Veterans often return from their service with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This can be a difficult thing to deal with, both for the veteran and for their loved ones. If you are a loved one of someone who is coping with PTSD, it is important that you understand what it is and how you can help. In this article, we will discuss what veteran PTSD is, how to provide support, and some treatment options. We hope that this information will help you better understand and support your loved one.

What Is PTSD?

Post-traumatic stress disorder is a mental health condition that can be triggered by exposure to a traumatic event. Some of the events that can trigger PTSD include combat, natural disasters, car accidents, and sexual assault. Symptoms of PTSD can include flashbacks, nightmares, anxiety, depression, and difficulty sleeping. Many people with PTSD also struggle with substance abuse and suicidal thoughts. Veterans are especially susceptible to PTSD due to the nature of their service. When you are supporting someone with PTSD, it is important to be patient and understanding. They may not be able to talk about their experiences or may seem distant at times. It is also important to provide support without judgment.

How To Help

PTSD Treatment Centers

One of the best things you can do for someone with PTSD is to help them find a treatment center. There are many specialized centers that focus on treating PTSD in veterans. These centers can provide individual and group therapy, medication management, and other support services. If you are not sure where to start, you can search for PTSD treatment centers online or ask your loved one’s doctor for recommendations. When looking for rehab for a veteran it’s important to find one that specializes in PTSD. This way, they will be able to get the best possible care.

Cognitive Behavior Therapy

Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) is a type of therapy that can help people with PTSD identify and change negative thinking patterns. CBT can also help people manage their symptoms and improve their quality of life. It can also help them learn coping skills for dealing with symptoms. Many people who receive CBT find that their symptoms improve over time. If your loved one is interested in CBT, you can ask their doctor for recommendations or search for therapists online. CBT is usually provided by a licensed therapist in individual or group sessions.

Stress Inoculation Training

Stress inoculation training (SIT) is a type of therapy that focuses on teaching people how to handle stress in a healthy way. SIT can help people with PTSD to identify and manage their triggers, cope with anxiety, and develop healthy coping skills. SIT can teach people how to relax, manage stress, and deal with difficult emotions. It includes techniques such as relaxation training, breathing exercises, and visualization. Stress inoculation training is usually provided by a licensed therapist in individual or group sessions. It can be an effective treatment for PTSD and can help improve quality of life.

Be Supportive

If you are the loved one of a veteran with PTSD, there are some things you can do to help. First, it is important that you educate yourself about the condition. This will help you better understand what your loved one is going through and how you can best support them. Secondly, be patient and understanding. It can be difficult for someone with PTSD to open up about their experiences and feelings. Allow them to move at their own pace and be there for them when they are ready to talk. Finally, encourage them to seek professional help if they are struggling. There are many treatment options available that can help people with PTSD manage their symptoms and live happier lives.

If you are supporting someone with PTSD, it is important to take care of yourself as well. Make sure to eat healthy, exercise, get enough sleep, and make time for your own hobbies and interests. It’s important to provide support for a veteran with PTSD. You can do this by educating yourself about the condition, being patient and understanding, and encouraging them to seek professional help. By providing support, you can make a positive impact in their life. By educating yourself about veteran PTSD and providing support, you can make a difference. If you are a veteran with PTSD or know someone who is, there are many resources available to help. Do not hesitate to ask for help if you need it. Remember, you are not alone. There are many people who care about you and want to help you heal. With the right support, you can overcome anything.

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Whether it is a friend, sibling, spouse, or parent, having someone in your life who is struggling with an addiction problem has many challenges. It not only impacts personal relationships but it disturbs the social fabric in the environment and compounds issues further. In recent times, addiction problems across the country have soared. This was partly fueled by the economic and social challenges people were facing and partly promoted by the influx of new drugs such as fentanyl.

For a caregiver, it can be difficult and extremely stressful to watch a person they love face these problems. When you feel like you are making a bit of progress, you suddenly relapse and you are back to square one. However, there is always a solution if you are looking to put in the time and effort. Here are some tips to help deal with addiction problems.

Learn About The Issue

Drug addiction is not just what meets the eye. In fact, what you see is the result of a number of different changes in the person’s body, mind, and physiology. Especially if you are dealing with someone who has been a chronic user of hard drugs, the substance abuse will definitely have had a profound impact on their body.

