3 Tips for Improving Your Mental Health and Well Being & Link Up On the Edge #249

June 18, 2021 / 50 Comments
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When it comes to making changes to improve and boost mental wellness this year, there are many factors to take into consideration. The past year has been challenging for many of us and the increase in mental health issues is evidence of this struggle. New mental health diagnoses as well as worsening of already existing mental health conditions are at an all time high as we begin to emerge from a world that completely shut down last spring.

As restrictions are being lifted everywhere and we slowly move forward into a very new world, it is imperative for all of us to focus on positive changes for our mental health in the second half of 2021. Below are three helpful tips to get you started on your journey back into a wide open world.

1. Start Socializing Again

As lockdown restrictions are beginning to ease worldwide, society is starting to make its way back to something that resembles pre-pandemic normalcy. This summer has been offering more and more opportunities to get out and about and to begin socializing once again.

If you struggle with anxiety, even in its mildest form, joining society in a social manner might feel a little bit intimidating. There are products that can help to minimize anxiety, such as kratom powders or capsules from KonaKratom.com, as you start to ease your way back into a social life. Rejoining the world and socializing again is so important for our mental health. We are communal creatures and human interaction is imperative to our best quality of life. So start making plans to get together with friends and family this summer. We all have much catching up to do!

2. Remember Those You Have Lost

Many of us have experienced great loss over the past year which carries a tremendous impact on the state of our mental well being. It is an important part of life’s journey to process our grief in healthy ways. Taking time to honor and remember those loved ones that you have lost is an important part of the grief process. You can honor your lost loved ones by sharing their stories and celebrating their lives in order to keep those memories alive. We all live on after death in the cherished memories of those we have left behind. So why not celebrate loved ones through sentimental keepsakes from Memorials.com that will honor them in very personal ways.

3. Understand You Are Not Alone

Often times in the most difficult challenges, it is easy to feel isolated and alone. But that is never the case and it is so valuable to your mental health to know that you’re not alone in this struggle. There are many resources available to help you through the process. If you do not have a reliable and strong support network, the National Alliance on Mental Health offers a multitude of resources to help you cope with a variety of different mental health struggles. So if you or a loved one continues to struggle as we transition back to a normally functioning existence, please reach out for help. Knowing that you are never alone in any kind of struggle that you may be facing really is half the battle to getting to the other side of it.

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So many factors must be considered in maintaining our overall health and well being. We must be diligent in caring for both our physical and mental health in order to live our very best lives. And we must be sensitive to those around us who may be struggling more than we are. Offering a helpful hand or a caring ear is one way we can each help other to a happier and healthier existence in this brand new world.

Have you been struggling with this transition back to normalcy? What kinds of things have you been doing to maintain your mental health and well being?

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Shelbee

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I am a midlife woman, wife, and stay-at-home mother of 2 boys and 2 cats. I have a passion for helping other women feel fabulous in the midst of this crazy, beautiful life.

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50 Comments

  • Amy Johnson

    June 18, 2021 at 11:15 am Reply

    Such great tips Shelbee. Getting out of the house is key. I’m a homebody by nature, but I can always tell when I need to just get out and do something. Yesterday I had my hair done in our small town, and as I exited the building someone I didn’t know waved at me. I don’t know why, but it felt wonderful. And it feels wonderful to see people’s faces again, see their smiles, and get that human interaction. I’m so happy hardly anyone is wearing masks anymore.

    • shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com

      June 18, 2021 at 12:28 pm Reply

      Thanks, Amy! I am right there with you. I am so thrilled to see people’s faces and see them smiling! I am also a homebody but I can tell when I need to be social as well. We are heading out for the weekend to camp at a bluegrass festival. I am super excited to be around people! A little less excited about camping in thunderstorms, but oh well! It will be interesting, for sure. I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

      xoxo
      Shelbee

  • jess

    June 18, 2021 at 2:54 pm Reply

    I enjoyed reading this. I have anxiety and needless to say it was worse during Covid. My mom and I were a pair!
    I do have it more under control, but as you know it doesn’t completely go away. It is wonderful to socialize again! Roy is the introvert, I am not, so socializing – just chatting with people, made me feel much better!
    Hope you have a great weekend!
    jess xx
    http://www.elegantlydressedandstylish.com

    • shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com

      June 21, 2021 at 10:42 am Reply

      Jess, thanks so much for commenting. My anxiety ran at an all time high during this pandemic as well, so I totally understand. I finally have it all mostly under control and am enjoying getting back to a social life. Although you and your mom struggled with the anxiety during this pandemic, I am so happy that you were able to move her closer to you so you could help each other along. I hope you had a wonderful weekend!

      xoxo
      Shelbee

  • Di

    June 18, 2021 at 3:07 pm Reply

    Thanks for sharing these helpful mental health tips, Shelbee. I feel as if I have one foot in and one foot out, as I causiously start socializing again in this altered new world. It cartainly is nice to see smiling faces, again. Hope you enjoy your getaway and the weather holds out!

    • shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com

      June 21, 2021 at 10:40 am Reply

      Thank you so much, Di! The world has definitely been altered and I just hope that we all come out shining brighter than ever! I am really enjoying seeing people’s faces again. Smiles always lift me up and it was a bit like torment to only ever see covered up faces at every turn. I am working on adjusting my posture back to where I make eye contact in public. I had gotten so used to averting my eyes toward the ground because it felt weird to look at people when they couldn’t see my face! We had have a wonderful weekend despite the rain. I hope you had a lovely weekend as well!

      xoxo
      Shelbee

  • ratnamurti

    June 18, 2021 at 7:29 pm Reply

    Before covid, I would just get on with things and “handle” whatever was happening. Which was not a good look. Because our emotional and mental welfare are so important. I really like the way that you frequently address this.

    • shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com

      June 21, 2021 at 10:34 am Reply

      Thanks so much, Ratnamurti! It really is a very strict balancing act, isn’t it? Keeping all the parts of ourselves and our well being in perfect healthy harmony. I feel like I need to frequently address these topics for myself as well as for the benefit of others. We all need the reminders because we forget too quickly as life just keeps rolling along! I hope you are well, my friend!

      xoxo
      Shelbee

  • ReneeOpen

    June 19, 2021 at 2:44 pm Reply

    3 simple, but amazing hints. Socializing – going out, meeting, and talking to someone new fixes just about everything for me. It usually makes me smile, calm down, gain a new perspective, and feel that all is right in the world which usually gives me the ability to deal with what isn’t <3

    Thank you, as always, for hosting my dear! I hope you're having a fun weekend 😉

    • shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com

      June 21, 2021 at 10:24 am Reply

      Thanks so much, Renee! Socializing does that exact same thing for me! We had the best weekend at the music festival. Even camping in the rain wasn’t all that bad because we were surrounded by an amazing community of lovely folks! Lots of laughs, great music, wonderful friends! I definitely feel like I am getting my groove back! I hope you have an amazing week ahead, my friend!

      xoxo
      Shelbee

  • Michelle

    June 19, 2021 at 4:50 pm Reply

    I think the feeling of being alone is one of the biggest lies our brains tell us when we aren’t doing well mentally. It can even lead us to push people away. I’m fortunate that I don’t have severe mental health issues, but when I’m mentally under the weather, that’s the first lie my brain tells me.

    It’s been such a tough year. And it’s not really over yet. I worry for those who are refusing to get vaccinated. Here I am digressing….

    Michelle
    https://mybijoulifeonline.com

    • shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com

      June 21, 2021 at 10:20 am Reply

      Michelle, thanks so much for sharing your perspective on the topic. As I was editing this post, it struck me how each of the three things would have a different impact and importance depending on who was reading. Socializing and feeling a sense of community and connection so you don’t feel so alone are big ones for me. However, I have experienced so much loss in my life that the bit about remembering those we have lost is kind of…um…well, lost on me. It has been a tough year for so many of us, but nobody ever said life wasn’t going to have tough spots. Maybe we should consider this one as more of a blessing since we truly were all experiencing it together. New York has reached the 70% vaccination mark and has lifted nearly all restrictions. It feels nice to get back to living! I hope you had a wonderful weekend!

      xoxo
      Shelbee

  • Mica

    June 20, 2021 at 9:02 pm Reply

    These are great tips! I hope everyone finds it easy returning to a restriction free life, we are lucky here that we only had lockdown 6 weeks – the other handful we had were just 3 days long so life has been normal and restriction free for a long time, it’s good! 🙂

    Hope you had a good weekend! It was a quiet one here 🙂

    • shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com

      June 21, 2021 at 10:15 am Reply

      Thank you, Mica! You definitely were lucky during the craziness of the past 15 months! We went camping this weekend at a music festival with the kids and it was such a great time. No restrictions, no masks, lots of friendly folks hugging and socializing while enjoying the beautiful outdoors and the amazing music. I just hope that we all learned to be a little kinder with one another as we resume normal living again. I hope you have a fabulous week ahead, my friend!

      xoxo
      Shelbee

  • Patrick Weseman

    June 21, 2021 at 12:51 am Reply

    Such great tips here. I am glad that I am teaching ESY this year. It gives me a chance to be social and it has been great seeing some teachers that I know around the district on a a daily basis.

