It’s May, and its Mental Health Awareness month, welcome. One of the first things I would like to address is “stress,” how many of us, have struggled with stress, probably everyone! It seems to be the normal part of what makes life feel like too much sometimes, that overwhelm, of whats to come, what to do, and how to get through it. You are not alone. According to cdc.gov: “Public health actions, such as physical distancing, can make us feel isolated and lonely and can increase stress and anxiety.” [1] So this makes sense, after COVID how to resume a normal life and get going again. Don’t get accustomed to being alone and isolating. In fact that’s the worst thing that you can do for your health, a little socialization goes a long way. I know its hard, but keep reminding yourself that you’re not alone and there may be many others out there like you who are struggling similarly, to get going again. Whether that’s going back to work, attending events and meetups, going to classes or meditation groups, there are plenty of things you can do to get back out there, so don’t stress about it, get going and plan ahead.

How does isolating make things worse? CDC reminds us to “Talk with people you trust about your concerns and how you are feeling. Share your problems and how you are feeling and coping.” [2] So, what’s the difference between “social isolation” and just plain being alone to rest and recharge? According to Tulane, “Social isolation is not necessarily bad; most people crave solitude at least occasionally. Being alone can be relaxing, meditative, and rejuvenating. Social isolation typically refers to solitude that is unwanted and unhealthy.” [3] For example, I know blogging is not the best place, but at least we have here to talk about things, otherwise, we would each be left to our own devices, to talk amongst ourselves, and how many of us actually have time to question life and talk about what life is like. I mean here we can hear each other, without anyone having to feel like they’re talking about something out there, I mean this is a great benefit to blogging and thinking out loud.

How does talking help? “Experts say that talking can provide stress relief, and can lighten the load of a concern someone might be having. Talking about a problem can help to start breaking it into smaller parts, which can stop you from feeling so overwhelmed.” [4] So this is what blogging is for, you are not going through this alone, you can hear someone else going through what you are going through, and we can succeed together, getting past issues that could be bothering some of us or all of us, and to me this is what blogging is for. More often than not, when we are alone trying to assemble our lives and how we see ourselves in relationship to others, we can wind up forecasting something much worst for ourselves, and sometimes blogging we can overbroadcast things about ourselves. Im sure this is something you have recognized about myself by now. So together we are learning by watching how I am handling things and talking about things, and maybe that’s how we each get better at handling things in real life, and learn not to make the same mistakes when talking about life, its all a learning lesson, I hope.

Reference:

[1] https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/about/copingwith-stresstips.html

[2] https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/about/copingwith-stresstips.html

[3] https://publichealth.tulane.edu/blog/effects-of-social-isolation-on-mental-health/#:~:text=Social%20isolation%20can%20involve%20emotional,detached%20from%20their%20own%20feelings.

[4] https://au.reachout.com/articles/why-talking-helps#:~:text=Experts%20say%20that%20talking%20can,you%20from%20feeling%20so%20overwhelmed.