Coping with Painful Emotions

                        Coping with Painful Emotions

                                                    By: Kaajal Sharma

Going through a difficult phase with multiple emotions attached is a common part of all our lives. What matters the most is how we deal with those emotions.

A popular, yet negative way of taking over such painful emotion could either be getting caught u in the suffering (for example, overthinking on something you believe was done wrong by you) or by trying to mask away your feelings.

However, I'm sure after repetitive practice we all would agree that a responsible and productive way to deal with those feelings is to accept them. Simply acknowledging it to be a natural human response to pain.

In times of struggle and suffering due to painful emotions, you should try one of these strategies:

1. Drop the negative thoughts that come to your mind. Do not overthink.
2. Start writing journals where you could list your emotions
3. Share your feelings or thoughts with a person you trust
4. Think about the sufferings other people face and allow yourself to get a break from the isolation of your experiences

Reference:

• https://www.takingcharge.csh.umn.edu/enhance-your-wellbeing/health/thoughts-emotions/deal-negativity-healthy-way#

Image Reference:

• https://www.google.com.au/search?q=wellbeing+and+emotions&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjt9tudufzWAhWCE5QKHVvTCFEQ_AUICigB&biw=1707&bih=844&dpr=1.13#imgrc=U6wrm7p4Fp3V0M:
• https://www.google.com.au/search?q=wellbeing+and+emotions&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjt9tudufzWAhWCE5QKHVvTCFEQ_AUICigB&biw=1707&bih=844&dpr=1.13#imgrc=bwGA8zsy6fA8MM:

Information on Personal Wellbeing

Wellbeing Resource

By: Niyati Roy

There are many different websites that offer information on mental wellbeing. But the most resourceful website is the mindhealthconnect website which is promoted by the Australian government. The website makes the important distinction which is that wellbeing is distinct from happiness as it is a consistent state of wellness, satisfaction and contentment. According to the website the contributors of wellbeing include:

• Health
• Personal relationships
• Feelings of safety
• Standard of living 
• Sense of achievement and purpose
• Feeling part of community
• Future security

The website offers different fact sheets on areas such as meditation, building resilience, self talk and mental health. Each fact sheet provides an introduction to the area, the benefits of partaking in the area and some examples of activities they can do. The website also provides organisations and resources that individuals can contact if they need help regarding mental or physical health. The website is applicable to all ages and provides information for younger children to older adults. Hence it is a comprehensive resource for information on personal wellbeing. 

Website/Reference: http://www.mindhealthconnect.org.au/ 

Image: http://www.mindhealthconnect.org.au/images/mhc-logo.png

Gardening and Wellbeing

The relation between Gardening and Health

By: Niyati Roy 

Studies show that gardening is important for physical health, mental health and promotes better nutrition. Some of the benefits of gardening can be summarised as:

• Stress relief 
• Exercise 
• Brain health
• Nutrition
• Healing 
• Immunity

Gardening helps with stress relief by lowering stress hormones and increasing positive mood. Gardening is also a form of exercise especially for older adults who cannot exert too much physical energy. Studies following individuals in their 60s and 70s found that those who gardened regularly had a 30% lower risk of dementia than those who did not garden frequently. In addition, gardening is simply useful for producing healthier fruits and vegetables which assists in nutrition and healthy eating.  Interacting with nature also helps our bodies heal. A landmark study by Roger S. Ulrich, published in the April 27, 1984, issue of Science magazine, found strong evidence that nature helps heal. This was noticed in the form of fewer hospital stays, fewer complaints and less pain medication. 

Ultimately gardening provides a method to unwind, relax, reflect and restore ourselves. It provides us an opportunity to connect with nature and learn from it. Although it is often carried out by older individuals, it should be enforced in all ages due to its spiritual and psychological benefits. 

The benefits of gardening can also result from the type of flowers planted:

• Coloured flowers and roses can be visually stimulating and provide warmth and tranquility. 
• Herbs are a way to stimulate olfactory senses and are a source of nutrition. 
• Tactile plants appeal to our sense of touch. Smooth, soft, silky leaves compel you to touch them!
• Even the sound of rustling leaves and grass is a soothing element in the garden. 

