0positivevibez0-blog

[0positivevibez0-blog]

It took me a while to accept therapy and during/afterwards, I went through 3 therapists to find one I felt ok to open up to. Don’t think because you had one bad experience with one therapists means they are all like that. Therapy is hard, I’m not going to lie. Sometimes, you’ll talk about something that you don’t feel great about and might be drained, while others may be just you talking about the past couple days for the entire sessions. Because yes, I’ve done that. Overall, I wanted to let you know that therapy is nothing to be ashamed of; you don’t necessarily have to go around telling people but also don’t have a reason to be ashamed. Therapy is not a sign of weakness as society has taught us, but a sign of how strong you are by admitting and getting help for something, whether it be mental health or otherwise. You brain is an organ, and just like if you broke/hurt a bone or organ, you go to therapy and/or a doctor.

If I were to go see a therapist, should I be entirely honest about my mental health and what I've been through?

I found therapists I trusted and I did that, and it has made all the difference. I would not be functional, happy, or recovering if not for my work in therapy. I recommend therapy, to you and to everyone who’s on the fence.

When it comes to being ‘entirely honest’, please remember 

You get to choose what to talk about and how much you’re comfortable sharing 

You get to set the pace

Therapists are not there to force you to talk. They are not there to interrogate you or to force conversations you aren’t ready for.

You don’t have to talk about things you don’t want to. 

You do have things you are ready to talk about. That’s why you sought therapy to begin with.

Trained therapists do not expect you to be 100% open and honest with your truth. You are discussing very personal things, and they know and expect you to want to keep some things private, especially until you feel safe and familiar around them.

There is no value (and often great harm) in forcing yourself to face trauma you aren’t ready to process. 

There’s a big difference b/t getting out of your comfort zone for the sake of your own wellbeing, and forcing yourself into harmful situations. Your mind & body know the difference, trust them.

Good therapists will recommend that you ‘shop around’ and interview w/ different therapists. Often the first consultation is free for this very purpose.

Read their personal statements! They’re available online, and can be great for giving you a first impression on whether or not they’re likely to be a good ‘fit’. Ask questions when you meet them! Treat your first meeting like an interview. Which is what it is. Do you want to hire this person to work with you on your recovery? Would they make a good partner in this? Will you make a good team?

Look for someone empathetic. It’s useful to look for someone who shares your experiences/background. Women will often find better success with female therapists. The same goes for minority patients. Don’t be afraid to demand someone you have things in common with. Look for someone who has experience working w/ people with your needs & issues. They will have the insight of experience.

Be open minded but listen to your instincts when it comes to ‘red flags’. The first goal in therapy is for you to feel safe.  

Therapists are there to listen and to guide. You are there b/c you need guidance and someone who will listen. Good therapy will allow you to redefine your relationship with yourself, at your own pace. It’s natural for a good relationship w/ your therapist to be a prereq to this. 

[0positivevibez0-blog]

Daily reminders

[0positivevibez0-blog]

SHOUTOUT!!! 🙌🏼

[0positivevibez0-blog]

Hey guys, long time no see (I’m going to blame finals for that)

I’ve started following two Instagram accounts: Tanya Rad and Isabelle Fuhrman, and their stories always inspire me to go work out. Isabelle is an actress as well as a huge runner and she’s always really positive (she was in The Hunger Games, Orphan, Down A Dark Hall, Cell, and Dear Eleanor). Tanya works out almost everyday, is super positive, and most people know her from On Air with Ryan Seacrest and/or her podcast Scrubbing In with Becca Tilley and Tanya Rad. She also mentions her favorite songs almost daily, which is always fun to hear more music. 💛

[0positivevibez0-blog]

So this isn’t mine but I just get such a warm feeling from it. And my advice for today is to try and journal. It works for some but may not for others, but it’s worth a try. When I journal, I don’t try and think of something to write but instead just start and it just flows out. I’ve really noticed a difference in my mental health and general attitude after doing it. It doesn’t have to take forever and it doesn’t have to be something serious; it could be about your dog or the fact that you drank a ton of water today. Just try and see.

[0positivevibez0-blog]

being a work in progress does not equate to failure.

[0positivevibez0-blog]

Being aware of our own indicators can give back a little control when our mental health feels all consuming. Preparing for a bad patch can feel like we’re ‘willing’ it to happen, but this isn’t the case. A list of steps to take, general care tips - lists can help when you’re not in the right frame of mind to think clearly.

Take care of yourselves ghosties, all the love x

[0positivevibez0-blog]

[0positivevibez0-blog]

[0positivevibez0-blog]

Hey guys, I’ve actually never done something like this before, but you know, got to start sometime so ...

Ok, so my favorite positive youtubers if I ever just want some positive vibes are Tatiana Ringsby, Georgia Bridgers, Elena Taber, Jessica Clements, and Kalyn Nicholson. They’re all girls, obviously, and they all have this positive energy around them and share such a positive message, which I feel is something I can really use on those off days 💙

[0positivevibez0-blog]

Do not stress over what you cannot control.

You can not control other people. You can not control their behavior, their thoughts, or their beliefs. Focus on yourself, and your happiness. Focus on being in peace with yourself. Spread love and joy, and do not let others negative attitudes affect you.

[0positivevibez0-blog]

Add your coping thoughts:

minusthenegative.com

[0positivevibez0-blog]

sending out positive vibes that this upcoming school year you learn constantly, take care of yourself, work hard, build positive habits, break habits that do not serve you, give yourself grace when you fail, and never stop striving to achieve your goals.

[0positivevibez0-blog]

How can I tell if I’m awake or dreaming?

I did a post earlier about waking up extremely dissociated from a nightmare and being unable to tell if I was awake or not, it got a lot of notes so I figure I make a small list of things that help me tell if I’m awake or not. 

