Are you feeling sad lately? What about depressed? Depression is a serious mental health disorder that needs professional help. One aspect of clinical depression is rumination or negative thoughts. This happens when we go into a spiral of talking negatively about ourselves. For example, ”No body cares about me,” I’m a burden,” ”I have no purpose in this world” are examples. The list goes on. If you’re guilty of this, then we suggest watching this video to help spread awareness of how depression can actually be tricking us into thinking worse of ourselves than we really are.
May is Mental Health Awareness month and as it is coming to an end, we hope to keep spreading awareness about the impact of certain mental health conditions on our wellbeing. We hope you can join us by sharing this video with those who might need it so they can start to recognize when their negative thoughts are getting too far.
We also made a video on the signs it’s depression, not laziness:
Writer: Chloe Avenasa
Script Editor: Isadora Ho
Script Manager: Kelly Soong
VO: Amanda Silvera (www.youtube.com/amandasilvera)
Animator: Zara Brown (new animator) IG@artemis_sketches
YouTube Manager: Cindy Cheong
Thumbnail by: Aury
References:
Anxiety and Depression Association of America (2017). Understanding Anxiety and Depression. Retrieved from adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/depression
World Health Organization (2020). Fact Sheet on Depression. Retrieved from www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/depression#:~:text=Depression%20is%20a%20common%20mental,affected%20by%20depression%20than%20men.
American Psychological Association (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th Ed). Washington, DC; APA Publishing.
National Alliance Against Mental Illness (2018). Mental Health by The Numbers. Retrieved from www.nami.org/Learn-More/Mental-Health-By-the-Numbers/
Novick, D., Montgomery, W., Vorstenbosch, E., Moneta, M. V., Dueñas, H., & Haro, J. M. (2017). Recovery in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD): results of a 6-month, multinational, observational study. Patient preference and adherence, 11, 1859.
Difficulty Coping With Stress? Try These Ideas!
Stress can sometimes be a difficult thing to manage even though a lot of people know that managing stress helps reduce health risks. Keep in mind that the more you know and apply towards living a stress free life the better chance you have at living one. Take note from tips like the ones in this article, that can help you live as stress free as possible.
If you procrastinate, you run the risk of increasing your stress levels without even realizing it. Even though most of us agree that we work best under pressure, the opposite is actually true. Are you actually doing your best when doing it at the last minute? The stress of having the extra pressure on your shoulders from the impending duty that you keep putting off automatically increases your stress level. Rather than procrastinating, complete your work as soon as you receive it in order to reduce your stress level.
Watching a movie is a proven way to eliminate the stress in your life for a couple of hours. Sit down with friends, family or alone and watch a horror or action film that will stimulate your mind. This will help a lot in getting your thoughts off your troubles.
A lot of your stress is directly caused by the food that you put in your mouth. To limit the stress level in your life, cut back on the caffeine and coffee that you drink on a daily basis. This will make you feel calmer inside so that you can maximize how you feel.
In order to keep your stress level under control, try writing an extremely graphic or obscene letter on paper that releases all of your aggression verbally. Many people feel better after making sense of it by writing it out. Write as though nobody will ever read it, and write as vividly as possible. Destroy it thoroughly afterward.
If at all possible, avoid negative people who only bring you down and stress you out! People with bad attitudes are often contagious and in order to preserve a positive attitude and keep yourself on track you need to keep away from them. A neighbor or co-worker who is always complaining is nearly always going to cause you stress so walk away!
In order to deal with stress, it is important to make sure that you organize all of your goals on paper. This is important because you then can see where you are at and what you hope to attain, thus giving yourself a sense of power over your own purpose in life.
The company of animals can be very comforting. Studies have shown that simply sitting with a pet for a little while can significantly lower your stress.
Although it may seem incredibly silly, the very act of counting to ten slowly can really help you to clear your head and allow you to move past the stress. If you think that there is no way that this could help you out, you should give it a try.
Exercise to relieve stress. If you find that you are under stress from your job or personal situation, regular exercise can help you feel better. Taking a long walk, going to the gym, dancing or doing yoga are all forms of exercise that can help you feel less stressed.
Goal setting is an integral component to dealing with the stress and pressure that you will face. Try to set reasonable goals that are not too high or too low, so that you are not only capable of achieving them, but feel satisfaction after you do. Proper goal setting is important to limit anxiety.
When there are a lot of issues on your mind, go out for a long night drive. Do not think about anything, just simply drive to clear your head. This is a great way for you to emotionally purge all of your troubles and help to put in focus what is important in your life.
To quickly relieve your stress, pay attention to your breathing. Make sure that you are breathing from your abdomen, not your chest. Take slow, deep breaths and watch to see that your abdomen rises and falls. This will help get more oxygen into your blood which will help reduce your level of stress.
Be wary of prescription drugs. While various prescription drugs like Valium, Xanax, and Ativan are often prescribed to treat the symptoms of anxiety, these drugs might actually have a counterproductive effect on our reaction to stress. Just as is the case with common drugs like alcohol and tobacco, prescription drugs can actually make us more sensitive to stressful events.
To keep from feeling stressed after quitting smoking, take breaks as frequently as you did when you smoked cigarettes. One of the primary reasons cigarettes relieve stress is that they give people a break from their hectic lifestyles. Instead of smoking, get up and stretch, get a drink of water, or anything simple that will make you feel more relaxed.
Multitasking is a stress magnet. Many people consider multitasking to be a skill that only certain people have, but in reality, it is just the cause of an extraordinary amount of stress. Some people can better cope with stress but if you are not one of those people, do not multitask.
Doing the things that you love is going to reduce the amount of stress that you feel in your life. It may seem as if it is going to cost you a day at work to do the things that you love, but it will be worth it. You will better be able to focus on your job if you are not as stressed when you go back.
With all the information you learned you should feel more positive and optimistic about what you can do to manage the stress in your life. As stated earlier in the article remember, the more you know and apply the better chances you have at living as stressed free life as possible. Keep on the lookout for new information you can apply when possible and managing stress should become a breeze before you know it.
Christopher Conway, the innovative mind behind “Love Blueprints,” is a seasoned relationship expert and author. His insightful guidance, drawn from years of experience and study, offers transformative strategies for modern love and dating. Christopher’s commitment to enhancing romantic connections has made “Love Blueprints” a go-to resource for those navigating the complexities of relationships.