Staying well

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Sleep and Mental Health

replies: 0

Many of us have struggled with bouts of troubled sleep, and needless to say, these periods of nocturnal restlessness can be utterly overwhelming and exhausting. Sleeplessness can filter into every aspect of our lives: our ability to be present, remember things, regulate our emotions, or to feel excited and energised… it can change the way we think and feel in such a significant and impactful way. Whether it’s due to big life changes, global pandemics, financial or work stressors, health concerns (like menopause), how much ‘you’ time you have, or even unprocessed emotions you weren’t aware were there – so many things can impact how you sleep. All of this goes to show that not only do your daily habits, routines, and experiences play a huge role in maintaining healthy sleep cycles, but so does your mental health. And frustratingly enough, your sleep also impacts and informs your mental health and daily habits. Like most things, it’s a very easy cycle to fall into. So, it’s imperative that we are gentle and compassionate with ourselves on our journey to understanding what is making us so hypervigilant and unable to rest in the first place. Studies show that journaling or mindfulness practices throughout the day, healthy food, movement, sunshine, connection with loved ones, and support from health professionals can help us to feel more grounded and able to rest. But we are curious… what has worked for you? When do you notice that your sleep is most affected vs. when you get the best rest? And is there a way you could practice regulating your nervous system more throughout the day to help promote better sleep at night? We would love to hear your thoughts! Let us know if you have any questions and be sure to check out our page on ‘Sleep and Mental Health’ for more guidance and insight into a more supported and restful night’s sleep: Sleep and mental health - Beyond Blue - Beyond Blue Looking forward to hearing from you! Kind regards, Sophie M

A Bouquet for Pearls - share your appreciation for other members

replies: 715

Every now and then, members share a beautiful Pearl of Wisdom. How often do you think to yourself; "OMG that's great! I wish everyone could see this." Presenting someone with a bunch of flowers is a generous way of acknowledging their insightful words. I hope this thread stays active through members giving out praise regularly to people they feel deserving, and therefore keep generosity of spirit alive within the pages of BeyondBlue Forum. My bunch of Red Roses (my choice) goes to Wishful for the following sentence; 'Personally, I see no reason to be praised in me, but I'm learning that seeing through the eyes of others can be more accurate!!' I so hear you Wishful. Just beautiful... Try to keep your leading comments short to focus on 'their' words. Choose specific flowers (or a gift if you like) to present to them. Sign off respectfully and sincerely. I hope this takes off... Spreading the love...Sara

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Poets' Corner

replies: 2

Hi Christopher May I suggest a section for posting poems? There are many talented poets in the membership & I think such a section would benefit everyone. Poets' Corner? Struggler

Detox diet

replies: 5

Gday, i have been on various medications for five years. I have started to tapper off meds as they just were Not working & i had bad side effects, almost fatal . I have changed my diet to a paleo/keto/raw style diet, i really didnt think i could but it has been great for my mental health, i thought i’d share my meal plan & gut health plan, it really helps. Gut health- in my research i have found that 85-90% of seritonin is produced in the gut, this has been a game changer for me. Probiotics- Yakult, kombucha( trust me you get used to the taste haha) kimchi, etc etc all are good ways to start. Also bone broth or vege broth is a good way to repare the gut lining. Carbs - this was the hardest thing for me to give up- pasta,rice,potato’s etc yum! Haha, but there is plenty of really good recipes out there, pete evans is pretty swiched on, we got some ideas from him but there is lots of good food that assist in helping mental health. i will post a typical weeks meals that my wife and I are both eating, this has really helped us & we are both loosing weight too : )

Empathy

replies: 17

If we asked people on the street if they had a family member with depression what that persons greatest need was you might get the following responses- Sympathy Sleep Dominance from myself More medication More therapy Theyve just got to snap out of it However, in general, I would propose that EMPATHY is the most valued quality a carer, family member or friend could possess. Someone that shows empathy is a listener, they are genuinely concerned and they have a rare ability of having the capacity of “walking in your shoes”. Someone able to do that is rare because being able to extend your kindness to someone with an illness they cannot see, restrictions that aren’t obvious and internal turmoil usually invisible, takes a special human being. For us that need such empathy the least we can do is return some of it. Carers need support as well and such support can be given even as tokenism by way of a cuppa when they return from work, for example. Back to the mentally unwell. There are various levels of empathy. In my experience and I could be wrong but the less empathy the more selfish a person can be or they have not acquired the basics in their childhood- to reach out. Regardless of the reason you will not transform a person into an empathetic person with demands nor any other method, If you have a mental illness be wary of your need for empathy in others. Sadly, you might, like me, reduce your social circle to include only such quality people... Mixing with people with empathy and reducing contact with those that haven’t got that quality is a form of protection along with a means to be much happier. What are your major needs from other people? TonyWK

