Here’s How You Could Start Taking Better Care of Your Mental Health

If you believe that you just aren’t taking care of yourself as much as you could be, then now is almost certainly the time for you to make a change. If you don’t then you may find that you end up doing yourself more harm than good and that you also struggle to feel good on a day to day basis.

Take a Mental Health Day

If you feel as though you need a mental health day, then make sure that you take one. If you do, then you will be much more productive, and you will also be able to bounce back much better as well. Mental health days can also be used as preventative medicine, so don’t be afraid to use them if you feel like you need to give your mind and your body the chance to fully recharge. If your mental health is suffering as the result of drink or drugs then consider looking into couples drug rehab centers.

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Do Something Other Than Watch TV

If you have lost count of how many nights you have been up watching a TV show, only to feel tired the next day then try and experiment. Don’t watch TV for a full week, and see how much easier you find it to wake up the next day. You could try reading, colouring, speaking on the phone with a loved one or even taking a bath. For a lot of people, watching a good TV show can be a fantastic coping mechanism but at the end of the day, staying up until 2am isn’t good at all and it won’t be doing you any favours.

Think about Your Last Vacation

Think about the last vacation you had, what did you do? Maybe you replaced going to the gym with swimming, walking or even just relaxing. If you want to help yourself then take some of that mentality and incorporate it into your life. Go for a morning swim, jog instead of sifting through your emails or even buy a sun lounger for your garden. When you do, you will soon find that you feel much better and that you are able to deal with the stress of daily life much more efficiently.

Take 5 Minutes

Meditation might feel like something that only yoga teachers do, but it doesn’t have to be. Don’t worry about trying to accomplish anything, and focus on the current moment. If you don’t know how to do this or if you just don’t know where to start, then sit quietly and try to focus on breathing properly.

Limit Refined Sugar

Cutting back on added sugar, anything in sugar, candies and even pastries will make you feel better. Your sugar will be much more stabilised in the day and you may even find that you are able to eliminate fatigue and headaches too. If you want to take things to that next level then think about adding leafy greens, avocados or even figs to your diet. This will really help you out and it will also make it easier to avoid that 2pm slump.

Getting the Right Diagnosis is Always Important

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Getting the right diagnosis is essential for your child. While you might think at first that they are naturally ignorant of everything you say or perhaps generally cannot focus, this could be a sign of more significant issues that could affect them later in life. 

To ensure you can help them grow up healthy and happy, it’s essential to notice these signs and take the correct steps to help them. From hearing problems to conditions such as ADHD or even autism, here are the reasons why getting the right diagnosis is always vital. 

Why You Shouldn't Ignore Your Hearing Loss

    You may have noticed, as you age, that your hearing isn’t what it used to be. You might be chalking that up to overusing those headphones and listening to your music too loud, those heavy metal concerts you attended every other day, or just good old fashioned “getting old”. And while those things may be contributing factors to your hearing loss, it’s still a good idea to go to the doctor at the first sign of hearing diminishment, so you can get a full exam. 

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    There are various hearing loss risks associated with diminishing hearing ability, and failing to go to the doctor to get a proper diagnosis can further exacerbate those risks. Rather than risk having a worsened condition, make an appointment with your audiologist to get to the bottom of your hearing loss ASAP.

    Below are just a few of the risks associated with continued hearing loss: 

Loss of Balance

Inner ear problems can be related to or lead to balance issues. For someone who is of advanced age, mobility is already a concern. Hearing issues will only make those worse; resulting in a possible fall or issues with walking. 

Sleeping Issues

Hearing problems when untreated can lead to insomnia, sleep apnea and other major sleep problems. This can also lead to snoring and other sleep related problems. The more tired you are, the less balance you have, and it’s a never-ending cycle, which is why you should see a doctor. 

Mineral/Vitamin Deficiencies

Doctors have noted in recent years that often those with hearing loss have vitamin or mineral deficiencies that, while they aren’t necessarily causing the hearing loss, are often related to the hearing loss. So while you’re at that appointment, speak to your doctor about this possibility and schedule an appointment with your GP if you have any doubts as to where you might be deficient. A supplement or vitamin may be in order. 

Stress

Dealing with hearing loss on your own without any type of aid or assistance can be really stressful; craning your ear to try and hear, training yourself to read lips, begging people to turn up the volume; while these don’t seem like such a big deal, after time, they can begin to weigh on a person. Better to suck it up, make that appointment and just get to the doctor for that hearing test than force yourself to suffer with hearing loss. 

