Lockdown Blog: Breathe

A blog piece by RYV’s Nafeesa.

 

The darkness has fulfilled my surroundings, the only voice I hear are my thoughts. I feel like I am stuck in this hole of depression and anxiety, where there is no one to pull me out.  

In our society, it is easy to forget that we are human. We were made with imperfections; making us unique. With our uniqueness, we all face or may suffer from mental health issues, some of them small or big or others that seem humongous. But, the question arises too – how many people got the help they needed? Did you? 

With the image of perfection in our society; we forget mental health issues such as depression, eating disorders alongside a number of others is the norm. It is part of life, which sometimes we cannot stop from happening. Just as we sometimes become physically unwell, equally so, we can become mentally unwell. However, when we feel alone and isolated we should not be embarrassed or ashamed to ask for help. We should not let the weight become heavy on our shoulders, pushing us deeper into our thoughts – we should look for and seek out support. 

The first step in beating and standing up to your mental health is to recognise it. This may be by understanding you are depressed and or perhaps feel isolated. This is the hardest step, since, we often do not ask our self this question. Do I feel happy? Do I feel alone, despite my family being all around me?  When you recognise you have depression, anxiety or other mental health issues, you are on the right path, so congratulate yourself, pat yourself on the back since you have done the most difficult part through recognising how you are feeling. Now for the next step, what are you going to do to remedy the situation? 

Solve it. To beat it. To not let it in. To not let it disturb your life again. There is so much support out there for mental health, but you have to be the one who asks for it. People do not know what you are going through until you tell them. For those young and old mental health is the norm, so don’t be afraid to seek support. 

If you are on your own journey to find support for your mental health, speak to someone you trust, your family, friend or guardian. Thus, you do not need to do this alone, they can be there by your side step by step.  Just telling someone about this can help you feel more relaxed. Professional support can be found on the NHS website where a number of organisations’ websites and phone numbers are made available. 

Remember mental health can be you feeling down or depressed in the four corners of your house, due to the Covid 19 pandemic. There are a number of apps which are free to help you with your mental health. Such as Daylio, Headspace, Mindshift, Stay Alive and Respect Me. So, why not download them and find the right one for you. Even if you are not suffering from any mental health issues the Headspace App helps you relax due to a number of mindfulness exercises available on the app. 

Ultimately, remember to breath, inhale and exhale. Inhale and exhale. Just focus on your breathing. It is a simple step but a step closer to you helping your own mental health. To pull you out of the dark hole of depression and anxiety. 

RYV have pulled together their top 5 wellbeing apps – check them out here.

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