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Weekend Reads: Ramadan and Mental Health

May 1, 2020 in LINKS

This year, Mental Health Awareness Month overlaps with the Islamic month of Ramadan. The simplest association with Ramadan is fasting: from sunrise to sunset everyday, Muslims who are able to fast do not eat or drink anything (even water).

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However, Ramadan is more than just the physical act of fasting. Ramadan is also meant to serve as a time for Muslims to refrain from bad habits and to practice doing things that are more beneficial and productive. It can be a time for Muslims to clear their head and focus on what matters to them.  

Islam is the second largest religion in the world with closer to 2 billion people practicing. Ramadan is a different experience for everyone – some aren’t able to fast because of physical reasons, while others may have their own personal struggles with it because of their history with mental health and illness. We wanted to focus on the second part specifically, since there is a strong stigma associated with mental illness in Muslims communities, and even Muslim doctors aren’t sure how to approach administering medication to Muslim patients that require food or water (especially with psychiatric medication).

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For example, Ramadan can be a particularly difficult time for those who have struggled with eating disorders, with the potential to trigger. You can read about two young women’s personal stories and experiences with this, one published on Teen Vogue and another on Dazed.

Two other articles talk about the mental health and self-care aspect of Ramadan and how it’s a time for cleansing. You can read these articles on NPR and Allure – the NPR article has several Muslims talk about how Ramadan affects their mental health and well-being, while the Allure article is a more personal story.

Finally, this year can feel particularly harder because of quarantine. Many go to mosques after they open their fasts to pray, or will go outside to other places as a distraction as they are fasting. Being unable to do either can increase feelings of guilt and loneliness, and for some of those fasting, can even be unsafe depending on who they are living with. Check out an i-D article about the topic here.

Do you celebrate Ramadan? Have you ever fasted before? How do you think fasting can help or be difficult for one’s mental health?

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Taking Things One Day at a Time

April 27, 2020 in Be Positive

One of the most commonly given and useful pieces of advice in regards with coping and living in quarantine has been to establish a routine. This is incredibly important! Regardless of quarantine or not, having some sort of structure in your routine and your daily activities can help the mind feel more organized, less cluttered, and less vulnerable to messy – and potentially chaotic – thinking.

However, putting pressure on yourself to maintain a routine and coming up with a strict, hourly schedule to stick to can also be stressful. It can lead to you feeling guilty if you end up missing a block of time or getting distracted if you were supposed to be doing something else that was planned for that time. 

So while having some sort of routine and order is important and good to have, it’s also important to remind yourself that even if you “mess things up,” that doesn’t mean that you’re a screw-up, terrible at planning, or that you can never maintain a routine. Each day comes with different circumstances, events, and barriers (yes, even if you’re spending nearly all of your time inside in the same space) and is going to end up being different in some sort of way.

Acknowledging that not sticking 100% to a routine you’ve created does not reflect your worth or ability is a necessary step to take. Remembering that tomorrow is a new day and a new opportunity to practice a routine can help too. This counts even if you did 0% of what you had planned.

Routines are ultimately meant to be guidelines too. They’re adaptable and flexible, and don’t need to be so rigid that every minute and hour is controlled. While it’s good to have patterns in your day-to-day life, you shouldn’t have to feel like you’re going through the same few things in a mundane cycle every single day.

Do you have a routine? What did your routine used to look like? How do you feel if your routines stray off or don’t go according to plan?

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Seizing the Awkward with Coronavirus

April 24, 2020 in LINKS

Seize the Awkward is a website that wants visitors to do just that: starting and having those awkward conversations about mental health and illnesses. Huge factors such as stigma and the fear of saying the wrong thing can make it, well, awkward, to open up about what you’re going through or to check in on someone that you’re concerned about, but these conversations are necessary and could be life-saving.

And while the coronavirus pandemic is a public health crisis, it also comes with a much needed and scary conversation about how it is affecting us all mentally – especially Gen Z and youths. 

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Seize the Awkward has created a page on their site dedicated to providing tips about coping with mental health issues specifically related to the coronavirus. If you’ve visited the site before, the layout is pretty similar to their usual tips, but this page features suggestions on how to connect with others virtually to get an escape, such as taking a virtual museum tour or watching livestreams. They even provide gifs and stickers you can use on posts to let people know that they can reach out to you if they need someone to talk to (and if you need help with how to have those conversations, the website has got you covered).