So a little context - at one point I had tried lucid dreaming (big mistake) because I would wake up from one dream, and be in another dream. Full blown inception mode, waking up several times into a different dream and being unable to tell what was real. Eventually it went away on it’s own, but it didn’t make it any less scary. 

Look at your hands and feet. When I used to lucid dream, I would do reality checks. These reality checks can be applied even if you aren’t lucid dreaming - things like your fingers (the number of your fingers), your palms (the details of your palm prints / finger prints), your nails (size of your nails, condition), they don’t translate over when you’re in a dream. It’s why another reality check is looking at a clock, because the hands of the clock and the ticking are another set of details that won’t add up in a dream. You might not be able to see your hands in a dream, or the time on the clock won’t be visible. 

Temperature. Just like breaking yourself out of a dissociative episode, feeling a change in temperature can indicate whether or not you’re awake or not.  Make yourself a cup of hot water, or a cup of hot coffee - now set it on the counter and go watch a video, let yourself get absorbed in that video. All done? Now go back to the drink. If the video you watched was all of 4mins long, but your coffee/water is ice cold, it could indicate you’re dreaming. Things like temperature change during dreams in an illogical manner, or sometimes aren’t evident at all in the world. 

Taste test. Carbonated drinks, vinegar, mint, things with a strong taste can help your body wake up in a sense - you might be feeling numb so a blast of flavor might be able to get your gears rolling and help you realize you’re awake. Activating your five senses is also a good idea - smell those old socks, feel the pages of that book, trace the outlines of grass in the yard with your finger. 

Story Focus. In dreams the focus of the story tends to move and shift around a lot, you know, you’re in the store one second but the next thing you know you’re at school failing a math test. If you’ve got your phone or a watch on you, it’s time to set a fifteen minute alarm. In fifteen minutes if your viewpoint, the things happening around you, haven’t had an unexplained shift in environment/story, you’re awake. The alarm will go off, and you can keep resetting that alarm. 

Social Media. Go watch the news, like I said before, fine details have a hard time translating in dreams, and sometimes seeing current day events where the date / time / weather is repeated by the spokesperson can help reaffirm that you’re awake. 

In all, just remember to remain calm - in a dream, you are safe. In the event that you aren’t safe in your dream, that’s okay! Because it means you’ll wake up. If you’re awake and you can’t tell if you’re awake, you’re still safe. Because you wouldn’t do anything to put yourself in harms way. Asking yourself is this logical can also be reassuring - logical things don’t always happen in a dream, and it’s up to you to be able to notice them. These things can take practice, but rest assured it’s better to be doing something then not doing anything at all :) 

[0positivevibez0-blog]

Mental health tips.

Anxiety:

1)Four square breathing. Inhale for 4, hold for 4, Exhale for 4, hold for 4, repeat to calm heartbeat.

2) Grounding. Name 5 objects you can see, 4 things you can feel, 3 you can hear, 2 you can smell and 1 you can taste. This will help you keep calm and get your brain out of fight or flight.

3) Stretching. Even if it’s just raising your arms above your head and stretching upwards, or if it’s downwards. It’s also helpful to try to stretch everyday.

4) Acknowledgement. If you know you’re having anxiety, acknowledge it in your mind. Just doing that is extremely helpful in stress because it gears your brain into finding a solution.

Depression:

1) Again, acknowledge it.

2) Distract yourself. Whether it be a book, drawing, writing, taking a walk ect…

3) Talk to someone you trust. Whether it be friends, family or a counseler. If you don’t have anyone to talk to, I’m always here to listen.

4) Do something productive, no matter how small. Believe me, I know how hard that is, especially since depression drains every drop of motivation you have. You’ll feel better about yourself though after because you’ll have accomplished something.

5) Exercise. Start small and work your way up. I personally detest exercise but it is a very healthy way to cope and it will release endorphins and dopamine.

6) Eat healthier. Again. I know how hard it is to do that. Depression makes you crave sweets. But I’m not talking about going all salad or vegan or anything in that regard, just eat more balanced meals. Larger portions of veggies and fruits. Less junk food like red red meats or candies and sodas.

7) Try to get a regular sleep schedule going. Go to bed at the same time and wake up at the same time everyday if possible. If your schedule changes frequently and every now and then requires you to get up super super early, try to stick to the normalized schedule as much as possible. This will regulate your circadian sleep pattern and it will get easier to sleep.

8) Take your prescibred medication if applicable. Get on meds if you or your doctor think they will help. Natural remedies are also helpful.

9) Make little to do lists for yourself. Celebrate small victories. No matter how miniscule they seem. Goals can be made to the extent of what you feel capable doing tjat day.

10) Write down lists of things that make you happy, your strengths and accomplishments, self compliments, and read them when you feel upset.

That’s all I got now! Hope this helps! ^-^

@therealjacksepticeye

[0positivevibez0-blog]

180312 // Mental hygiene. Here are some tips to keep your mind cleand and positive that helped me a lot.

Here are my other advice-posts for self improvement and self help :)

[0positivevibez0-blog]

Best advice I’ve received so far

the time you take being jealous of other people’s success is the time you could be using to build your own

you’re never going to “feel like it”

doing and practicing now is better than waiting for the perfect moment

eliminate people with toxic habits from your life

you are in control. Everything you’ve done up to this moment led you here. Therefore, your future is determined by what you do now.

everything is as it should be and only later in life you can connect the dots.

self discipline will give you freedom. consistency will give you results

everything is temporary. You should find freedom in this concept

the rich stay rich acting poor and the poor stay poor acting rich

being healthy means finding a balance between the good and the bad

the people that outranked you have outworked you.

you can’t be grateful and negative at the same time.

Meditate on these statements. They are so very powerful! Xxx