Even after a period of withdrawal, you will still face a lot of problems. It will take time for the body to fully recover and come back to its normal state. Learning about the different challenges that patients have to deal with, especially during the withdrawal phase, will make it that much easier to handle the situation. The withdrawal phase is also where most patients make a mistake and relapse. It is the most challenging part of the process. If you can successfully clear this stage, you’ll be on the right track.

Counseling

Drug abuse and drug addiction is a physical phenomenon but it often stems from mental problems. This could be stress, anxiety, depression, loneliness, or just the fact that a person has been brought up in an environment where drug abuse was common and normalized. When you are trying to help someone overcome such a problem you are essentially helping them learn a new way of thinking. This requires proper counseling in order to be effectively addressed. You can find numerous psychologists and therapists who can help in this matter.

Even if you can’t find one locally, you can always look into bigger cities such as Orange County where professionals are available for online sessions. If you happen to live in that city, then you can look for a good rehab in Orange County and have the patient treated there. This will speed up the recovery process tremendously and give you much better results. Therapists deal with these problems on a daily basis and they have the skills and expertise to pinpoint the problem and tackle it from there.

Medical Assistance

In some situations, especially in the case of hard drugs like heroin and fentanyl, the patient needs medical intervention. This is not just through over-the-counter drugs, but proper medication that will help the patient heal. This is another very specialized form of treatment where you will need to have access to an experienced professional. This is often the only solution for people with extremely severe addictions.

However, it can also be a great way to quickly resolve the issue for those with mild addiction problems. At the very least, you can consult with the relevant professional to find out if this is the right solution for you.

Care At Home

Treatment doesn’t end when the person comes back home. In fact, this is one of the most important phases of treatment. At home, the patient is exposed to their natural environment, they have access to all kinds of potential triggers that place them in a very delicate situation where they can easily relapse into their old behavior. Knowing how to manage the situation at home is a critical skill for caregivers. The better the management at home is, the easier and smoother the recovery process will be.

Recovering from drug addiction is not like recovering from a flesh wound. There is no definitive end to the recovery process. Rather, it is something that the patient deals with on a daily basis. There are plenty of cases of people who have been clean for several years, even decades, and then suddenly relapsed for some reason. Taking care of an addiction problem is the responsibility of the caregiver as well as the patient. When both can play their parts the right way, a healthy and positive lifestyle can be achieved. Even when afforded the best medication and therapy, patients still need to put in their best efforts to help themselves lead a better lifestyle.

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Dark Chocolate. Yes, here’s another reason to consume some delicious chocolate! Dark chocolate contains flavonoids (a group of antioxidants) which may help protect the brain. I’d recommend choosing a brand with 70% or great cocoa content. Chocolate paired with some fruit makes for the perfect night time snack. 

Beets. Beets contain nitrates which convert to nitric oxide in the body. This promotes increased blood flow to the brain supporting optimal brain function. Dark red veggies, like beets, are also potent sources of antioxidants. You can throw beets into a salad or drink concentrated beetroot juice for even more nutritional benefits. 

Coffee. If coffee is the highlight of your morning, you aren’t alone and here’s another reason to drink it! Coffee contains antioxidants which reduce inflammation and caffeine which keep your brain alert. Coffee also may boost your feel good hormone, dopamine. 

While many things impact brain health and function that aren’t in our control, adding in these foods is a great way to boost your alertness, mood and memory. Comment below your favorite way to have these brain foods!

If you want more information about how to consume nutrients to optimize your health check out my book Eat Your Vitamins today!

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The workplace is stressful, even for teams that work well together. It’s unavoidable, but anyone in a leadership role can start improving things overnight by implementing new strategies. Here’s how to offer mental health support in your facility and help everyone maintain their wellness.

1. Offer Wellness Paid Leave

Everything feels worse when there’s seemingly no end in sight. Employers may offer paid time off (PTO), but workplace politics or unhealthy dynamics could prevent people from enjoying much-needed time away from the office.

Management teams can offer wellness paid leave in addition to any existing PTO plans. Team members could use the time for therapy appointments, yoga classes or any other activities that would restore their peace of mind. They’ll be much more inclined to use it for that intended reason rather than spend their sick leave when they’re not actually ill.

It’s crucial to enforce any paid leave, too. The pressure to work may stick around and influence people to avoid mental-health-related time off. Managers can check in with their team members and set up wellness days if no one uses their leave.

2. Create A Recharge Station

People in situations where they’ve felt exhausted and negative need to recharge their social batteries. Stress and anxiety can make that battery drain even faster, so it’s a familiar workplace feeling.

