TUESDAY FEBRUARY 23, 2021 MENTAL HEALTH

 TUESDAY FEBRUARY 23, 2021 MENTAL HEALTH

This week, I'm writing on miscellaneous topics that just got pushed to the side!!!

I have a couple of things relating to mental health

This past year with the worldwide pandemic, I think many have not gone into work, but are working from home.  I also know of many who are single, widowed or divorced, so some today, I’, writing on activities for managing depression.

The featured article is

https://www.everydayhealth.com/hs/major-depression-pictures/solo-activities-for-depression-loneliness/

The article starts with a quote 

“Even before the COVID-19 pandemic left us isolated at home, loneliness was a growing concern in the United States.

“A 2018 Cigna survey of more than 20,000 people in the United States, for instance, found that 46 percent said they sometimes or always felt alone and that 47 percent said they sometimes or always felt left out.

“Other research has looked at the impact of loneliness on the body and mind, and tied loneliness to not only a higher risk for psychological disorders, such as depression and anxiety but physical repercussions as well.

“A study published in a 2015 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences (PNAS), for example, linked loneliness to chronic, systemic inflammation, which increases the risk for a host of disorders, from cancer to neurodegenerative diseases.

“The pandemic, by most accounts, seems to have worsened things.

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WHOA - stop this there.  Before the pandemic, about 50% (really 46%) said they were sometimes alone and left out. AND - in the first months of the COVID pandemic, 65% reported increased feelings of loneliness and 80% said they had some depression!!!

So - we have a second “pandemic” (not sure if we can call it that) - of loneliness.  

Going back to the 1960s - and the Beatles song “Eleanor Rigby” - there are these lyrics:

“All the lonely people

Where do they all come from?

All the lonely people

Where do they all belong?”

We have seen the first suggestion many times - EXERCISE.  I have tried during the pandemic to walk with a goal of five miles a day.  That doesn’t always happen (as last week’s storms kept me and many others home-bound).  The article says “Being physically active prompts the release of brain chemicals such as neurotransmitters and endorphins, which can boost mood and ease depression symptoms.”  Get those endorphins going!!!

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The second suggestion, we’ve also seen in various formats - MEDITATE

I do a half-an-hour of prayer, meditation, and Bible Reading in the morning (generally about 5:30).  Others do other forms of meditations. Various other ways to draw away from the world, but allow for reflection and letting our problems go!!!

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The third suggestion is YOGA

I have seen yoga, I know people who get a lot out of yoga.  I haven’t tried it.  The article said, “A 2019 study published in the Journal of Psychiatric Practice found that within a month of starting a yoga program, participants reported fewer symptoms of depression and anxiety, along with better sleep quality.”

At one point, I associated yoga with eastern spiritualism - and I balked at that.  But, I think (belief) that yoga can be practiced within a Judeo-Christian viewpoint.

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Are you lonely?  The fourth suggestion is Get a Pet!!

The article said “So many people have adopted pets during the pandemic that many shelters have run short of dogs and cats.  Pets provide companionship, can give owners a sense of purpose and satisfaction, and help reduce feelings of loneliness.  A research study showed that pet owners were 36 percent less likely than non–pet owners to report feelings of loneliness.”

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#5 Suggestion is to garden

I like to garden - and I think garden helps get one’s mind off the pandemic and less focused on other activities.  The article suggested doing front-yard gardening over back-yard gardening as it may help you feel more of your community as people walk by -or wave to you from their car.

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Another favorite suggestion to help fight loneliness is VOLUNTEERING.  To me, loneliness puts too much focus on “life is tough”, but when you volunteer, the focus changes to how you can help others.  

The last three articles are READ, MUSIC, and CONNECT.  

When I am lonely, I can very easily have a “Pity Party”.  This article suggests getting our thoughts away from ourselves - if I really am into a book, I start to identify with the characters, analyze the plot and leave myself behind.

I have written about music before - I still have my upbeat classics playlist as well as oldies, show tunes, and Beatles music.

And, finally - CONNECT

There are many ways to connect.  If you don’t realize it, my blog writing is a way for me to connect.  I do appreciate it when you leave comments.  Plus, there are so many other ways to communicate.  I have many friends who love to text.  Others use Facebook Messenger (another ‘texting’ method); and, of course, Twitter and email.  I have two Twitter accounts (one more active than the other) and interact with friends from Europe and other places.  It has let me practice my German language skills as there is a group from Germany in this group.  (I do have to use Google Translate sometimes to make sure I’m saying the right things!!)

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Yes, there were many redundant suggestions in the article - but my aim was to say it is normal to occasionally be lonely.  Get out, do things, don’t be like me, and allow pity parties to spring up!!!

LOVE does WIN!!

Hugs!!

Karen