Actions To Take If You're Struggling With Your Mental Health Bored Panda Bored Panda works better on our iPhone app Continue in app Continue in browser Like what you're reading? Subscribe to our top stories Please enter email address By submitting email you agree to get Bored Panda newsletter. We respect your privacy. We will not publish or share your email address in any way. Almost finished... To complete the subscription process, please click the link in the email we just sent you. Almost finished... To complete the subscription process, please click the link in the email we just sent you. Are you leaving already? Are you sure you want to post this? We're asking people to rethink comments that seem similar to others that have been reported or downvoted this warning is a mistake x x Let's fight boredom together! Continue with Facebook Continue with Google or Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Forgot your password? Creating an account means you agree with Bored Panda's Terms of Service 0, text: error()"> Become a member Sign Up Have an account? Login Forgot your password? Creating an account means you agree with Bored Panda's Terms of Service 0, text: error(), css: errorCssClass"> Password reminder Please provide your email address and we will send your password shortly. Send Have an account? Login Don't have an account? Sign Up Get our top 10 stories in your inbox: Finish 0, text: error(), css: errorCssClass"> Please enter your email to complete registration Finish 0, text: error(), css: errorCssClass"> Activate to continue Your account is not active. We have sent an email to the address you provided with an activation link. Check your inbox, and click on the link to activate your account. I have already activated my account Resend activation link We and our trusted partners use technology such as cookies on our site to personalize content and ads, provide social media features, and analyze our traffic. You can read more about it and change your preferences here. Agree Bored Panda iOS App Available on App Store Continue in App Bored Panda Android App Available on Google Play Continue in App By using our services you agree to our use of cookies to improve your visit. You can change your preferences here. Agree BoredPanda Login Add Post Search ArtPhotographyAnimalsFunnyTravelIllustrationComicsDIYGood NewsParentingChallengeAsk Pandas More Featured Trending Latest Newsletter The Bored Panda iOS app is live! Fight boredom with iPhones and iPads here. Bored Panda People Are Applauding This Twitter Thread That Lists Actions People Struggling With Their Mental Health Can Take To Feel Better Home Partnership Advertise Success stories Jobs About us Contact 264points Social Issues1 year ago

People Are Applauding This Twitter Thread That Lists Actions People Struggling With Their Mental Health Can Take To Feel Better

Rokas Laurinavičius and
Justinas Keturka
Life hits hard. And when it knocks you down, getting back up can be even harder. So writer Beth McColl made a list of "baby steps" that people who struggle with their mental health can take in order to get back on their feet. "Try to pick a few and do them, but if you can't, that's valid too," she tweeted sharing the tips. Even though the thread is a few years old, its content is timeless. With everything that's going on in the world, we need to find time for ourselves more than ever. According to Mental Health America, even before COVID-19, the prevalence of mental illness among adults was increasing. In 2017-2018, 19% of adults experienced a mental illness, an increase of 1.5 million people over last year's dataset. Throughout 2020, the number of people screening with moderate to severe symptoms of depression and anxiety continued to increase and remains higher than rates prior to COVID-19. So let's revisit McColl's thread. It's worth it even if it helps just one person. Image credits: imteddybless Image credits: imteddybless Image credits: imteddybless Image credits: imteddybless Image credits: imteddybless Image credits: imteddybless Image credits: imteddybless Image credits: imteddybless Image credits: imteddybless Image credits: imteddybless Dr. Tamar Chansky, who is a licensed psychologist and the Founder of the Children's and Adult Center for OCD and Anxiety in Plymouth Meeting, PA, told Bored Panda that people don't have it together one hundred percent of the time. Ups and downs are normal. "Anxiety that comes and goes is part of the human experience," Dr. Chansky said. "But when anxiety takes on a life of its own, in other words, it's not in response to a stressor, it's a default setting and feels uncontrollable, interferes with one's functioning or negatively impacts the subjective experience of life and well-being, then we consider the anxiety at a clinical level." The author of Freeing Your Child from Anxiety and Freeing Yourself from Anxiety