You could create a recharge station in your workplace to solve this problem. A recent study found that resting restores a person’s peace of mind in addition to their immune system, so this simple office addition benefits people in more ways than one.

Place a bench in a shaded area outside or reserve a corner of the office kitchen for anyone who needs alone time. Everyone will know they have a space to let go of their stress and return to their work with improved focus.

3. Provide Mental Wellness Memberships

Thinking outside the box to offer mental health support in the workplace creates more engaging resources and inclusivity, so don’t stop at a new break room or paid leave. Managers can also fund wellness memberships with apps tailored to mental health needs. Team members can get tailored help whenever they need it. Consider apps like:

• Headspace
• Finch
• Talkspace

You’ll encourage workers to try something they may not have attempted before. It’s an excellent form of support that will help people in the workplace even if their career takes them on a different path.

4. Encourage More Exercise

Increasing your circulation immediately improves your mood, which is incredibly helpful to stressed-out employees. A local gym membership provided by the company would make this form of mental health support more accessible. You could also get groups to take walks around the building or down the street together during a shared break. A five-minute stroll will do wonders for everyone’s mental health if it becomes part of their daily routine.

5. Enforce Wellness Breaks

Sometimes, people feel they can’t leave their desks once their workday begins. Team members and leaders should encourage each other to take their wellness breaks daily. Managers also have a unique opportunity if they establish schedules for their employees. Build flex time into everyone’s day to allow them the freedom of scheduling their time off as needed.

If you’re unsure when you or someone else should put their work on pause, check for burnout symptoms like:

• Difficulty concentrating
• Lingering exhaustion
• Frustration

Adding and enforcing wellness breaks throughout the day will reduce symptoms of burnout that hurt everyone’s mental health. Supporting each other also creates positive team energy, which people may need after a long period of feeling stressed or burned out in their jobs.

Offer Mental Health Support

Talk with your team members, managers and supervisors to determine the best mental health support for your workplace. The office will become a more positive, happier environment when everyone gets on board with ideas like flexible break times, recharging and wellness resources.

Author Bio

Jane is an environmental writer and the founder and editor-in-chief of Environment.co where she covers sustainability and eco-friendly living.

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If there are three things you need in your life to be successful, they are boundaries, wellness, and personal growth.

Boundaries ensure you aren’t overextending yourself and that others are respecting you. Wellness ensures your mental, physical, and emotional health is strong. And personal growth helps you continually evolve.

There are so many ways to support the above, one being the development of specific traits. Let’s explore four known to incite individual growth, wellness, and healthy boundaries.

Resilience

Resilience is defined as “the ability to ‘bounce back’ or make it through difficult situations without becoming overwhelmed by them.” When you’re resilient, you make intelligent, intentional decisions about how to best navigate challenges and stressful events.

Resilience is incredibly influential when it comes to personal growth. Difficult situations push people out of their comfort zones. And when you’re uncomfortable, you do the most growing, whether you realise it right away or not.

Also, becoming more resilient makes you recognise and appreciate a problematic situation as a chance to grow initially versus always seeing tough times as something negative in your life.

Furthermore, resilience plays an integral role in wellness. The inability to handle stress and hardship can adversely affect your physical, mental, and emotional health. But when you implement specific practices to conquer strife, you feel more in control of your life, thus enabling you to still prioritise your holistic health despite what’s going on around you.

You can develop resilience by working diligently on your mindset. Strengthen and make it inherently positive. Aim to look for the good in every tough situation. Also, find support from friends and family to manage how overwhelmingly difficult circumstances can get.

Confidence

Confidence is the next trait you want to develop to support your boundaries, wellness, and personal growth. Confidence is essentially a firm trust in something. It’s also a strong belief in one’s abilities, qualities, and decisions.

You’re more willing to put yourself in situations or opportunities that inspire growth when you believe in yourself. You’re also more in tune with yourself, making it easier to set personal boundaries that honour who you are and what you need to thrive.

Confidence boosts wellness too. The better you feel about yourself and your abilities, the more you want to take care of yourself and develop those abilities. You’ll do what it takes to keep your mind and body healthy so that you can keep evolving.

You can build confidence by stepping out of your comfort zone regularly. For instance, travelling for personal enrichment can help you better your people skills, improve your creativity, and teach you how to look at things from different perspectives.

Reflection can also help you develop your confidence. Journal every day. Write down your fears, what causes you the most anxiety, and your current challenges. Doing so will help you come up with solutions. Don’t forget to write down what you’re proud of and grateful for as well.