Permanent Damage

If you continue to let your hearing erode, rather than seeing a professional, you  may end up with permanent hearing loss that cannot be reversed or assisted. It is always a good idea, in the interest of preventative care as much as anything else, to see a doctor at the earliest signs of diminishing hearing, so you can get a proper diagnosis and the necessary treatment. Your doctor may be able to stave off any further, more debilitating, damage. 

    Now that you know the risks associated with hearing loss, don’t you want to make a doctor’s appointment today? Don’t let a small issue become a larger problem. 

Common Marriage Problems a Lot of Couples Face

You would have to be very lucky to go through your entire marriage without experiencing any sort of problems. Most couples go through hard times. However, it is how you deal with these difficult moments that will make or break your relationship. Below, we are going to take a look at some of the most common marriage issues that a lot of couples face.

Appreciation starts to dwindle - We often hear about couples that start to get comfortable. After all, you cannot stay in the honeymoon stage forever. However, when appreciation starts to fade, the conflict will arise. Both females and males crave positive recognition, and so it is important to make sure that you express your gratitude and appreciate the other person in your relationship. Think of different ways you can make loving gestures. These do not need to be grand gestures; small touches can go a very long way when it comes to showing someone how much you care. 

Fighting about finances - This is another cause of friction and frustration for a lot of couples today. Talking about finances with your other half can be tense and stressful, particularly if you both have different ways of managing money and different spending habits. If one person in the relationship has gambling problems or is addicted to spending money, this can be extremely challenging. Rather than burying your head in the sand, it is important to get on the same page regarding money and to put a financial plan together as a couple. This will help to prevent bigger problems later down the line. 

Communication breakdown - Aside from the problems that have been discussed so far, a lot of couples experience issues because of communication breakdowns. It is important to realise that talking and communication are not the same. Talking is about providing information without requiring a response. However, communication is the non-verbal and verbal exchange of information. Knowing how to communicate effectively is of huge importance. It is about listening to the other person and really understanding what they have to say. It is also about communicating how you are feeling so that the other person understands. 

Being unfaithful - Last but not least, there is no denying that being unfaithful is one of the most common causes of marriage problems in the current day and age. For some people, there is no going back once one person has cheated on the other. However, there are also a lot of couples that have managed to successfully rebuild their relationships after an incident like this. Partner support counselling can be very helpful here. A professional can help you to work through these issues together. 

All in all, there is no denying that there are a lot of different problems that people can experience in their marriage. If you are going through marriage difficulties, it is important to take a step back, breathe, and figure out how you are going to move forward and deal with this issue. 

Building Blocks for a Support System with Family Members

When you are a member of the family, there are some unspoken ‘requirements’ that come along with it, and it can vary from time to time. Perhaps your family makes a big deal about birthdays or getting together for the holidays. Perhaps your family really likes to take care of each other and be supportive in all aspects of life. Perhaps you have an extended family that is quite distant, and everyone prefers it that way; all families are different. But having a support system in your family, from immediate family members to extended family members, can be something that is really helpful as we all go through life. 

There is a lot of research into this kind of thing, and that most family research does actually suggests that having healthy and supportive families, will consist of a few things. This post will delve into those things, to see if you can better improve the support system that you have in place with your family, whether that is immediate family or extended family.

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Share appreciation

It is so important to show members of your family that you care about them. Thinking a little closer to home, if one of your children does something great at school or a great homeschool project, then make sure you let them know. The same goes for a spouse or partner; they get a promotion at work, tell them how proud you are of them. Expressing appreciation is something that really helps to strengthen family relationships. 

Improve communication

Communication is something that a lot of families do actually find hard, especially with life being busy and pulling us all in different directions. This can be even more tricky with extended family, as a result, as there is physical distance. But supportive families tend to promote some safe and direct communication. Talk to your children, partner, and even parents and siblings about how much you love them and want to support them. Then when something comes up down the line, like health challenges, for example, you’ll all be more likely to share. Then you will all be more open about talking about the issues at hand, like deciphering the facts about hearing aids together or knowing what the best course is with a sick and aging parent. Keep communication open and honest and that could be all of the support that you will ever need to have.

Problem solving skills

When you are a parent, you will have the chance to show your children some ways of doing things and how to handle certain situations. Children do learn from their parents a variety of different things, but they definitely learn how to best interact with the world, as well as dealing with challenges. So model your behavior in a positive way, and then they can learn in a positive way what they should do. You may need to help occasionally, but generally, giving them the chance to solve their own issues will help them later in life.