has an article on her website, called Name that (Worry) Tune: How to Catch Worry Early, Before it Catches You. It's a comprehensive read that also tries to help people to regain control - just like McColl's thread. "The key to ending the torturous repetition of anxious thoughts comes from that classic television game show where you win by being able to recognize a tune from just the first few notes," Dr. Chansky writes. "Instead of dropping everything when you hear-'You screwed up!' or 'How do you know it's going to work out?' and launching yourself on a worry mission to identify and address every single negative outcome you can imagine, save yourself the trip. And the anguish. Everyone's worry sounds the same. Right? Mine, yours, your Uncle Joey's, the equivalent of Uncle Joey half-way across the globe. What does that tell us?" The psychologist explains that "if we can name that tune of Depression's Greatest Hits and Worry Classics, instead of thinking that these doubts and fears mean something specific about you, you can realize that they mean something universal about change or uncertainty." "It's a knee-jerk neurological reaction to not knowing. Nothing more, nothing less," Cr. Chansky adds. So when you hear the tell-tale, 'what if?' or, 'oh no!' give your anxiety a nod and acknowledge its presence. However, you then have to get back on track with what you were doing before you were so (rudely) interrupted. "Your best information comes from your thoughtful mind, not the jumpy part that's ready to give up or freak out at the blink of an eye." Fire up Dr. Chansky's piece to learn more strategies to quickly pinpoint and dismiss the sound of worry.

Here s what people said about the list after it went viral

Image credits: amisha_kaur25 Image credits: clampvulture Image credits: BradfordLee87 Image credits: Yuliy Image credits: Cup0fAmbition Image credits: uhhhwhat__ Image credits: ivanleegee Image credits: __Just_Josh Image credits: admiralalade3n Image credits: sandlord13 Image credits: GothamKnight967 Image credits: Cecinatrix Image credits: imteddybless Image credits: AlisonChrista Image credits: To_Thriving Anyone can write on Bored Panda. Start writing! Follow Bored Panda on Google News! Follow us on Flipboard.com/@boredpanda! Share on Facebook Rokas Laurinavičius Rokas Laurinavičius Writer, BoredPanda staff Rokas is a writer at Bored Panda with a BA in Communication. After working for a sculptor, he fell in love with visual storytelling and enjoys covering everything from TV shows (any Sopranos fans out there?) to photography. Throughout his years in Bored Panda, over 235 million people have read the posts he's written, which is probably more than he could count to. Read more » Justinas Keturka Justinas Keturka Author, BoredPanda staff Justin is a photo editor at Bored Panda. He was fascinated with visual arts and arts in general for as long as he can remember. He was obsessed with playing and making music in his teens. After finishing high school, he took a gap year to work odd jobs and try to figure out what he wanted to do next. Finally, around 2016, he started learning how to use Photoshop and hasn't stopped since. He started working as a visual advertisement producer in 2017 and worked there for almost two years. In his spare time, he creates graphic collages and even had his first artwork exhibition at "Devilstone". Read more » Show All Contributors Get the latest inspiring stories via our awesome iOS app! Download Bored Panda app! Popular on Bored Panda Woman Shows How "Harry Potter" Characters Were Supposed To Look According To Book Descriptions (35 Pics) 50 ‘Weird Facts’ About The World That Might Give You A Fresh Perspective Overworked Employee Quits Because He Wasn't Getting A Fair Wage, Costs The Company $40 Million 40 Embarrassing Moments People Didn't Know Who They Were Talking To And Made A Fool Of Themselves 30 Of The Most Hectic Homes As Shared On 'The Broke Agent' Instagram Account Bride Doesn't Include Wedding Dinner Price In Her Wedding Invites, Is Surprised To See Many Guests Canceling On Her After They Find Out Woman Shows How "Harry Potter" Characters Were Supposed To Look According To Book Descriptions (35 Pics) 50 ‘Weird Facts’ About The World That Might Give You A Fresh Perspective Overworked Employee Quits Because He Wasn't Getting A Fair Wage, Costs The Company $40 Million Join the conversation POST Calypso poet Calypso poet Community Member • points posts comments upvotes 1 year ago Easy to say it, doing it is another thing sometimes. 