Adaptivity

Adaptivity is another trait to develop to enhance your wellness and ability to grow personally. Adaptivity refers to being readily capable of adjusting to new conditions or circumstances. It’s important because life changes all the time.

If you don’t like change or have a hard time adjusting to it, life isn’t going to be as pleasant and stress-less as you want it to be. But, on the other hand, if you can adapt, you can make the most out of everything that comes your way.

Also, when you’re flexible, you can mitigate stress and embrace adventure and curiosity, which leads to personal growth. You learn who you are, how to care for yourself, and how to best balance your life.

Adaptivity comes with being intentional about how you work through unprecedented times and situations that don’t go as planned. It’s a good idea to develop a routine for times like these.

For instance, your first step may be taking a deep breath. Then, you identify what you can and cannot control. And after that, you put together a plan for improving or using the things you can control to better the situation.

Curiosity

Curiosity is our fourth and final suggestion for traits to develop to support your boundaries, wellness, and personal growth. Curiosity is a deep desire to learn or know something. It’s what stimulates our minds and hearts. It’s what makes someone a life-long learner.

Curiosity is integral to personal growth because it urges us to explore. It expands our empathy. It challenges us to achieve. Curiosity also tends to make us happier and more interested and interesting in our relationships.

You can cultivate curiosity by allowing yourself to explore trends, thoughts, people, and so forth. Give yourself time and space to dig into whatever you want to learn about. Don’t limit yourself to the internet or other online resources to lean into your curiosity, either. Meet new people, take classes, go to events, and take advantage of other offline opportunities.

Conclusion

Your boundaries, wellness, and personal growth should always be top priorities in your life. By developing resilience, confidence, adaptivity, and curiosity, you’ll be best equipped to set boundaries that honour you, care for your holistic health, and flourish personally.

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A pandemic is a confusing and scary time for everyone but especially parents. They have to wade through an online landscape pitted with misinformation in their search for the best ways to keep their kids safe.

However, children also face their challenges. The pandemic brought a shocking rise in teen suicides, and 53%of employees with children say they missed at least one day of work a month to help their child with mental health struggles. What can you do to improve this outlook? Here are five ways parents can support their children’s mental health in the age of COVID-19.

1. Look For Wholesome Activities

Do you know what happened after previous pandemics, even world wars? Life went on. It does for you and your children, too. Maintaining a normal routine is one of the best ways to demonstrate this principle to your kids.

If you’re homeschooling, imitate the traditional classroom as much as possible — including taking your kids on virtual field trips. You can find tons of online resources where your kiddos can learn to code or knit, applying what they learned in their daily classes to real-life situations or exploring fun new hobbies.

2. Spend More Time Outdoors

Mother nature has healing powers. Studies show she can do everything from improving your mood to boosting your immunity — both vital during a pandemic. Your kids will benefit from the fresh air and fitness in body and mind.

Taking your kids to the playground helps them meet their exercise quota for the day. They can run, skip and jump to their heart’s content. The World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines state that children aged 5 through 17 need at least 60 minutes per day of moderate to vigorous physical activity. You can squeeze in a workout, too — try a few monkey bar pullups or use a picnic bench to guide your squat depth.

3. Validate And Help Them Process Emotions

Kids aren’t immune from world news. Even if you keep television to a minimum at home, they’re sure to encounter mixed messages when out in public. Some of them may leave them feeling afraid.

Please don’t invalidate your child’s feelings by saying things like, “there’s nothing to worry about,” or, “don’t be a scaredy-cat.” Instead, let them know it’s natural to feel uncertainty, informing them that adults get frightened sometimes, too. Invite them to talk about their feelings and help them process their fears.

Then, brainstorm healthy ways to deal with these big feelings. You can suggest things like coloring a picture, writing in a journal or finding a way to help someone else in need.

4. Introduce Them To Healthy Stress-Reduction Techniques

Just as children aren’t immune from adult feelings, they’re not too young to learn how to regulate their emotions in healthy ways. Learning stress-reduction techniques as a child stays with them for life, providing them with coping mechanisms through countless ups and downs.

For example, even young children can practice deep breathing and yoga. Schools that have implemented such programs as an alternative to discipline like detention have seen significant improvements in behavior.

Mindfulness pulls children away from fears of an uncertain future or ruminations about an unchangeable past. You can teach them exercises like performing a body scan or slowly savoring a square of chocolate.

