Have you ever asked someone “How are you?” and they respond with a quick and brief answer “I’m Fine”.  Sometime we use these words because we don’t feel like talking about a our situation at the moment or we use these words because we don’t know the person, and sometimes we use these words because we are hiding something we feel is our deepest, darkest secret.

The words “I’m Fine” are used by many people that might have symptoms of a mental illness or that just been diagnosed. They may feel afraid to share because of the stigma that surrounds mental health. For those you know that have a mental illness or have symptoms, please show love and support. They may feel alone and feel like society won’t accept them. Show you are ready to help when needed and ready to lend a listening ear. Encourage them to speak to a professional so they can receive the proper treatment. They may feel like a weight has been lifted off their shoulder just by take this step.

If you are diagnosed with a mental illness, here are some ways you can cope:

• Breathe. There’s so many techniques out there. Find one that works for you. If you feel overwhelmed stop, and just breathe.
• Meditate. There’s different forms of meditation. One that I know that works for me is, think happy thoughts. I think about my future and goals and I tell myself “that’s where I’m going to be.” Not only does it take my mind off the negative but it motivates me to continue. My goals are what bring me happiness. Find what brings you happiness and meditate on it.
• Be aware of your emotions. If you are feeling a negative emotion coming on, feel that emotion for a minute, then find a method that helps lure you away from that negative emotion and turn it into a positive.
• Give Back. If you are diagnosed with a mental illness you might feel alone, but remember you are not alone. As you talk to many people, you’ll find out some are just like you. By sharing your story and methods, you can help a person find out that the methods you use also works for them. We always feel good when we help others. It brings us joy and leaves us in a better mood. Just by giving that small advice and talking to them might be the greatest gift they could ever received. (Acts 20:35).
• Pray. If you are a believer in God, prayer can help tremendously. God is always ready to listen to your prayers and worries because He cares for you (1 Peter 5:7).

I just mentioned a few tips that will help you cope with a mental disorder and I left a couple links below that go more in depth with different techniques. Remember, if you need support, reach out to close friends and family members and speak to a professional. There never to far, they’re always a phone call or text away.

I spoke a bit about coping with a mental disorder, let’s talk about prevention. I asked myself, “can we really prevent mental illness?” If you read my last post I mentioned 4 ways of developing a mental disorder. We are going to talk about 1 out of the 4.

If you haven’t read my last post feel free to take a read “Can You be Affected by a Mental Illness?” https://everythingsotay.com/2019/05/09/can-you-be-affected-by-a-mental-health-problem/

So how can we prevent it? Well if we have high stress levels,  there’s a chance of developing one. Especially if you have a history of mental disorder in your family.

Here are some ways to you deal with stress.

• Talk to someone. If you feel overwhelmed, talk to someone about how you feel. Sometimes we just need a listening ear.
• Get enough sleep. We all know how much sleep our body needs and if we don’t get those hours, we can’t function properly. We also know that stress can interrupt our sleep. Best advice I can give is don’t take your worries to bed. I know, its easier said then done. But it is possible. Remember each day has its own anxieties ( Matthew 6:34).
• Eat HEALTHY and Stay HYDRATED. We all need food to get through the day but eating a nutritious meal will health stabilize our energy and make our bodies feel great. We can accomplish so much in our day. I recommend a plant-based diet because not only did it help with my weight but it helped with my energy level and helped me mentally. I also feel great that I am doing my part on saving the animals, and doing my part on making our environment a little bit better :). ( We will discuss more about this topic later on Everything’s Otay!). DON’T FORGET TO DRINK PLENTY OF WATER TO STAY HYDRATED! This is another way we can sustain our energy and get thing accomplished.
• Journal. Sometimes just writing it down helps. You can always go back and find out what some of the triggers are that causes you stress.

I left some links down below that give more options on how to deal with stress. We covered  a small portion on how we can cope with a mental illness and how we can deal with stress. So the next time you see a close friend or loved one that battles with a mental illness or is just going through something in life, show you’re there and make sure the next time they say “I’m Fine”, that they mean it and there’s positivity behind it. There so much more on Mental Health to talk about theses next 2 weeks. So stay tuned!

Links: Coping: https://www.nami.org/Blogs/NAMI-Blog/January-2019/Self-Help-Techniques-for-Coping-with-Mental-Illnes , https://psychcentral.com/blog/9-ways-to-cope-with-having-a-mental-illness/

Avoid Stress: https://www.skillsyouneed.com/ps/stress-tips.html , https://www.helpguide.org/articles/stress/stress-management.htm/