18 18points reply K1tt3n K1tt3n Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 1 year ago That's true, but even putting in the smallest amount of effort for any one thing on this list will give you a sense of purpose or at least make you feel good about accomplishing something, you know? I know how hard it is to even do the simplist task sometimes, but, you at least should try! I believe in you! 19 19points reply Load More Replies... jenjie.newt jenjie.newt Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 1 year ago It's amazing how much achieving JUST. ONE. THING. can make you feel so much better, especially if it's "humanizing" 9 9points reply DuchessDegu DuchessDegu Community Member • points posts comments upvotes 1 year ago Just having something to drink, water or juice, it'll help. Even slight dehydration can make you feel even worse and that's purely physical. Once your body feels a little bit better it'll make it easier to get up and try to do something else. My main motivator to get out of bed some days is to feed the birds. 3 3points reply v v Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 1 year ago (edited) I've used quite a few of the tools in this list throughout my life when battling depression but I've used the tools in a slightly different manner than presented here. I don't remember when I learned the trick but I learned, none the less, to identify the thing that was the trigger for a given period of depression. It's never an instantaneous identification. It could take days, weeks or even a couple of months. Once the trigger was identified I'd use a variety of the tools listed above to kick the ever loving s**t out of the triggering incident. Here again, it was never an instantaneous change. It always took time. I've come to look at my depression episodes as my brain attempting to pull rank on my for its own idiotic reasons and I long ago came to the decision that I wouldn't let it win in the fight. Our brains aren't even fully understood by the best and brightest in the field so there's no reason that you, I or anyone else should be able to understand our own brains any better. I hope that your depressive periods aren't too many or too consistent. I hope that you find the strength to persevere. And, above all, I hope that you are able to find a weapon in the arsenal (they are legion, though not always easily identified) available to you to kick the s**t out of your brain when it decides to turn asshole dictator on you. 3 3points reply Ozacoter Ozacoter Community Member • points posts comments upvotes 1 year ago True but trying to do some tends to make me feel better, to feel more useful 1 1point reply Val Val Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 1 year ago (edited) I feel you. For me it helps to remember that what I'm feeling is only temporary (I don't know your situation of course, but for me it helps). Give yourself time to mourn/feel depressed, sometimes you need a little down time to bounce back up. There's no deadline here. 0 0points reply Gillbella Gillbella Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 1 year ago Sometimes acknowledging the impossible task is in itself a task- so done that, yay something is achieved :) 0 0points reply Andi Sugiarta Andi Sugiarta Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 1 year ago This comment is hidden. Click here to view. Here's a deal: try the list. If those don't work, you can have all your depression back. -7 -7points reply Mike Crow Mike Crow Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 1 year ago My psychologist has told me most of these and they can help. 12 12points reply Ms.GB Ms.GB Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 1 year ago This is probably the best advice i've ever received and I've gone to therapy....maybe it's time for me to find a new therapist, the last 2 gave me packets of homework to do...that's a great idea but unobtainable when I'm struggling to shower daily and brush my teeth. 3 3points reply Load More Replies... denzoren denzoren Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 1 year ago I'll give these a try. Sometimes it really is overwhelming. 10 10points reply Load More Comments POST Calypso poet Calypso poet Community Member • points posts comments upvotes 1 year ago Easy to say it, doing it is another thing sometimes. 18 18points reply K1tt3n K1tt3n Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 1 year ago That's true, but even putting in the smallest amount of effort for any one thing on this list will give you a sense of purpose or at least make you feel good about accomplishing something, you know? I know how hard it is to even do the simplist task sometimes, but, you at least should try! I believe in you! 19 19points reply Load More Replies... jenjie.newt jenjie.newt Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 1 year ago It's amazing how much achieving JUST. ONE. THING. can make you feel so much better, especially if it's "humanizing" 9 9points reply DuchessDegu DuchessDegu Community Member • points posts comments upvotes 1 year ago Just having something to drink, water or juice, it'll help. Even slight dehydration can make you feel even worse and that's purely physical. Once your body feels a little bit better it'll make it easier to get up and try to do something else. My main motivator to get out of bed some days is to feed the birds. 