We hope this helps in some way, whether you’re trying to find something to do with friends virtually or you want advice on how to be a place of support for others.

Have you ever had what felt like an awkward conversation about mental health? Looking back, why do you think it was awkward? What advice do you have about having mental health conversations?

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Deciding What Social Media Platforms May be Negatively Impacting You

April 23, 2020 in Social Media Guide

How many social media accounts do you have? A Pew research study found that about 75% of adults have more than one social media account. This number is likely to be pretty high in teens and adolescents who grew up with technology and social media.

Not all social media platforms are created equal, though. Some serve different purposes, like how some are likely to use Twitter for news and Instagram to share their creative photography. Despite these different purposes however, there’s been a lot of overlap now that these platforms share a lot of features and have a lot of users on them.

With that all being said, the aesthetics of the site, the people you follow, and how those people share and post content can affect you differently depending which one you’re on. For some, these different feelings might be obvious, but it’s likely that you’re unable to tell because of the sheer amount of accounts that you may be cycling through. After a while, using these sites may all blur together, which may also contribute to that overwhelming, stressful feeling you might get by spending a lot of time on social media.

So if you are feeling overwhelmed by social media, or even if you feel like something is off and you’re mentally not feeling your best, it might help to apply some organization tips towards your phone, tablet, or computer. By spending a few minutes on the social media platforms you’re actively using, you can attempt to separate them and spend some time asking yourself questions about how each make you feel. You can write down these feelings about each platform, and afterwards take a few minutes to see which exactly are causing particular stronger negative emotions. You can ask yourself questions such as, “Why is this platform making me feel like this?” “Is this platform worth keeping?” “How can I improve my experience on this platform?”

Hopefully, by taking a step back and evaluating exactly which platforms are affecting you and why these platforms are doing so can give you some time to self-reflect and find ways to improve not just your social media experience, but your mood and mental health overall.

What are the social media platforms that you use the most frequently? Do you have more than one? Have you noticed if you feel differently depending on which one you’re on?

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Wanna Talk About It?

April 17, 2020 in LINKS

Netflix may be one of your primary coping mechanisms during this time. With the wide, endless array of content that they have to offer, from documentaries that are stranger than fiction, reality shows with people that you need to hate-watch, to old sitcoms that feel like comfort food, the access to Netflix’s catalog is the escape some of us need.

In an effort to help normalize and talk about some of the anxieties and other mental health impacts that the pandemic has been triggering, Netflix has partnered with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention to give a space for people to get information from trusted mental health experts. These videos, known as “Wanna Talk About It?” will be done through weekly Instagram lives on Netflix’s official account. Instead of it being just the mental health expert talking directly to their camera, young stars from Netflix originals will be the ones participating in a conversation with them and ask questions about what they might be going through. These include those from To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, Cheer, and Stranger Things.

Hopefully, this can be a way for you to learn a little more about why you may be feeling the way you do during this pandemic and get some new suggestions about ways to cope. Seeing these questions coming from actors that you are familiar with and are the same age as you may also help you feel a little less alone in the ways you may have been reacting in response to everything going on.

These lives will occur every Thursday through May 14th. 

What shows do you watch on Netflix? Do you watch any of the originals listed above? How do you think celebrities that you know or are the same age as help with mental health when they talk about their own?

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Navigating the Internet with Social Anxiety

April 16, 2020 in Social Media Guide

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It’s not uncommon to be anxious to meet new people or be in a new, unfamiliar environment. It’s also not uncommon to feel terrified before performing something in front of a crowd, whether it be alone or with others. It’s also not uncommon to even feel a little bit nervous meeting people you’re comfortable with and know pretty well.

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But then there’s social anxiety. Social anxiety takes this feel and makes it feel even stronger, and being around others can cause physical symptoms such as sweating, nausea, and trembling. It can even have drastic effects on already established relationships and can prevent people from going to work and school. The fear of humiliation, being judged, and rejected when meeting others and taking part in activities can not only affect how those with social anxiety see themselves, but can also prevent them from reaching their full potential.