5. Consider Professional Help

Finally, there’s no shame in seeking professional help. Your child’s brain is an organ like any other, and problems can arise when things go wrong with it. The right treatment can get them back on a healthier path.

Fortunately, you have options for coverage, even if you don’t have health insurance yourself. You can apply for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) through the Marketplace. If you qualify, you’ll get access to free and low-cost services, including mental health.

Ways Parents Can Support Their Children’s Mental Health

Being a parent during a pandemic is tough. So is growing up during one.

As an adult, it’s your job to do what you can to support your little ones. Follow the five tips above to support your child’s mental health in the age of COVID-19.

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According to Mind, a mental health charity in England and Wales, 1 in 5 students has a diagnosed mental health problem. This manifests itself in a number of different manners and there can be a number of different reasons why these issues surface. Going to university often brings about massive changes in students’ lives, causing uncertainty, additional stress, and many other emotions, and this can often be especially exasperated by the fact that many students first go off to university coming into the winter.

Most of us have experience in the fact that the cold, dingy, grey days of winter can be detrimental to our mental health, and therefore it is especially important for universities to help their students with their mental health during the winter. That does not mean, however, that they should not be focusing on it for the rest of the year, but an extra effort should be made during the winter months to enable students to both settle in effectively and also prosper whilst they are at university.

When it comes to the role that universities can play in offering mental health support to their students, there is plenty that can be done. Universities are not only formal educational institutions, but they are also central in producing independent individuals, many of whom are stepping away from the family unit for the first time, living new experiences, and helping to shape their futures in many ways.

Communication, Efficiency, And Reliability

It is important that universities understand the way their behaviour impacts students and their mental health. By adding extra stress and pressure on their students, this can have a detrimental effect on their mental health. Communication has been especially important during the pandemic, and universities that fail to fulfil their duties in terms of good communication with their students, behaving efficiently, and reliably, can find that they increase anxiety amongst their students.

It is vital that students are clear about what is expected from them – as well as what they can expect from their university – and that the university fulfils these expectations.

Help To Deal With The Issues

Many students come up against the same issues when they go to university. These issues can turn into mental health problems if they are not dealt with early on. Another way that universities can help their students to reduce the chance of mental health problems such as low mood and anxiety is to help them to avoid these issues in the first place. For example, giving students advice and support in looking after their finances can help them to avoid financial difficulties which can often lead to mental health problems.

Encouraging Peer Relationships And Support

Support does not need to necessarily come from the institution itself. Often students will support each other through difficult times and universities should be doing what they can to encourage peer relationships and friendships. As well as promoting anti-bullying policies, providing safe spaces, promoting team-working, kindness, and generally creating a positive, supporting environment.

Mental Health Support Schemes

Mental health support schemes such as helplines and counsellors should be available to all students. It is key that every student has access to these services and they should all be made aware of what is available and how to get this help. Universities should encourage their students to use these services and promote them as much as possible.

Additionally, universities can provide their students with out of education support services which are hugely beneficial for students looking to step away from campus life. Speaking as a former student, knowing there were healthcare services outside of my university campus that I could go to for mental health support was incredibly comforting. Helping Hands Home Care who provide professional mental health care support, state that “Being diagnosed with a mental illness can be life-changing but doesn’t necessarily mean loss of independence.”

Red Flags

Increasingly, universities are able to look for behavioural patterns and red flags in student behaviour that are signs that a student is struggling with their mental health. Signs such as a decrease of engagement, withdrawal from student life, or changes in attitude can be tell-tale signs that a student is having mental health problems. These signs can be picked up on by tutors and mentors, other students, or technological means, helping potential problems to be dealt with earlier.

The issue of student mental health should be central to every decision that is made within an educational institution. Universities have a duty to support their students as much as they possibly can, especially during the winter, nurturing the best environment for their students to learn effectively, as well as leaving the institution a well-rounded, mentally healthy individual.

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Working from home has become a common situation for office workers since the coronavirus pandemic began. Most workplaces closed down in March 2020, and although the world has made huge progress in combating the virus, many office workers have decided to remain working from home throughout 2021.

There are ups and downs to any work situation, and working from home is no different. We can all list the pros and cons of any working life we have had in the past – but one of the key pros of working from home is that you have more control over your environment. This means you can tailor your work environment to suit your needs, both mental and physical.

One aspect of your health that is often ignored during working hours is your back. Your back is a complex structure of muscles and bones that needs to be taken care of very carefully. We can ignore our backs when we sit in a chair most of the day, ultimately causing pain, posture problems and poor core strength – all of which might require intensive pain treatment down the line. Luckily, when you work from home, you can take extra steps to take care of your back that might not be available in the office!

