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Whether you are struggling with depression, anxiety, grief & loss, or any other mental health issue for that matter, or even if you are not - everyone can do these five things that help tremendously with maintaining mental health and well-being.

1.  Reduce unnecessary stress and 'stressing.' Take a good look at your life and identify stressors. Then determine what YOU can do about them. Which stressors can you eliminate? What can you change about certain situations? Don't forget to check for stressors on your schedule, in your house (clutter?) and yes, in your mind - what are you 'stressing' about? Find ways to reduce the 'stressing.' One of my favs to dealing with stress (yes, I am a human being lol) is a mindful activity - to get outside and 'connect' with nature - being fully present with all senses and taking it all in. Other examples of how to deal with stress are journaling, napping (another one of my favorites) or talking to a friend. If you have a hard time stopping the stressing, talking with a counselor may be a good idea. Too much stress is not good for us; it can make us physically and mentally ill. 

2.  Get enough Zzz's. Your brain and your body NEED sleep. Especially if you are not feeling well, or are dealing with any type of illness. It is during sleeping, that your brain and your whole body work on things like making repairs, restoring energy, sorting out and strengthening information learned throughout the day (that's why it's especially important for students to get enough sleep). I prefer to get at least eight, if not nine or so hours each day. Listen to your body as to how many hours feel right for you. If you are struggling with not being able to sleep or if you are not feeling refreshed after nine or so hours of sleep, there may be underlying reasons that need to be addressed and it's time to talk with a counselor and a doctor.

3.  Exercise. I can't say enough about that. Exercise has been shown to be Uber-beneficial to people's health, including mental health. As you exercise, 'feel-good' hormones are released, called endorphins, that do exactly that - they help you feel good. The more you exercise on a regular basis, the more of a benefit this will be to you. Find things you ENJOY, because you are more likely to keep doing them. Do a variety of activities to avoid getting bored. Find ways to reduce activities in the day that involve being inactive and ways to increase activity, such as getting off the bus a bus-stop earlier to walk home or taking the bike to work. Please do check with your doc, depending on your particular health situation, before starting any exercise program.

4.  Speaking of checking in with your ‍doctor ‍⚕️; regular check-ups and getting recommended tests done is also very important in maintaining overall health. When you feel something is off in terms of your mental health, getting a check-up is especially important. There are numerous 'medical' conditions that could be underlying or connected to mental health issues. If the doc talks with you about meds, try to have an open mind about it and at least listen to what is offered. Speak your mind about the issue, if you have worries or concerns about medications. If you do decide with your doc that meds are important for you to take, take them as prescribed and communicate with your doc and your counselor about how this is going for you or if you are experiencing side effects. Keeping a journal just for this is a good idea, so you have an objective and written record you can take with you to your appointments, and you don't forget in that few minutes that you are actually seeing the doctor about things you may have wanted to mention. Typically you only see a doctor about once a month or so, therefore it could be easy to forget about things that seemed to be important information at the time.

5.  It's all about balance. Look at any areas in which you feel your life may be out of balance. Some examples are balanced eating, work-life balance and balance between time spend by yourself and time spend with others or doing things for others. Try to figure out how to re-balance these areas. Of course, sometimes we have to work a lot or we have to spend a lot of time doing things for others (for example if a family member is ill and we are the main care giver). The idea here is that, eventually, the pendulum needs to swing in the opposite direction, meaning, we NEED to find ways to re-balance from time to time. Being off balance for too long = too much stress (see number 1 above :) 

If you are struggling with any of these and would like to chat, please call (208) 321 5552 or schedule online at www.petracounseling.com.

~Let's Talk

~ Petra

An EAP - employee assistance program can be a great option to get some free counseling. Many employers offer it to their employees and some also extend it to their family members or persons they live with. There are many EAPs and their benefits vary. Here are some things to know about EAPs:
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• The counseling sessions are confidential. The employer typically has a sign posted about the availability of an EAP with a phone number that the employee can call 24 hours, so from the privacy of their home, to activate assistance.
• They tend to offer between six and 10 free sessions. 
• Some allow for you to get a new set of sessions for newly identified problems. Some don’t.
• The counselor has to be registered with the particular EAP. 

I am registered with some EAPs and in the progress of registering with others. If you would like to find out if I am connected to your EAP please call (208) 321 5552.

​~ Let's Talk!  ~ Petra

For more information about me please check out

www.petracounseling.com