Mental Health

It’s undeniable that life can sometimes throw us curveballs that make keeping our mental and emotional balance quite challenging. I’ve found that one can oscillate between feeling completely okay and grappling with anxiety within the space of a single day. It’s important to remember that it’s perfectly normal and okay to have these swings, but also to be mindful of maintaining a necessary balance. Recently, I discovered that incorporating mindful activities into my routine has been a real aid. Perhaps simple things, like a walk in the park or meditating for a few minutes every day. Maybe a new hobby or something creative like painting, reading, or writing. The key is…

Anxiety, for many people, is an all too familiar part of life. It can sneak up on us in the most unexpected moments, and often times, it may feel like there’s no escaping it. From the constant worry, overthinking and all-consuming fear to the physical manifestations like an elevated heart rate, sweaty palms or restlessness, it can be a truly overwhelming experience. I’m sure many of you, like me, have had or are still having battles with anxiety on a day-to-day basis. But it’s during these tough moments that it’s most important to remember - we’re not alone. By sharing our experiences, strategies and advice, we can help each other to navigate these rough waters more s…

We all face difficult times, don’t we? It’s a part and parcel of life and there’s no escaping it. But do you think we talk enough about how these moments affect our mental and emotional health? Personally, I’ve found that sharing feelings and experiences always leads to comfort, if not solutions. Sometimes, coping mechanisms, while they work for some folks, don’t always help us. So, how do we locate our unique route to tranquility amidst turmoil? Have you found something that works for you? How did you stumble upon it and how does it help? Moreover, do you believe in practising gratitude? Because I’ve noticed it eases the mind, making the task of facing difficult…

Life, in its unpredictable complexity, can sometimes feel overwhelmingly stressful. Yet, stress is such a tricky concept to deal with, isn’t it? When managed well, it can drive us to overcome challenges. When it gets out of control, however, it begins to hamper our ability to thrive emotionally and mentally. Are there any specific ways you’ve found useful in managing stress? How have these impacted your overall mental health? I’ve personally found deep breathing exercises to be quite effective in relieving immediate stress. Yet, I also recognise there are countless other methods - meditation, mindfulness, physical exercise, to name a few. And then there’s the supp…

Feeling like there’s a void within you that you cannot fill, or that you’re walking around with a heavyweight that is invisible to everyone else can be difficult and extremely draining. It’s important to remember that you’re not alone in these feelings. So many out there are dealing with their own battles and have to put up a brave face, sometimes without anyone to confide in or even without the understanding that they need help. Are any of you familiar with this sense of loneliness or isolation? Mental and emotional health are extremely significant aspects of our overall wellbeing. It’s just as important to take care of, possibly even more so, than physical health. I…

Do you ever get those days where it feels like an uphill struggle? Maybe it’s a foggy brain, a heavy heart, or a mix of both. It’s never easy to openly talk about our emotional and mental health, is it? But it’s crucial, more than ever, to normalize these discussions, to liberate us from the shackles of stigma and misunderstanding. We all experience different scales of anxiety, depression, panic attacks, or even just constant low mood. These conditions are real and common, yet many of us suffer in silence, cloaked behind a facade of “I’m fine.” Is there any specific mental health topic you wish people would discuss more? Think about your own coping mechanisms. We …

When juggling work, home life, relationships, and self-care, finding balance can be challenging, can’t it? The scales may seem to be heavily tipped towards stress, anxiety, or depression causing unprecedented toll on our mental and emotional health. I’ve certainly found myself wrestling with this situation. For me, the act of sharing my struggles helped immensely. Sometimes, it takes hitting that ‘share’ button or opening up to someone you trust to realize that we don’t always have to carry the burden alone. I’m curious about your own experience. When was the last time you shared your struggles and felt a sense of relief? One thing I’ve learnt in my journey is th…

feelin kinda peeved and needed to vent, i hope thats alright here. rudeness warning, incoming rant lol. just so sick and tired of being the human equivalent of a doormat. seems like the more i put myself out there, the more i get ignored. anyone else have this issue? feels like people just see right over my head sometimes. they smile at you, say the right things, but it doesnt feel like theyre actually acknowledging you, much less seeing you. it happened again just earlier today, hanging out with some friends. they wanted to plan a weekend getaway. asked everyone for thoughts, feedback, ideas. so, i suggested this cool little cabin in the woods i’d seen online. h…