References: 

-https://permaculturenews.org/2013/06/05/wellbeing-gardening-gardening-for-the-body-mind-spirit

-Ulrich RS (1984) View through a window may influence recovery from surgery. Science 224(4647):420–421.

-https://gardeners-perth.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/o-GARDENING-TOOL-facebook.jpg

-http://totalairborne.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/gardening.jpg

The Nature of Wellbeing

                                 The Nature of Wellbeing

                                                          By: Kaajal Sharma

As all of us know, personal wellbeing is a very crucial part of all our lives. However, the sad part attached to it is that it seems a little hard to come by. An American study about mental health found that “while one in four respondents was depressed, only one in five was happy – the rest fell somewhere between, neither happy nor depressed”. 

Additionally, a recent consumer study on wellbeing based in Australia showed that:

• 58 percent of the people wished to spend more time on improving their overall health and wellbeing
• 79 percent of parents with children under the age of 18 declared their wishes of spending more time on improving their overall health and wellbeing
• 83 percent of people, however, said that they would readily spend more money on products and services just to receive the satisfaction in their feelings of wellbeing

Reference:

• https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/wellbeing

Image Reference:

• https://www.google.com.au/search?q=nature+of+wellbeing&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwix1rvrlPnWAhVClVQKHcWOBdsQ_AUICigB&biw=1707&bih=789&dpr=1.13#imgrc=CLwL_CTg_TXblM:

Wealth is not the key to happiness

                   Wealth is not the key to happiness

                                                       By: Kaajal Sharma

It is known that money is directly linked to our wellbeing. Having sufficient money improves our living conditions, and increases social status. However, we all must take note that happiness may be seen to increase by income, but this this increase will only be bound to a certain level.

There is a myth believed by most people that the presence of wealth is a fast track to happiness. Various international studies, on the other hand, have shown that it is actually the quality of our personal relationships with people that make a huge difference to our wellbeing, and not the number in our bank balance.

The strong belief in this myth can prove to be very harmful towards an individual's wellbeing. For example, someone working for long overs in greed of a high income will at some point in life realise that they have missed out on a lot of time with their family, friends and leisure pursuits. 

The more a person works, the higher the reduction of a person's life satisfaction will be. Research indicates that people who pour in all the efforts for extrinsic goals (for example, wealth or fame) have a higher chance to be anxious, depressed and dissatisfied than the people who enjoy the essence of a happy relationship with their loved ones.

Reference:

1. https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/wellbeing

Why You Should Be Spending More Time With Animals

Why You Should Be Spending More Time With Animals

Written By: Elaine Lopez

It's true when they say dogs are a man's best friend. But what about other animals like cats? or rabbits? or any other kind of pet you can name. There are so many reasons why you should be spending time with animals.

 

According to research, one reason why you should be spending time with animals is because they can relax you. By petting your cat, dog, rabbit or whatever pet you have, can be therapeutic to both you and the animal. Ever feel yourself more relaxed by doing so? It is because it releases a feel-good endorphins in you and reduces your heart rate.

Ever felt overwhelmed or completely stressed out and in need of a good distraction? Well having your own pet is great for relaxation and distraction. They keep you in the present by engaging with your pet, you may end up forgetting about all your troubles. Your mind is in the moment instead of worrying about the past or future. In doing so you can keep distracted by also taking photos and videos of cute moments with your pet.

Another great reason why you should be spending more time with your pet or maybe even someone else's pet is because they lessen loneliness. You might feel lonely even when you are surrounded by other people. But a great way to lessen your loneliness is being surrounded by a pet as they can be a great companion. Pets are very loyal and intuitive, they will always know when you are feeling down and refuse to be alone. They provide so much love through the good and bad times.

If you want to see many more other reasons, then check out the first two links below for more.

