Mental Health Archives - Page 3 of 4

Distraction Techniques – How They Help And How To Use Them

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A person holding a pencil on a coloring book with the words, How to use distraction techniques for mental health

Distraction techniques are an incredibly valuable tool in our mental health wellness kit, to help us to deal with overwhelming emotions and situations. For example, anxiety can feel impossible to sit with. Urges to harm ourselves can feel overwhelming. A low mood can mean our head is full of negative thoughts. Heightened emotions can feel so distressing that it becomes tempting to self-medicate with drugs or alcohol. I have had to manage all of these challenges in my own mental health journey and I understand how exhausting and difficult it can be. However, I have found that by learning to use distraction techniques, I have been able to find healthy ways to manage the most overwhelming of feelings.

Self-Harm – An Older Males Perspective

By Finlay Games

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In Mental Health

There is a great deal of stigma and misinformation around the topic of self-harm. Commonly, self-harm is associated with young female teens and often seen as a trend or as a way to get attention. Nobody hurts themselves without reason. That person with the cuts along their forearm? They are in enormous amounts of pain, and I do not mean from the wounds. I know this because I have been personally affected by self-harm. I want to share my story, to highlight that this is an issue that can affect anyone, of any gender, at any time.

Emotional Numbness | Why I Stopped Sertraline

By Finlay Games

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In Mental Health

Man with his head in hs hands. Test reads sertraline and emotional blunting

I made the decision recently, to stop taking my Sertraline antidepressant. In hindsight, I could have approached this in a much less aggressive manner, but I stand by my decision to stop. Sertraline was causing me to have emotional numbness. I was unable to cry, which I was finding incredibly frustrating.

Stress Management – Using Organisation Tools

By Finlay Games

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In Mental Health

Person sat at a table which is covered in paper and diaries. Text reads how to reduce stress using organisation tools

Stress is an unavoidable part of life however too much stress can negatively effect our mental health. Therefore, if you have mental health challenges, as I do, stress can quickly make things much worse. It is important then, to make sure that you use stress management techniques to lessen its impact.

How To Restart Your Day In 4 Simple Steps

By Finlay Games

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In Mental Health

A chalk outline of a hopscotch game on tarmark. Text reads 4 steps to restart a bad day

We have all had those days, haven’t we? Where on waking up with good intentions, something then upsets us or makes things difficult, and our mood and motivation plummets. When this happens, we can feel tempted to throw in the towel and resign ourselves to a bad day. However, you don’t need to write the day off, you can simply choose to restart a bad day. In this blog, I will share the four simple steps, to restart a bad say, at any time, and as many times as you need.

Success is Relative & Your Best is Always Good Enough

By Finlay Games

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In Mental Health

Success is relative. Picture of pink blanket, a laptop a cup with pencils inside it and a chalk board with the phrase, you've got this.

I planned to go to the gym today. I joined last week, in the hope it may do me some good. However, I only got as far as getting up, showering and dressing. Once dressed, I felt defeated by the enormity of the rest of the steps needed to complete a gym session and could go no further. To combat the feelings of failure, I need to remind myself, especially under the current circumstances, that success is relative.

The Pain of Grief | Resisting the Self-Destruct Button

By Finlay Games

On

In Mental Health

The Pain of grief resisting the urge to press the self-destruct button. Image is a keyboard with the escape button coloured red

It’s been three weeks since Mum passed away. The day Mum left feels simultaneously like a lifetime away and only yesterday. Time is behaving strangely. Days of the week have no meaning. Time, space, days, they are all the same. The pain of grief is all consuming and relentless.

Gratitude Challenge | 45 Things I am Grateful For

By Finlay Games

On

In Mental Health

Gratitude challenge. 45 things I am grateful for. Picture is a collage of me and my friends, family and boyfriend

Feeling grateful does not come easily when we are in emotional pain. When we are really low, it is so difficult to remember a time when life was good or to remember that this will pass. However, in my recovery journey, l have learned the power of perspective. If you focus on the negative, in turn, negative feelings will be the most prevalent. Conversely, by switching our focus to positive things, we start to notice more of them and our mood lifts, making us feel better. This is why writing a gratitude list is such a powerful tool in recovery.

Mum – Finding it Hard to Say She’s Gone

By Finlay Games

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In Mental Health

Mum and her sons sharing a kiss and a smile

Mum has gone. I can’t say that D-word. I don’t want to acknowlwdge it’s happened. I’m not sure what to say, but I need to say something. I need to talk, I need to vent, but I keep finding my mouth empty of words. Devoid of any sensible words at least. Forgive me then if what follows is not pretty or organised in any logical sense.

How to Create a Positive Environment for Mental Wellbeing

By Finlay Games

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In Mental Health

Keeping a positive mindset is not an easy thing to do. In our interaction with the world and with people, we hear upsetting news, people and places frustrate us, and we can easily start to spiral into negativity. Whilst it is impossible to avoid negativity completely, we can do a few simple things to help counterbalance it. The best way to guard against negativity is by creating a positive environment. In this blog, I will share my tips on how to make your living space, social space, and online space, ones that nurture positivity.

Dementia- The Ghost Of Christmas Present

By Finlay Games

On

In Mental Health

Dementia the ghost of Christmas present.

Christmas can be a tough time of year for many people. There is so much unspoken pressure to be full of, ‘The joy of the Holiday Season’ but often that is the last thing people feel. People struggle at Christmas for many reasons, for being estranged from families, grieving lost loved ones or, as in my case, struggling to come to terms with a mum who has dementia.

Playtime For Adults | 5 Reasons Why I’m A Big Kid

By Finlay Games

On

In Mental Health

Playtime is for adults too. 5 reasons why I'm a big kid. Playtime is never over when you are a transman in recovery

Playtime does not have to be over just because childhood has ended. As a transgender man and a recovering addict and alcoholic, my playtime has only just begun! I am well aware that l can be ridiculous at times. I get easily excited when visiting new places and seeing new things. The slightest thing, a newborn lamb, a soaring seagull, a beautiful flower, any of these can cause me to bounce around with excitement like Tigger.

"Its Never Too Late To Be Who You Might Have Been"

Category: Mental Health Page 3 of 4

Distraction Techniques – How They Help And How To Use Them

Self-Harm – An Older Males Perspective

Emotional Numbness | Why I Stopped Sertraline

Stress Management – Using Organisation Tools

How To Restart Your Day In 4 Simple Steps

Success is Relative & Your Best is Always Good Enough

The Pain of Grief | Resisting the Self-Destruct Button

Gratitude Challenge | 45 Things I am Grateful For

Mum – Finding it Hard to Say She’s Gone

How to Create a Positive Environment for Mental Wellbeing

Dementia- The Ghost Of Christmas Present

Playtime For Adults | 5 Reasons Why I’m A Big Kid