There’s this saying I’ve always found meaningful, “we’re all just walking each other home”. Each one of us, on our individual paths, wrestling with our own struggles - but in the end, we’re all heading in the same direction. It’s a gentle reminder that we are not alone and an invitation to lean on one another when life gets a little turbulent. Now, life may not have given us all lemons recently (and let’s face it, the whole lemonade metaphor loses its appeal after the 100th craving for a mojito), but who of us didn’t weather a storm or two? In these moments, emotional support can be a real game-changer. Sometimes all we need is for someone to listen, without judgment …

Over the last few weeks, I’ve been feeling this intense wave of emotions. I’m not sure if it’s because of the ongoing pandemic, the daily news headlines, or just the sheer stress of trying to stay afloat during these uncertain times. Some days, I can hardly get out of bed. My energy levels are way down while my anxiety seems to be constantly peaking. You know that sinking feeling in your stomach, like you’ve gone down a really steep rollercoaster, that’s how I feel most of the time. It’s like I’m on a never-ending emotional rollercoaster, and it’s starting to become exhausting. I’ve spoken to a few close friends about it, but I don’t want to bare everything and ad…

Don’t know about you guys, but I’m really struggling with these feelings of loneliness. Even after all the lockdowns and isolations (it’s been over a year now since the first one right?), it’s like I’m still not quite able to shake off the feeling of being on my own. There’s always this undercurrent of loneliness, you know? Like even when I’m hanging with friends or family and laughing, it’s still there. I mean yeah, laughing helps in the moment but it’s got me wondering if it’s just a temporary relief or if I’m just pretending, you know? Sometimes I wonder if it’s just me or are there others feeling the same? How are you folks dealing with this? I mean, are ther…

We’re all on this human journey together, right? Even though our paths may look different, we’ve all experienced the twists, turns, peaks, and valleys. I thought I’d share a few tips and insights I’ve picked up along the way for dealing with tough emotional times. Would love to hear your thoughts and experiences as well. Acknowledging your feelings is the first step: big, small, pleasant, unpleasant, they’re all valid and important. It’s okay not to be okay sometimes, and allowing yourself to feel what you’re feeling can be surprisingly freeing. Remember that one time you stubbed your toe and tried to act like it didn’t hurt? How’d that turn out? It’s okay to acknowle…

Life is a rollercoaster, isn’t it? One moment you’re enjoying the amazing view at the top, laughing uncontrollably and the next moment you’re plummeting down straight into the unknown. Living in a world full of distressing situations, uncontrollable circumstances and painful experiences make that plummet feel like forever. Be it the persisting pandemic, the constant din of politics or our own personal miseries, turmoil is bound to seep in our lives and it’s okay to feel dishevelled. Let’s try and remember, it’s fine to have bad days. Moreover, bit by bit one walks far, right? So let’s try and unwrap this, bit by bit together. I remember reading this somewhere, sad…

A lot of folks on here struggle as they wade through the murkiness that’s life and hey, we all do at times, don’t we? To be honest, life’s like a roller coaster, there’s down and up, not to mention the twist and turns. Think of college, job stress, relationships, life changes - and that’s not even counting these new challenges we’ve all been facing with the COVID-19 pandemic taking center stage. Sometimes, you might feel like no one’s got your back, and we can all nod to feeling lonely or isolated sometimes, especially in an era of social distancing. Anyway, I thought it might be useful to share some things I’ve learnt about offering emotional support on this forum. D…

You know, some days it just feels like I’m running on empty. Like every tiny thing is a major hurdle and I just can’t muster the energy to face it all. I have supportive friends and family but sometimes taking on their emotions feels like adding to the weight I’m already carrying. Does anyone else get this? How do you handle the emotional load when you’re already feeling overwhelmed? Any techniques or rituals? I usually enjoy going for a run or doing a session of yoga. Even just a quiet cup of coffee in the morning can be enough to reset my mood. But lately, I’ve been feeling so drained that even these small things feel like too much. I just want to cover myself with…

Hey everyone, I’m not usually one to reach out on forums but recent events have left me feeling a bit lost and I figured someone here might have some insight. Been going through a rough patch lately, a lot of personal stuff piling up - job drama, family health scares - you name it, it seems like I’ve got it right now. And what’s been hitting me really hard is how certain situations or even the smallest of triggers just send my emotions spiralling out of control. There was this one incident last week that felt like the proverbial straw on the camel’s back. I was doing the dishes and I broke a plate. Silly, I know. But that plate was a wedding gift, and breaking it fe…

Lately, I’ve been struggling a lot with loneliness. Working from home due to pandemic and all, not getting to see friends as we used to, just not interacting with people on a daily basis really is getting to me. I miss my friends, miss those random little moments. Things like sharing a laugh in the break room, occasional movie nights, and even those silly little arguments. Don’t get me wrong, video calls help. We do catch up often, chat and laugh. But it’s just not the same. There’s some sort of a physical disconnect. It feels kinda shallow to me. I’ve always identified as an ambivert – not too sociable, not too introverted either. Quite content with my little gro…