In this post, we’ll explore 10 practical ways to support your back when you work from home, so you can take better care of this integral part of your body more effectively!

1. Invest In An Ergonomic Chair

One of the easiest solutions to a painful back and bad posture is an ergonomic office chair. Ergonomic office chairs are designed with the human spine in mind; they are shaped to support your lower back (lumbar spine); mid back (thoracic) and your neck. Ergonomic office chairs aren’t the most beautiful pieces of furniture you’ll ever own – some even look like something out of a spaceship – but the positive effects they have on your spinal health knows no bounds.

Ergonomic office chairs help maintain an upright posture and discourage hunching over your computer, as is the issue for many from-home office workers. In addition, they aid balance and assist in building your core strength too!

2. Work Standing Up For Some Portion Of The Day

Humans aren’t designed to sit down for eight hours per day, but most office workers do just that. Our spines are no friend of desk-sitting for hours on end, and so to offset the effects of your office job on your body, you should try working standing up for a portion of the day.

If you don’t fancy working at your kitchen counter, you can invest in an ergonomic standing desk that balances your laptop device perfectly for your height. These adjustable ergonomic desks mean you’re never hunching over or looking up, postures which can both damage your back in the long run.

3. Store A Yoga Cushion Underneath Your Desk

Yoga cushions are grain-filled cushions that aid in spinal decompression. When you sit or stand too long in one position, the vertebrae in your spine can become compressed, meaning the space between vertebrae decreases. This can cause aches and pains, as well as poor posture, particularly if this compression is not addressed.

When you work from home, you can take small breaks to lie in any position you want on the floor! This luxury isn’t exactly possible in a professional office environment, so use this opportunity to give your back that extra bit of love it needs.

A yoga cushion can be placed on the floor, and the user can lie upon it either vertically or horizontally, breathing deeply as they do so. The firm-yet-soft density of the yoga cushion will release tension in your back and help create space between the vertebrae.

4. Incorporate Core Exercises Into Your Routine

Your core, meaning your back, side and stomach muscles, is essential to the health of your spine. Muscles “prop up” our skeleton, giving it the support it needs while we go about our lives. The stronger your muscles are, the better they can support your skeletal structure.

Core exercises can strengthen the muscles that directly support your spine, and are easily doable in just five or ten minutes. We all know that most jobs can be highly time consuming, so fast, easy core exercises will be your friend.

Some easy-to-do core exercises for working from home, which will help to support your back include:

• Crunches & sit ups.
• Russian twists.
• Downward facing dog.
• Planking.
• Deadlifts with free weights.
• Pull-ups (if you install a pull-up bar in your home).
• Sidekicks.
• Burpees.

Try incorporating a few of these exercises per day into your work routine, and you’ll be amazed at how your core strength improves over time!

5. A Hot Water Bottle Goes A Long Way

For those who have experienced backache, either chronically or due to an injury, you will know that heat is your friend. If you suffer with backache on a regular basis, putting a little effort into your working routine will make a big difference.

One highly cost-effective balm for backache is a hot water bottle. Hot water bottles produce a constant source of heat which, when applied to the lower back, for example, can provide relief to sore or stiff muscles.

How does heat help back pain? Applying heat improves your circulation, thereby sending oxygen and other nutrients to that area. It does this by dilating your blood vessels, allowing blood to travel more freely to the affected area.

6. Sit On An Exercise Ball

Exercise balls are typically used to strengthen a person’s pelvic floor, but whether you’re a man or a woman, exercise balls are amazing for your back. That’s because sitting on an exercise ball rather than a chair requires you to balance yourself. You can’t be caught slouching or sitting in an uncomfortable position for long periods of time – the ball forces your body to be upright and centred at all times.

If you find yourself hunching over your laptop or crossing your legs all day, your exercise ball will make you more disciplined when it comes to your posture. Plus, sitting on an exercise ball will engage your abdominal muscles, pelvis and leg/glute muscles to control how you sit – ultimately making you fitter and healthier while you work!

7. Lunchtime Yoga Is Your Friend

One of the great things about working from home is that you have a little more time on your hands. When you don’t have to commute to work (unless you count the stairs!) you have an hour, or maybe even more, to play with that you didn’t have before.

