World Mental Health Day 2021

 

World Mental Health Day 2021 🌻

I talk about mental health everyday so there’s not much I can say that I haven’t already said. I will share a bit of writing though - a sort of letter to anyone who is currently struggling. 💛 (Swipe to see)

 

To anyone who may need to hear it;

- I believe in you

- I’m proud of you

- You’ve got this

- Your best is always enough

 

@youngmindsuk are encouraging people to wear yellow to show young people that they are not alone - you can donate to their charity here https://www.youngminds.org.uk/support-us/fundraising 💛 or in the link in my bio! #HelloYellow

The only opinion of yourself that matters is yours

The only opinion of yourself that matters, is yours💛🌻

When I was at school something that I struggled with a lot was social anxiety. A big part of this was being hyper conscious of what people thought of me. Did people like me? Did they think I was a nice person? Did I take up too much space? I tried to make myself invisible, I wished that I was, so that I would be free of other peoples perceptions of me.

I like to think of myself as a positive person. But recently, too many times I’ve found myself comparing myself to people, being afraid of what they think of me, etc etc.

So here is a reminder to myself and anyone reading this, that your opinion of yourself, is the only one that matters. Fuck what other people think. Your relationship with yourself should be the most important one, the one you give the most love to.

It does not matter if you are liked by people, it matters if you are liked by yourself. Stop sacrificing your energy for other people. You and only you deserve your greatest attention. The only opinion of yourself that matters is yours, don’t forget it

What is Anxiety?

 

What is anxiety?

For this topic, I will be speaking mainly from my own personal experience as I am diagnosed with generalised anxiety disorder. However, to make things clearer I will refer to the definition.  The word anxiety itself is defined: “a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease about something with an uncertain outcome.” I want to make it clear, that anyone can experience feelings of anxiety, but not everyone has an anxiety disorder. Feelings of anxiety around big life events are normal, for example. However, if you find that your anxiety is hugely impacting your life, that’s when you should consider reaching out for help.

Panic attacks

For many one of the most prominent features of anxiety is panic attacks. You may have also heard of the term anxiety attacks. A person with anxiety may experience, one of these, both or none, and all of their experiences as equally valid.

When we think of anxiety, we typically think of the brain, because of course it is a mental health problem. But what we also need to recognise is the physical impact that anxiety can have.

Harmful statements such as “it’s all in your head” do not help people with anxiety. It causes physical symptoms, and these are not any less valid because they are caused by your mental health rather than physical.

Some physical symptoms of anxiety include: Heart Palpitations

Pounding heart

Excessive Sweating / Perspiration

Uncontrollable Trembling / Shaking

Shortness of Breath

Choking Sensations / Difficulty Swallowing

Nausea / Vomiting

Dizziness / Lightheadedness

Hot and Cold Flashes

Not everyone will experience all of these symptoms, everyone has different experiences with anxiety and every individual experience should be validated.

 

Some things you can do to help your anxiety

·        Reach out to your local doctor – I always say that this is the first step when it comes to mental health. Typically, your GP will know you well and will be able to make a decision on what advice/help will benefit you.

·        Counselling/Therapy – from personal experience this helped me to better understand my anxiety and helped me to develop coping mechanisms.

·        Recognise triggers – try and recognise what triggers anxiety for you. Once you do this you can take steps to avoid certain situations if possible, and to make the people around you aware so that they can support you.

·        Routine – having a routine and setting small daily goals can help to make anxiety more manageable. Having a good routine will also help with your sleep.

·        Mindfulness – anything like meditation, yoga, breathing exercises, reflecting, is a good way to cope with anxiety.  

·        Sensory toys – having things like this can help with sensory overload!

 

Things you should know if you have anxiety

•         You are strong
•         Your struggles are valid
•       You will get to a better place
•        It’s okay to have bad days
•         With hard work you can learn to cope better

 

 

 

 

Where else can you find me?

• You can also find me here;
• Instagram: @yourbest_isenough
• @rachswrites
• Twitter: @rachelhasson4
• TikTok: @yourbest_isenough
• Depop: @rachelhassonx
• Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/rachsreads

Results day advice📚💕

With results day approaching I wanted to make a post with some advice!

I got my a level results a year ago now, and in very different circumstances than students this year!

If you're nervously anticipating it, try and remember that these results are out of your hands now, and they have already been decided, regardless of whether you worry or not.

Your results are not the be all and end all. You can always get to where you need to be through alternative routes! Just because it isn't the traditional route, doesn't make it any less valid and important!

They are not indicative of who you are as a person. You are worth so much more than your academic achievements. They don't define you! You are not any less of a person for letters/numbers on a piece of paper.

You should be proud of yourself no matter what. Getting through school/college is something that takes a lot of strength and you should be proud of yourself for being able to get through it!

Most importantly, this year has been so unusual in that no exams have went forward, so you didn't get the final chance to show your knowledge. The fact that you have lived through such unprecedented times means so much more than results.

Where else can you find me? 

You can also find me here;

Instagram: @yourbest_isenough

Twitter: @rachelhasson4 

TikTok: @yourbest_isenough

Depop: @rachelhassonx

Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/rachsreads

What is Mental Health? Mental Health v Mental illness

What is Mental Health? Mental health vs mental illness

I wanted to write about the difference between mental health, and mental illness, as I've seen the two terms used interchangeably and in the wrong situations.

Mental health, is something that EVERYONE experiences. Essentially, it is how we are feeling emotionally. We develop these feelings as young children. When we learn what happy and sad feels like, that's our mental health. Just as we learn about what makes us feel good and bad physically.

Mental illness, on the other hand, is when we have actually been diagnosed by a doctor as being mentally ill. That is with diagnosis of a condition, an illness or a disorder.

So when we're talking about mental health generally, we're talking about how we're feeling emotionally. When we're talking about mental illness we're talking about specifics disorders, such as depression, eating disorders, BPD.

I want to talk about the overlaps in the terms.
•You don't have to be mentally ill to struggle with your mental health.
•Equally you don't have to be mentally ill to get support for it.
•Everyone should do things to look after their mental health, ill or not. Self care is so important. You are deserving of help. 
•Your lack of a diagnosis doesn't invalidate your struggles. Not everyone can afford the cost of seeing a psychiatrist. Just because you haven't been diagnosed with an illness, doesn't mean that you don't struggle with it. You are just as valid with someone as a diagnosis.

Whatever you are going through, know that your struggles are valid, and you are stronger than the things that make you afraid.