It’s been a long, tough year for many of us, hasn’t it? The pandemic just doesn’t seem to let up, and the never-ending cycle of lockdowns, social distancing, and endless Zoom calls can leave us feeling drained. Turns out, we’re all in need of a little (or a lot) of emotional support these days. And that brought up an interesting conversation between a few of us in the forum the other day. Let’s talk about how can we best offer emotional support. Remember, it’s okay to not be okay. There’s nothing wrong with waning strength or crumbling resilience. When you’re feeling down & out, seek support - reach out to friends, family, or support workers. Connect with people w…

Hey everyone, I’ve been dealing with a pretty annoying issue lately and I’m at my wit’s end trying to figure out how to resolve it. My home WiFi has been super slow over the past few weeks. I’ve tried restarting the router, even moved it somewhere central at home, but despite everything, the speed just doesn’t seem to improve. I’ve got a couple of devices connected - my laptop, phone, and also a tablet which I barely use now. I had my internet service provider check on their end, and they insist everything’s okay. My current plan should easily accommodate all my devices without any issues. So now I’m thinking, could it be some device is taking up all the bandwidt…

Some days, it’s like a dark cloud has just set up camp over my head. You know? Like it’s hanging out there, blocking out the sun. Not budging or going anywhere. The thing is, I know I’m not alone in feeling like this. A lot of us here are dealing with these murky moments, eh? Just last year alone, I can’t even count how many people reached out on similar threads and posts about struggling with their emotional well-being. It got me thinking, how do you folks build up your emotional support system? Are there specific strategies you use, certain friends or family you lean on? Do you have some kind of mental health first aid kit you pull out in those moments? I’ve tried a…

you ever had that moment when you just had to sit back and be like, damn, the human species is complex? i had one of those just recently, and it’s all because of gender and sexuality. our understanding of these two things has grown exponentially in the last few years, and it’s more fluid than we might’ve previously thought. i’m sure a lot of us grew up with the binary concept of gender - you’re either male or female based on your physical attributes. heck, even schools taught us this way. but now, we got folks identifying themselves as non-binary, genderqueer, and so many other terms that it’s kinda hard to keep up. on the flip side, sexuality isn’t just about being s…

Seriously though, anyone else out there feeling like loneliness is actually tougher now that we’re so “connected”? I mean, social media, right? We’re all supposed to be part of a big global community, connected every second of every day. But is it just me, or does it feel we’re all just sitting alone behind screens, scrolling through highlight reels of each other’s lives? I see pictures of my friends, or even people I barely know, having fun, travelling, living their lives and…Well, I’m just here. It’s late at night and I really needed to put this out there. I can’t talk about this on my own page, surely that’ll just be like fishing for sympathy or attention, right? …

so, I’ve been scrolling my social media feeds and watching the news lately and it’s driving me crazy with all this negative feed. The global pandemic, climate change, you name it, it’s just terrifying to me. My anxiety’s been through the roof and it’s just all too much sometimes, you know? Is anyone else experiencing this emotional overload? What’s helping you cope with it? I’ve tried to limit my exposure to news and social media but sometimes I slip up, and get sucked into the vortex again. The bombardment of these worrying views and scary situations really saps my emotional energy. Sometimes, I have this huge guilt hovering over me when I see the world hurting …

Just was thinking the other day how amazing the progression of language and acceptance is in our society regarding genders and sexuality. Not too long ago, we only had ‘male’ and ‘female’ to label ourselves with. But now there’s an array of labels out there which allows us to really understand and embrace our unique identities. Non-binary, pansexual, asexual, trans… just to name a few. I remember when I first heard the term ‘non-binary.’ It was from this Instagram influencer I loosely followed. At first, it felt strange and confusing. And I’m not proud, but I was even a bit dismissive about it. Because I just couldn’t grasp the concept of someone not being ‘one or th…

Hmm, so I’ve noticed something weird recently with my Bluetooth headphones. They keep disconnecting at random times, and only from my laptop. They stay connected fine with my phone, from what I can tell. The dropout happens when I’m right next to the laptop and there’s not anything in the way to interfere with the connection. This started out as a minor inconvenience that I could deal with, but now it’s become seriously annoying. I’ve already tried everything I could think of, including updating the Bluetooth drivers and resetting the headphones to factory settings. Didn’t work. On the other hand, my other Bluetooth devices like mouse and keyboard are working fl…