggestions too, like focusing on the things you can control, finding compassion for others as they process their own grief, and focusing on the present moment and the things immediately around you.

It’s easy to feel confused and overwhelmed by the constant changes and uncertainties of just about everything right now. However, naming it (like grief), can be the first step in processing, adjusting, and coping as it continues.


How have you been coping with our current situation as it continues? Have you made any adjustments? What resources are you seeing on your social media platforms from others?

Transitioning to Therapy Virtually

March 31, 2020 in Educate Yourself

Telehealth isn’t new. With technology advancing and becoming more accessible, telehealth has evolved with it. Having an alternative access to a doctor, therapist, public health professional, or any other kind of medical expert makes a huge difference. This is true for those living in rural areas, those who do not have access to transportation, and those who may be physically impaired.

Telehealth has now had to rapidly become that much more accessible and adapt to higher demand due to most of us being restricted to our homes and having limited healthcare access except for emergencies. This access to care is still important however, whether it be for routine checkups or ailments that may not require going to the ER, but are still necessary to check with your provider. Although it’s not the same as physically being there and getting testing done, something is better than nothing.

It’s also incredibly important to still have access to mental health care. This is needed more now than ever too: there’s another public health crisis paralleling COVID as fears about the pandemic and concerns with self-isolating (on top of other factors) on our psyche continue to grow. Even the transition to where we are today was sudden and quick, which can throw off our minds as we lose our routines and sense of stability.

Therapy is possibly one of the “easier” methods of telehealth since sessions mostly involve talking already. It can still be awkward at first having a video chat with your therapist: you aren’t in the familiar space you usually see them in, but studies have shown that therapy done virtually is just as effective as doing it face-to-face. There are also other benefits, including more flexibility about when you can meet, cost-efficiency (i.e. if you had to pay for parking or public transit to physically get to your therapist), and having the ability to still speak with your therapist if you’re physically sick.

Some may be concerned with meeting online and their privacy being invaded, however. This isn’t uncommon. A major barrier for therapy being done virtually in the past, and even now as it’s becoming the current norm, is that some video software is vulnerable to being stolen. Software like Zoom meets privacy standards, so it’s important to speak with your therapist to see how they want to speak with you. That being said, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services have loosened privacy laws so it’s easier to access important mental health resources for the time being.

At the same time though, it can be difficult to meet with your therapist virtually if you’re living at home and/or in an unsafe space and have concerns about who can hear you and what you’re talking about. Both your mental and physical safety should be prioritized, and if these are concerns, it’s important to raise them to your therapist as you transition to a virtual space and routine. 


If you are currently in therapy, have you moved to virtual sessions with your therapist? How have they been going? 

An App to Consider: Headspace

March 27, 2020 in LINKS

Featured Image Credit: Headspace

Headspace is one of the most popular and well-known apps in the search for mindfulness apps and apps that provide support for mental health (we’ve even covered it before too!). The animations and voices are soft, relaxing, and have varied lengths and topics so you can choose what’s best for you out of convenience and need.

We wanted to bring Headspace back because the need and the downloads on wellbeing and mindfulness apps are rapidly increasing during this time. While not a substitute for therapy (many therapists are also moving their sessions online as telehealth options), these apps can help provide some much needed support and routine and can be used as a way to ground yourself and ease those anxieties and catastrophic thoughts that are almost impossible to avoid.

Headspace, while one of the most popular apps, requires a paid subscription after a 7-day free trial, and can be a reason why some, especially for those where money is tighter, may be hesitant to download it. As demand and need for accessible mental health resources continues to rapidly rise, Headspace has created a page specifically for the current situation and social climate.

Right away, users can access two different 10-minute stress relief sessions and a brief 3-minute session if you’re overwhelmed. There are also specifically designed sessions for those working from home. Headspace is also now free for those on the frontlines and working in healthcare as well as teachers and educators as schools have closed down for the foreseeable future.

Creating a Headspace account now allows access to something called “Weathering the Storm,” which has tons of free content to help meditate, get better sleep, and get some movement. Finding opportunities where you can to get some breathing room and a place to briefly escape the anxious events and thoughts externally and internally is more important now than ever, and Headspace is one way of doing that.


Are you using any apps as you socially distance? Have you considered downloading a mindfulness app if you’ve never used one before because of the current situation? How are you coping during social distancing?