Use this time wisely by taking control of your body’s health. YouTube yoga practices can range between five and forty five minutes, and all of them will improve your flexibility, strength and circulation. Plus, shaking off work worries with a quick stretch at lunchtime will help soothe your mind and decrease the cortisol levels in your body. Your back is a vessel for tension when you’re stressed; by reducing stress, you can relieve tightness in your back, too.

8. Wear Loose, Comfortable Clothing When Sitting At Your Desk

Your clothing affects your posture, and good posture is crucial for a healthy back. Of course, if you have video meetings or clients visiting your home, you will need to dress well for the occasion. Most of the time, though, you can get away with wearing loose clothing when you work from home!

Wearing loose, comfortable clothing helps you to sit upright and breathe deeply into your stomach, rather than adjusting your posture to work around tight or ill fitting clothes. Breathing into your diaphragm and sitting up properly will support your back and alleviate back pain over time.

9. Eat Energising Foods That Support Your Wellness Journey

It’s easy to eat junk food when you’re out and about, but when you work from home, you have the framework to be more healthy. Try eating energising foods such as fresh pasta, vegetables, fruits and spices to ensure you are not slumping at your desk – especially in the afternoons when you feel like falling asleep a lot of the time!

10. Book A Home Masseuse Visit

Remember what we said about having more free time? Use it to treat yourself! We’ve all been through a tough time in the pandemic, so booking a home masseuse visit can really help you alleviate stress. Plus, it’s amazing for your back. Practices such as Thai massage, cupping, acupuncture and osteopathy are all proven to help stimulate blood flow and correct poor posture and compression in the spine. By making this investment a few times per year, you can save yourself much anguish in the future and really help to support your back.

Final thoughts

Taking care of your back is easier when you work from home – simply because the amount of time and flexibility you have is far greater than in an office environment. Working from home can still be intense, of course, but the upshot is that you can create a framework to take care of your health, both mental and physical. Use this guide to help support your back if you work from home!

*collaborative post

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What we choose to put into our bodies can directly affect our mental health. Studies have shown that certain vitamins and minerals in the foods we eat are capable of improving our mental health and alleviating symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression. It’s important to eat healthy foods for both our physical and mental health. Here are 6 of the top superfoods you should incorporate into your diet.

Fatty Fish

Fatty or oily fish contain Omega-3 fatty acids that improve memory and reduce anxiety. Omega-3 acids are incredibly effective in the body in many ways and they are essential for brain function. They’ve been known to reduce symptoms of depression and other mood disorders. Here are some of the best fish that are loaded with Omega-3s.

• Salmon
• Sardines
• Mackerel
• Albacore Tuna

For vegetarians or vegans, flax seeds, chia seeds, and walnuts are a great source of omega-3s to boost your brain health.

Leafy Greens

Leafy greens are high in folic acid. Deficiencies of folic acid and other B vitamins are linked to insomnia, depression, and fatigue. Getting the right amount of leafy greens in your diet will help combat depression and other mental health conditions. Here are some leafy green superfoods to add into your diet regularly for optimal mental health.

• Spinach
• Kale
• Collard Greens
• Romaine
  

Berries

Berries are extremely high in antioxidants and have loads of benefits for our bodies and brain. Antioxidants are great for fighting free radicals, reducing inflammation, and repairing damaged cells. Studies show that there is a link between mental health issues and free radicals. The antioxidants in berries have been found to ease symptoms of anxiety and depression. Berries make the perfect superfoods snack. Try these berries for the highest antioxidants.

• Strawberries
• Blueberries
• Raspberries
• Blackberries

Fermented Foods

Research shows that our gut health is directly related to our mental health. The prebiotics and probiotics in fermented foods promote a healthy gut. Fermented foods have been found to affect the same parts of the brain as some anti-depressants. Adding more fermented foods to your diet can ease symptoms of depression and anxiety. Below are fermented superfoods to eat for a healthier gut and mind.

• Yogurt
• Kimchee
• Sauerkraut
• Kombucha

Cacao

Cacao has been around for ages and it has huge health benefits. It’s packed with nutrients and natural compounds that elevate your mood, increase memory, and overall brain function . It also contains magnesium which lowers cortisol resulting in lower levels of stress. Dark chocolate has a higher percentage of cacao than milk chocolate, making it purer. For the cacao in its most pure form, choose ceremonial grade cacao. Next time you’re craving something sweet, grab some dark chocolate to reap the benefits.