Researchers have recently started looking into if similar results happen when people with social anxiety use social media and interact with others online. Often, the Internet is seen as a way of “escaping real life” and is a place of refuge with those with different degrees of social anxiety. This is true for adolescents too, who generally spend a significant time online as a whole. Studies have found that adolescents with social anxiety communicated online significantly more about personal things than those who said that they don’t have social anxiety or experience loneliness. The more that an adolescent uses online games and spends time online gaming is also more likely to show more symptoms of social anxiety.

But why is it easier for adolescents with social anxiety to communicate online, to the point where they’re more likely to share more private and personal thoughts and information? One possible explanation is that they consider the spaces they go to online to be “protective” and find conversations online to be more satisfying. They don’t have to worry about seeing people’s reactions on their faces, which may cause worry, and they don’t have to feel the pressure of always having something to say.

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There is also an association between social anxiety disorder and other mental illnesses, such as depression. Because of this, some researchers are hoping that these findings about socially anxious adolescents and their preference for communicating online can help them come up with interventions and methods to also deliver over the Internet to help with their corresponding mental illnesses. Adolescents with social anxiety may fear going to the doctor’s or a therapist’s office, talking to the receptionist, and calling to make the appointment in the first place. Delivering similar methods over the Internet and social media can feel less intensive and can be more likely to be completed.

Do you have social anxiety? Where are you more comfortable communicating with others: online or in person? What are instances that you can think of where using the Internet can cause social anxiety? Has any of this changed during quarantine?

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How Mental Health Affects Second-Generation Adolescents

April 14, 2020 in Educate Yourself

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The demographics in the United States have shifted significantly. The Pew Research Center reported that there were 44.4 million immigrants living in the country in 2017, making up 13.6% of the total population. The increase in the immigrant population in the United States also means an increase in second-generation Americans – those who are born in the United States to immigrant parents (some people may also refer to these people as first-generation Americans, however).  The number of second-generation immigrants was nearly as much back in 2013 at 36 million, making up 12% of the population.

Immigrants bring much of their culture with them when the come to a new country. This is what makes America a melting pot: immigrants bring their food, traditions, and their languages with them, just to name a few things. It’s a way for them to keep their ties to their home country (after all, it’s what they grew up with), but it’s also a way for them to introduce something new to Americans, as well as connecting their children with their home culture.

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Immigrants also bring their cultural norms and beliefs with them too. For example, Asians (one of the largest groups of immigrants) and Asian-American adolescents underutilize mental health services. This has been linked to the strong stigma against mental health that resonates in the Asian community (most Asian immigrant parents interviewed in one study felt that adolescents don’t seek counseling because of the “shame” of having a mental illness and the effect it can have on their education and career).

Another study looked into mental health trends in both Asians and Latinx people (the other largest group of American immigrants). While there didn’t seem to be any significant increases in risks or diagnoses among the immigrants themselves, second-generation immigrants were more likely to have higher rates of substance use disorders.

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There are several reasons why second-generation Americans have trouble seeking help for their mental health or even identifying it and acknowledging that it’s there in the first place. There’s the cultural clash that can occur with being raised in a culture and environment that’s different than your parents (which is harder in adolescents where you can feel like you’re constantly questioning your identity), and then there’s also immigrant guilt. This is the feeling that children of immigrants can have where they feel like they have to fight through or ignore their struggles because of the risks and sacrifices their parents made to come here. They may feel like what they’re going through is not as difficult as what their parents went through, or that they have to succeed to prove that their parents’ move was worth making.

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External barriers also play a role. Second-generation Americans may have difficulty accessing mental health care because of their worry that their clinician won’t understand their culture, the costs of going to treatment, and not having accessible transportation to get there.

The number of second-generation Americans continues to grow as the country becomes larger and more diverse. It’s necessary to address these barriers and stigma that specifically affects this population as they grow up and not only enter adolescence but navigate their place in adulthood too.

Are you the child of immigrants? How do you think this affects your view on mental health? Do you feel comfortable talking to your parents about what you’re going through?  What are their beliefs on mental health?

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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?

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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?

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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?

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