    One thing during the lockdown and everything is that when I went walking, I always made sure to say to people who I encountered on my walks.

    Thanks for hosting and I hope that you had a wonderful weekend.

    • shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com

      June 21, 2021 at 10:11 am Reply

      Thank you, Patrick! I went through that really bad spot in the middle of the lockdown where agoraphobia and anxiety had a great hold on me. I am finally getting out and being social as well and it feels so great. I feel alive again, my energy is returning, and my anxiety is slowly disappearing. I am glad that your new position is giving you more opportunities to socialize as well. We really do need human interaction in order to thrive. I hope you had a fabulous weekend, my friend!

      xoxo
      Shelbee

  • Sheila (of Ephemera)

    June 21, 2021 at 4:40 pm Reply

    This is a good post to remind us all to be a little more kind to ourselves and others as we negotiate our way back into the world. It hasn’t been “normal” for a very long time! I’ve gradually been getting more social, although there have been a couple of incidents when I’ve had to bail and leave as I couldn’t handle the noise/crowd. We are gathing tomorrow to celebrate our dear friend Karen, who we lost to cancer in June 2020.

    Thanks so much for the link-up – this is one of my favourite outfits of the past few weeks!

    • shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com

      June 21, 2021 at 8:36 pm Reply

      I agree that this transition back to whatever life will look like going forward is going to have its ups and downs, for sure. I have learned to have much more grace with myself over the last 15 months which will be so helpful moving forward. But I do worry for those who have not acquired healthy coping mechanisms for these types of abrupt transitions. We must be kind to ourselves and to each other because none of us is going to have the same exact experience or move at the same pace. We have to be patient and accept everyone exactly where they are on their particular journey through life in a pandemic. I have left my fair share of parties, too, because I couldn’t handle all the social interaction, the noise, the constant input from a million directions. It completely wipes me out! I do hope that you are able to comfortably celebrate Karen with your friends tomorrow.

      xoxo
      Shelbee

  • Niki

    June 22, 2021 at 6:01 pm Reply

    Thanks for sharing on Traffic Jam Weekend at LifeasaLEOWife.com! SInce Michelle will be taking an extended hiatus from Traffic Jam Weekend, I would love to have you continue sharing with my readers at Happiness is Homemade (Sun-Thurs) and You’re the Star Blog Hop (all month long).

  • Barbara Chapman

    July 2, 2021 at 2:46 pm Reply

    Happy 4th of July weekend to you, Shelbee!!!! I thought your post was sooo important that I made sure to share it at SYS #308 this week. For that weird virus I’ve had, the doctor put me on an anti-flu drug and doxycycline, which the latter must also be an anti-depressant. I feel so much HAPPIER and I’m able to do things!!! It’s helping with the overwhelmed feeling I seem to get much more since having Covid… Getting rid of the virus plus clearing out the always-stuffed nasal infection is wonderful, too. 😉

    This comment went in a weird direction, but I knew you’d understand! XD I love all the posts people have linked above, too. It’s raining this Friday (7/2) here in No. Texas so a perfect day to wander the web…

    Enjoy your Independence Day and I hope your town has a parade for your family can attend! A perfect way to celebrate the 4th,
    Hugs,
    Barb 🙂

    • shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com

      July 2, 2021 at 3:12 pm Reply

      Barb, thanks so much for the lovely comment and the feature this week! I totally understood the weird direction your commenting was going. Haha. I am glad that you are feeling better and new happy energy is always a wonderful benefit to any medication! It is absolutely pouring rain here in northern NY as well. We have flood warnings with an apparent band of thunderstorms that will be hitting us all day long. So I plan to stay indoors and work on blogging stuff today. Our town had fireworks last night but they were so late that I went to bed before they started. My husband took the boys to see them though and they had a great time! I hope you have a fabulous holiday weekend as well.

      xoxo
      Shelbee

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