Turmeric

Studies have shown that high inflammation in the body are associated with many mental health conditions. Curcumin is a natural compound in turmeric that can reduce inflammation and ease symptoms of stress and depression. Turmeric is a spice commonly found in Indian food that is easily incorporated into your diet. Add it to eggs, stews, or enjoy a golden milk latte to get your turmeric fix.

Foods to Avoid

Just as many foods can positively affect our physical and mental health, there are foods that can negatively affect us. Studies show that a Western diet high in sugar and processed foods has been linked to more symptoms of depression. Eating these foods can lead to fatigue and worsen symptoms of depression. For the best mental health, it’s important to avoid these foods:

• Processed foods
• Sugar
• Alcohol
• Saturated fats

Conclusion

If you want to prioritize your mental health, practice eating whole foods and include superfoods into your diet to get the necessary vitamins and minerals you need. If you’re experiencing anxiety, depression, or any kind of emotional distress, it could be beneficial to talk to a therapist. In therapy you can get support and learn strategies to cope with problems you may be facing and be the best version of yourself. Talk to someone today.

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Author Bio

Marie Miguel has been a writing and research expert for nearly a decade, covering a variety of health- related topics. Currently, she is contributing to the expansion and growth of a free online mental health resource with Mind-Diagnostics.org. With an interest and dedication to addressing stigmas associated with mental health, she continues to specifically target subjects related to anxiety and depression.

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Most of us have someone in our lives that struggles with some level of mental illness. As someone who is trying to be supportive, it can often feel nerve-wracking and sometimes even a little frustrating.

Especially if you know someone who struggles with severe mental illness, being a support system can take a toll. Finding ways to best be there for them, provide love and care, and take care of yourself in the process is essential.

When To Step In And Help

Sometimes people who struggle with mental health issues deal with a lot of internalized shame and embarrassment. They might not want to share what they are dealing with for fear of being judged, misunderstood, or labeled as crazy.

The stigmas surrounding mental illness are very real. Until you know someone who has had to face this straight-on, it may be hard to fully grasp how strong the barriers are for seeking out help.

Unless someone you know or love asks directly for support, you might be unsure if they need help or how severe the problems may be.

Some signs to look for include:

• They shut off from you or stop answering calls.
• They don’t find joy in the things that normally bring them joy, such as passions or hobbies.
• They might eat less and be visibly losing weight.
• They stop going to social events.
• They start using drugs more heavily as a coping mechanism.
• They make jokes or elude to ideations of suicide.
• They stop showing up to school or work and call in sick or completely drop off.

What You Can Do

So, you might be thinking what can I do to help? Of course, you’re not a professional, and in an ideal scenario, the person struggling will be seeking support from a licensed practitioner.

Many people have partners or loved ones who struggle with depression or other mental health issues, and this can make the relationship extra challenging. But as a friend, partner, or support person, there are some things you can do to help.

1. Encourage Them To Seek Treatment From A Professional

This may be a sensitive subject, especially if the person has had negative experiences with therapists or social workers in the past. Remind them that it’s okay to seek support without being too pushy.

If you seek therapy, maybe you can talk about that. Any way to normalize medical support is helpful, and providing help in this avenue could be helpful. You can offer to research certain clinics or research some recommended therapists.

2. Help Them Set Some Goals Or Make A Plan

Make sure these are specific and realistic goals. Maybe it can mean trying to find a professional or a plan for who to call when things are extra hard. You can also work with them on setting some tangible goals for the week, such as getting their assignment complete or prioritizing some work projects. Hold a brainstorming session with them ask them how they want to be held accountable for these goals.

3. Learn About Their Illness

It can help to understand their patterns and how their mental illness might affect them. This creates more empathy and understanding and also prepares you for certain patterns that might arise due to these traits.

4. Remind Them You’re There For Them

Sometimes what people need most is to know that someone cares. Checking in on them might be the best thing you can do. Ask them if they need anything. Let them know you love and care for them, and that when they’re ready, you are there to hold space for them. You may have to remind them often and check on them regularly if you know they are struggling.

Find a Balance

Remember to take always care of yourself first. You can’t take care of someone if you aren’t doing well. Sometimes having boundaries can be important too, so just make sure to balance how much support you can give with taking time and space for your mental health.

Author Bio

Marie Miguel has been a writing and research expert for nearly a decade, covering a variety of health- related topics. Currently, she is contributing to the expansion and growth of a free online mental health resource with Mind-Diagnostics.org. With an interest and dedication to addressing stigmas associated with mental health, she continues to specifically target subjects related to anxiety and depression.

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