Can anything good come out of mental illness

replies: 5

Hey everyone, Hope everyone is going ok today.. I wanted to write and ask if anyone has a success story coming out of their Mental illness. I watch lots of success stories on YouTube of people who came out of mental illness and now are psychologists or mental health doctors etc. which makes me feel a small glimmer of hope. I’m 41 years old and still deep into my struggles. My life is a real mess and I’m currently unemployed coming from losing everything including my business after my divorce.However, on days I feel my brain can focus and function just a little bit, I drift and think of hopes my life might look like, if I can control my depression and anxiety so I can return back to some sort of work and feel less hopeless and start enjoying life again. I dream that I will change my career (as my old career/ business which I lost causes me to must to much sadness after all the hard work I put into it) I would love to study again so I can work in social work/counseling/psychology I would like to write a biography of my life and self help book how I got out of my “rock bottom situation (after I’m well of course.. I’m hoping for a success story). I’ve been through so much, if I can get out of this will be a miracle. Would love to hear if anyone has experienced their life becoming more positive because of their mental health. Would be a so helpful to hear some positive stories, knowing a nice future is possible would be a great help. thank you steve

On disability and feeling aimless/ useless

replies: 3

I’m currently on disability, too mentally disabled that I’m home bound most of the time, with lack of relationships and friendships, due to my deep seated mistrust, as directly birthed out of very extensive traumas and, cannot attend university, due to being intellectually disabled by my abusers. I’m in a mess right now, as though there’s no hope. I’m coping with RA flashbacks still, which froze me into my traumatised position day in and out.

Best jobs/changing careers for anxiety and depression?

replies: 2

Hi there, I'm working through an intense time of anxiety, panic attacks and little sleep. I started a new job in a new sector late last year. Although the workplace has a very kind culture, I have found the workload overwhelming, and my role has lots of different aspects to it, including client-facing work, and because it's a new organisation, we are building as we go. The result at the moment is I feel totally overwhelmed and I am finding it very difficult to concentrate, I'm forgetting things, and I can't prioritise. I have been putting things off, and then working on my days off to catch up. I'm aware that it is not a good cycle and I have started to put some things in place to address this, with the help of my GP, family and therapist. However, I can't help but think that perhaps this is just the wrong type of role for me. I think I need space and time to really flourish in my work, and I feel so much pressure here. Does anyone have experience in "designing" your work life so that work actually helps your mental health? I'm finding it hard to tell if the anxious thoughts are making me think it's the job, or if it's worth exploring other options, because I have left three jobs in the past two years from stress, which puts more pressure on the next job to "work out". Does anyone relate? How do you manage your working life with anxiety and depression? What jobs have you enjoyed?

Solffegio frequencies

replies: 1

Hi, Im curious to know if anyone has tried listening to solfeggio frequencies? I did for the first time a few nights ago, im not the type of person who cries easily but the day after I listened to it I cried many times, at the pet shop trying to buy a collar for my dog whist talking to the store assistant, in a job agency appointment and just on my own. It is so not me to be like that. I think I will listen again one night soon and see if it happens again.

Reiki healing experiences

replies: 4

I am very curious about Reiki, the benefits and where to start... just wondering if anyone has practiced this and found peace.. What has your experience been

What are some healthy/natural remedies when dealing with anger?

replies: 4

Hello there, just a quick question : what are some healthy remedies when dealing with anger? I do like to draw, listen to music and exercise. However what are some other tips or pieces of advice some of you fellow forum friends can suggest? Many than... View more

Being a mum is hard

replies: 5

I have always been very driven in my life and have built a successful career where I take care of many clients / brands solving their problems. At work I am calm. In control. I can take on so much work without feeling anxious - I somehow like the adrenaline of having a lot on my plate and working through it multitasking and making things happen. So what keeps me up at night? What makes my throat close up and sends a ring to my ears? I'm a mum of two kids who are both on the spectrum of autism (one is diagnosed and one is in the process of that). Both kids are high functioning which means they easily slip through the cracks if not diagnosed, but it also means that I have become their advocate every step of the way. My whole life outside work is making plans and strategies to help the kids in their daily struggles. Setting meetings with therapists. Doing research. Creating plans for the school, for the speech path, for the psych, for the OT... It is mentally exhausting and draining and never goes away. Just thinking about it right now is making me feel anxious. Work is an escape from that feeling. I'm a doer and a fixer but somehow I cannot fix this situation. It's completely outside my control. Just breathe. Just breathe.

Sleep and Mental Health replies: 0

A Bouquet for Pearls - share your appreciation for other members replies: 715

Poets' Corner replies: 2

Detox diet replies: 5

Empathy replies: 17

Can anything good come out of mental illness replies: 5

On disability and feeling aimless/ useless replies: 3

Best jobs/changing careers for anxiety and depression? replies: 2

Solffegio frequencies replies: 1

Reiki healing experiences replies: 4

What are some healthy/natural remedies when dealing with anger? replies: 4

Being a mum is hard replies: 5