References:

• https://www.rodalewellness.com/health/stress-relief-and-animals
• https://www.huffingtonpost.com/danielle-hark/pet-ownership-health_b_3187960.html
• https://www.causes.com/posts/917098 
• https://www.sa.sc.edu/shs/cw/heartbeat-3/
  

Measuring Wellbeing

Personal Wellbeing Measurement 

By: Niyati Roy

Measuring wellbeing in the population is difficult since health is so subjective and different individuals stress different aspects of personal wellbeing. Hence a national approach is to measure how many individuals are affected by a certain factor. For example one can keep track on: 

• The number of individuals with cancer
• The number of individuals who exercise on a daily basis
• Smoking or drinking levels 

Keeping track of the above factors allows government to discern morbidity levels and develop policies that promote personal wellbeing. However, wellbeing is a holistic concept that cannot be simply measured by graphs, charts and statistics. Ultimately, the individual should be measuring their own subjective wellbeing and ensuring that their everyday actions promote a fulfilling and enjoyable life. Individuals can track their own wellbeing through:

• Using mental health trackers 
• Tracking physical health through weight gain/loss changes 
• Regular medical tests 
• Organising get-togethers to maintain social health 
• Engaging in music therapy, art therapy or meditation to regulate mood 

References:

https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/wellbeing#lp-h-4 

Image 1: http://fiveminutemarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/measurement.jpg

Emotional Health

Emotional Health

Written by: Pavithra Srinivasan

Emotional health is also a major aspect of mental health and personal well-being. It is all our attitude towards life which defines it.

Think positively: The most powerful product on earth is the human brain. It has great powers to change your life. That is the reason to maintain a positive and optimistic attitude towards life. It is a mind-blowing fact to note that our minds have immense power over everything in our lives. A small positive vibration on a particular circumstance can convert an obstacle into a opportunity. Not only will you have more interest towards life. Your immune system can resist and fight cold and a heart disease all because of the power of our mind.

You must be satisfied with your life: It does not mean that you need to be content in our life. It all means that you must satisfy yourself. For instance, if you are on a diet, you can consume a small chunk of food on what you are craving. You can do all the small things that makes you happy, unless and until it does not affect other living beings.

Your happiness is very previous and vital. So is your health. If you are not completely healthy then you cannot be happy to the fullest.  When our mind and our body is in perfect top shape, we can attack anything else. If any factors like work, family or friends are putting you down or de-motivating you. You can make a choice to choose whole wheat bagel which can build a long-term foundation on your health. When your life gets tougher, you can take up new and greater challenges only with a healthy body, mind and a good conscious.

Be like a child: A child is always busy with something or the other. The child has no time to worry about the future nor the past. The kid tries to learn and becomes happy with every small that he or she does.  This can enhance your productivity and not only help you to manage your time effectively. But it can help you to come out of all your worries and distress. A productive and a busy person will never have time to worry about the future or the past. Rethinking is the major cause of happiness and you can prevent it if you keep yourself busy with little chores that give you immense pleasure.

References

 wikiHow. (2017). How to Be Healthy. [online] Available at: https://www.wikihow.com/Be-Healthy [Accessed 17 Oct. 2017].

Retrieved 17 October 2017, from http://psychoprofessional.org

Music Therapy

Music Therapy

Written By: Elaine Lopez

Music is defined as "an art of sound in time that expresses ideas and emotions in a significant forms through the elements of rhythm, melody, harmony and colour." Through music, we can express a variety of different emotion from fear with the harsh minor melody to a happy emotion with the upbeat and fast melody created by composers. Much life any ordinary language, music is a way of communicating through the real communication happens between yourself and your inner self in music. Music has the power to influence feelings, create atmospheres and change moods within seconds. Music has existed throughout history as it impacts and influences lives all around the world.

 

But what is music therapy? There are only so many interpretations of this concept. Although, in this case music therapy is "a researched based practice and profession in which music is used to actively support people as they strive to improve their health, function and wellbeing."

Music Therapy Within a Clinical Setting

Music therapy within a clinical setting is the prescribed use of music in order to restore, maintain and improve a person's wellbeing. Research has shown that music can affect the human body in so many ways such as the heartbeat, brain waves, respiratory system, blood pressure, induce feelings of safety, strength the memory and aid learning.

