Mental Health Zone | How to help yourself?
How to help yourself?
To preserve your mental health and encourage a natural recovery process, we recommend that you start by thinking about the questions below that are related to your daily routine. Taking care of your health and body are key parts of the recovery process. Committing to healthy daily habits increases resilience and provides energy that is needed for your recovery. Maintain a regular daily schedule and try to follow a routine.
- How regular are your meals?
- How do you sleep/rest?
- Do you often consume caffeine and alcohol? Do you consume any drugs?
- Do you engage in physical activity?
- Do you spend time connecting with other people?
- What other activities help you release stress?
- If you are using prescribed medications, are you taking them regularly and in accordance with the instructions?
Below are some suggestions related to the previous questions that you may find useful in establishing healthy daily habits.
SLEEPING
- Set a regular time for going to bed and waking up
- Ventilate the room where you sleep to make it a little cooler than it is during the day
- Avoid sleeping during the day if you have trouble sleeping at night
- Create a bedtime ritual e.g. drink a cup of tea, take a hot shower, listen to relaxing music or read – try to do this around the same time every day
- Avoid anxiety-inducing thoughts and worries using mental slowing down techniques before going to bed READ MORE
- Remove the clocks and do not repeatedly check what time it is
- Avoid staying awake in bed for a long time, instead it would be good to get up and do something that calms and relaxes
- Avoid alcohol, coffee and other drinks with theine and caffeine (black and green tea, Red Bull, Coca-Cola, etc.)
EATING
- Eat three meals a day regularly
- Drink enough water and do not skip meals
- If you don’t have an appetite, every little bite is a success and a step to recovery
PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
- It is recommended to set aside 30 minutes a day for some kind of physical activity such as a light walk or exercise
- Physical activity helps to secrete hormones that make us feel better. Therefore, in addition to reducing physical tension, it is also an extremely effective way to reduce psychological tension.
DRUGS
- Taking prescribed medication can help you fall asleep more easily, feel better, have more energy, and feel less anxious
- Medicines are taken with the mandatory supervision and recommendation of specialists
- Taking medication for a long period of time and without medical supervision can cause addiction and exacerbation of symptoms, so be very conscientious while taking them
CONNECTING WITH OTHER PEOPLE
- If possible, hang out with friends and family nearby or over the phone
- Meet new people; look for organizations in the local community that provide support and get involved in joint activities
- Try to actively ask what you need from people who are close to you and accept their support
- If you need to be alone, don’t force yourself to socialize and allow yourself to spend time alone
- Don’t talk about the traumatic event if you don’t want to or aren’t ready to talk about it yet
- If you are ready and have someone you feel safe with, you can share your memories, thoughts and feelings about what happened to you – this can help you to place the event in your memory in a less upsetting way
- If you simply don’t want to share what you’re feeling with your loved ones but still feel like you would benefit from support in finding ways to cope with the difficulties you’re going through, don’t hesitate to contact a mental health professional. Contact the staff from organizations that are active in your community or your doctor to refer you to a specialist who can provide support.
ADDITIONAL SUGGESTIONS - ACTIVITIES THAT CAN CONTRIBUTE TO ELIMINATING OR RELEASING STRESS, TENSION AND TRAUMA
- Listening to music, reading books, watching movies
- Creative activities such as painting, dancing, singing, writing and handcrafts
- A relaxing bath
- Prayer, meditation
- Playing with children
- Providing support to others – can contribute to feeling confident and regaining a sense of control over the situation, but it is important to take care of yourself first!
- Remembering the things you have planned and that make you happy
- Remembering activities that used to fill you with energy and joy and re-engaging in those that still seem attractive and achievable
How to provide support to children and adolescents who have lived through a crisis (traumatic) experience?
Children under two years
- Keep them safe, keep them warm.
- Keep them away from noise and chaos.
- Hug and cuddle them.
- Maintain a regular sleeping and feeding schedule if possible.
- Address them in a gentle and calm voice.
Younger children
- Give them your time and attention.
- Remind them that they are safe.
- Explain to them that nothing that happened was their fault.
- Protect them from scary scenes and content.
- Do what you can to keep them from being separated from their family and loved ones.
- Maintain a regular schedule and establish a routine if possible.
- Give simple and accurate answers to questions about what happened without going into gruesome detail.
- If possible, allow them to stay with you when they feel unsafe.
- Be patient with children who exhibit regressive behaviors (thumb sucking, bedwetting, etc.).
- Provide space for relaxation and play if possible.
Older children and adolescents
- Give them your time and attention.
- Help them maintain their usual routine.
- Give them information about what happened and explain what will happen next if you know.
- Don’t expect them to be strong, allow and normalize the sadness, anger or fear they feel.
- Listen when they share their thoughts or fears with you without judgment.
- Set clear rules and highlight expectations.
- Talk to them about the dangers they are facing or might face, give them support and discuss ways they can protect themselves.
- Encourage them and provide them with opportunities to contribute and be helpful.
IMPORTANT! If you notice significant changes in your child’s mood, behavior and daily functioning for more than a month after the experienced crisis event, contact your doctor or mental health expert who can give you professional advice and, if necessary, refer you to specialized professional help.
In addition to working on establishing a daily routine and engaging in relaxing activities, you can alleviate stressful or traumatic reactions by using different specific relaxation techniques.
It is important to note that each person reacts differently to different techniques and that not all techniques are equally effective for each person. Different techniques can be used independently or in combination, for example, while imagining your safe place you can work on your breathing at the same time. Think about which techniques work best for you, make a list of some of the techniques you use most often to relieve or eliminate stress, tension and trauma, and try to practice them regularly. Remember that self-care is often hard work because it requires your time and persistence. If we go to the gym once, we probably won’t notice significant results. It’s the same with these techniques – it’s important to choose the ones that suit you and practice them regularly to see the results. Below we provide links to four categories of techniques, along with specific examples that you can immediately try:
These techniques are also called grounding techniques – although they are apparently different, they all affect us in a way that “grounds” us in the present moment and distracts us from intrusive thoughts or feelings. This refers not only to having our “feet on the ground”, but also to having our “mind on the ground”. When we turn our attention away from thoughts, memories, or worries, we can refocus on the present moment (Fisher, 1999).