Music Therapy in Australia

Music therapy is offered in so many public and private settings around Australia including some of the major hospitals, aged care home, day centres, autism centres, early childhood centres and many more. If you want a more private setting then you can use the search bar on the right of this page to find them. 

References:

• http://theinstituteofwellbeing.com/what-we-do/personal-wellbeing/music-therapy/
• http://www.dictionary.com/browse/music
• https://www.austmta.org.au/content/what-music-therapy 
• https://www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music/track/happy-rock
• https://www.theodysseyonline.com/spotify-moods

Social Wellbeing

Improving Social Wellbeing

By: Niyati Roy 

As we have established personal wellbeing encompasses many dimensions. One of these dimensions is social wellbeing and ensuring that you have a reliable and open support system. In addition, engaging with your support systems can assist in improving your social wellbeing and provide a source of fulfillment. Following are some tips everyone can follow to improve their social wellbeing.

1. Connecting with people around us

Having a minimum of 3 people with whom we're close to can protect us or provide us support for a psychological disorder.  It is essential to establish that having people around you who matter is even more important than simply having sheer numbers of close connections.  The best social relationships in terms of well-being contain people who are supportive and encouraging, and contribute to your own sense of meaning in life. 

2. Being active in our support networks

Although technology provides easy methods to keep in touch with our support networks it is essential to allow face to face contact. Face to face communication stimulates the brain and provides a greater sense of fulfillment. It also allows acknowledgement of presence and a richer way of interaction. 

 

3. Contribute to your social networks. 

Going beyond your own personal desires or self-interests is one of the best ways to enhance your feelings of well-being.  One's overall well-being is more enhanced when you do something for someone else. It establishes you as an altruistic individual who is willing to provide help to others. This will encourage reciprocal behaviour in your social network and assist you in seeking help when needed. 

References:

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/fulfillment-any-age/201312/five-proven-keys-improve-your-well-being 

Image 1:

http://www.girlschase.com/images/social-group-1.jpg

Image 2: 

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5176fdb5e4b083b631f31303/t/52a6229be4b0479b4e1db4cd/1386619551583/gift-gif2-2.gif

Personal Wellbeing for Students

Student Wellbeing

By: Niyati Roy 

Student health and wellbeing is essential to the learning process. If a student is unable to maintain their physical, mental and social wellbeing their ability to make the most of their education may be compromised. Hence, universities and schools must support the student's social, emotional, spiritual and physical levels of wellbeing through health-orientated support systems and awareness interventions. 

Macquarie University offers a range of wellbeing services to assist students during their studies. These include counselling services, welfare services, disability services and advocacy services. Campus Wellbeing also provides short online programs like UniFIT and WellbeingWISE to assist students in university adjustment. 

UniFIT is a 10 session program that runs over 5 weeks. UniFIT combines exercise skills and education for psychological wellbeing. It involves educating students over essential aspects such as time management, sleep, healthy habits and mental health tracking to assist them in personal wellbeing maintenance. WellbeingWISE also offers such support on an online platform. It also allows students to remain in contact with a professional psychologist to discuss their progress throughout the program. 

References: https://students.mq.edu.au/support/wellbeing/counselling-services 

Reflection and Wellbeing

The importance of Reflection

Written By: Niyati Roy

Rest and reflection are important for the maintenance of wellbeing. Studies showcase that resting our brains or daydreaming leads to improvements in self-awareness, learning and memory. By reflecting we can make meaning of our learning in new contexts and be more aware of our daily activities. 

Reflection can be carried out through multiple methods. Some of these methods include setting half an hour aside to write down something in a reflection diary or creating a mental health mood tracker. Weekly mental health reflection and tracking can involve writing down your moods and self-care activities to allow you to track your mental health. An example of a mental health tracker is given below:

Other ways of reflection include:

• Using sentence stems to prompt you to write down thoughts 
• Mindfulness meditation 
• Listening to music or any other multimedia and writing down your thoughts
• Verbalizing your thoughts  

References:

• https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/03/reflection-well-being-rest-development-brain-memory-_n_1647299.html 
• https://www.buzzfeed.com/annaborges/mental-health-trackers (also used for image)

Factors That Influence Wellbeing

Factors That Influence Wellbeing

Written By: Elaine Lopez

There are so many factions that influence a person's wellbeing. In one's life, every aspect that belongs in it influences their state of wellbeing. According to the Better Health Victoria website, researchers have been investigating happiness and found that the following factors enhance an individual's wellbeing:

• Happy intimate relationship with a partner
• Network of close friends
• Enjoyable and fulfilling career
• Enough money
• Regular exercise
• Nutritional diet
• Sufficient sleep
• Spiritual or religious beliefs
• Fun hobbies and leisure pursuits
• Healthy self-esteem
• Optimistic outlook
• Realistic and achievable goals
• Sense of purpose and meaning
• A sense of belonging
• The ability to adapt to change
• Living in a fair and democratic society

Of course these are only a few of the factors that may influence your personal wellbeing and there are plenty more. These factors also are interrelated to one another and provides more than just one reward in your life. In addition, some factors may also makeup for the lack of others.

References:

• https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/wellbeing#lp-h-0
• http://boatsagainstthecurrent.net/30-fun-hobbies-try/
  

Methods of maintaining a good mental health

Methods of maintaining a good mental health

Written By: Pavithra Srinivasan

Mental health is a level of psychological well-being, or an absence of mental illness. It is the "psychological state of someone who is functioning at a satisfactory level of emotional and behavioral adjustment".From the perspective of positive psychology or holism, mental health may include an individual's ability to enjoy life, and create a balance between life activities and efforts to achieve psychological resilience.

Activity therapies

Activity therapies, also called recreation therapy and occupational therapy, promote healing through active engagement. Making crafts can be a part of occupational therapy. Walks can be a part of recreation therapy.

Biofeedback

Biofeedback is a process of gaining control of physical processes and brainwaves. It can be used to decrease anxiety, increase well-being, increase relaxation, and other methods of mind-over-body control.

Expressive therapies[

Expressive therapies are a form of psychotherapy that involves the arts or art-making. These therapies include music therapy, art therapy, dance therapy, drama therapy, and poetry therapy.

Group therapy

Group therapy involves any type of therapy that takes place in a setting involving multiple people. It can include psycho dynamic groups, activity groups for expressive therapy, support groups (including the Twelve-step program), problem-solving and psycho education groups.

Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy is the general term for scientific based treatment of mental health issues based on modern medicine. It includes a number of schools, such as gestalt therapy, psychoanalysis, cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectical behavioral therapy.

Meditation

The practice of mindfulness meditation has several mental health benefits, such as bringing about reductions in depression, anxiety and stress.^{[49][50][51][52]} Mindfulness meditation may also be effective in treating substance use disorders.^[53][54] Further, mindfulness meditation appears to bring about favorable structural changes in the brain.^[55][56][57]
  

Spiritual counseling

Spiritual counselors meet with people in need to offer comfort and support and to help them gain a better understanding of their issues and develop a problem-solving relation with spirituality. These types of counselors deliver care based on spiritual, psychological and theological principles.

References:

1. Chiesa A (Apr 2014). "Are mindfulness-based interventions effective for substance use disorders? A systematic review of the evidence". Subst Use Misuse. 49 (5): 492–512. PMID 23461667. doi:10.3109/10826084.2013.770027.
2. Garland EL (Jan 2014). "Mindfulness training targets neurocognitive mechanisms of addiction at the attention-appraisal-emotion interface". Front Psychiatry. 4 (173). doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2013.00173. 
3. Tang YY, Posner MI (Jan 2013). "Special issue on mindfulness neuroscience". Social Cognitive & Affective Neuroscience. 8 (1): 1–3. doi:10.1093/scan/nss104.
4. Posner MI, Tang YY, Lynch G (2014). "Mechanisms of white matter change induced by meditation training". Frontiers in Psychology. 5(1220): 297–302. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2014.01220.  
5. Holzel BK, Lazar SW, et al. (Nov 2011). "How does mindfulness meditation work? Proposing mechanisms of action from a conceptual and neural perspective". Perspectives on Psychological Science. 6 (6): 537–559. PMID 26168376. doi:10.1177/1745691611419671