3 3points reply v v Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 1 year ago (edited) I've used quite a few of the tools in this list throughout my life when battling depression but I've used the tools in a slightly different manner than presented here. I don't remember when I learned the trick but I learned, none the less, to identify the thing that was the trigger for a given period of depression. It's never an instantaneous identification. It could take days, weeks or even a couple of months. Once the trigger was identified I'd use a variety of the tools listed above to kick the ever loving s**t out of the triggering incident. Here again, it was never an instantaneous change. It always took time. I've come to look at my depression episodes as my brain attempting to pull rank on my for its own idiotic reasons and I long ago came to the decision that I wouldn't let it win in the fight. Our brains aren't even fully understood by the best and brightest in the field so there's no reason that you, I or anyone else should be able to understand our own brains any better. I hope that your depressive periods aren't too many or too consistent. I hope that you find the strength to persevere. And, above all, I hope that you are able to find a weapon in the arsenal (they are legion, though not always easily identified) available to you to kick the s**t out of your brain when it decides to turn asshole dictator on you. 3 3points reply Ozacoter Ozacoter Community Member • points posts comments upvotes 1 year ago True but trying to do some tends to make me feel better, to feel more useful 1 1point reply Val Val Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 1 year ago (edited) I feel you. For me it helps to remember that what I'm feeling is only temporary (I don't know your situation of course, but for me it helps). Give yourself time to mourn/feel depressed, sometimes you need a little down time to bounce back up. There's no deadline here. 0 0points reply Gillbella Gillbella Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 1 year ago Sometimes acknowledging the impossible task is in itself a task- so done that, yay something is achieved :) 0 0points reply Andi Sugiarta Andi Sugiarta Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 1 year ago This comment is hidden. Click here to view. Here's a deal: try the list. If those don't work, you can have all your depression back. -7 -7points reply Mike Crow Mike Crow Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 1 year ago My psychologist has told me most of these and they can help. 12 12points reply Ms.GB Ms.GB Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 1 year ago This is probably the best advice i've ever received and I've gone to therapy....maybe it's time for me to find a new therapist, the last 2 gave me packets of homework to do...that's a great idea but unobtainable when I'm struggling to shower daily and brush my teeth. 3 3points reply Load More Replies... denzoren denzoren Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 1 year ago I'll give these a try. Sometimes it really is overwhelming. 10 10points reply Load More Comments Popular on Bored Panda I Used AI To See What These 23 Popular Cartoon Characters Would Look Like In Real Life 30 Y.O. Woman Takes DNA Test For Fun Only To Discover Her Long-Term Boyfriend Is Her Full Sibling "I Just Said Thank You And Left": Man’s Nice Gesture Is Praised After Pizza Hut Driver Got A $20 Tip On A $938 Order Woman Flabbergasted At Thrift Store's Prices, Calls Them Out By Sharing 14 Examples 50 Parents Having A Pretty Miserable Day Photoshop Troll Who Takes Photo Requests Too Literally Strikes Again, And The Result Is Hilarious (17 Pics) Popular on Bored Panda 40 Embarrassing Moments People Didn't Know Who They Were Talking To And Made A Fool Of Themselves 30 Of The Most Hectic Homes As Shared On 'The Broke Agent' Instagram Account Bride Doesn't Include Wedding Dinner Price In Her Wedding Invites, Is Surprised To See Many Guests Canceling On Her After They Find Out I Used AI To See What These 23 Popular Cartoon Characters Would Look Like In Real Life 30 Y.O. Woman Takes DNA Test For Fun Only To Discover Her Long-Term Boyfriend Is Her Full Sibling "I Just Said Thank You And Left": Man’s Nice Gesture Is Praised After Pizza Hut Driver Got A $20 Tip On A $938 Order User Submissions The Best Microscopic Photos From The Nikon Small World Photomicrography Competition 2022 (92 Pics) I Am So Passionate About Creating Mystical Art, Here Are Some Of The Magical Notebooks I Have Made (23 New Pics) 30 Comics About Making It Through Life While Fighting Mental Health Issues By This Artist “I Own An Official Nanosecond”: 35 Rare Items Owned By Our Community I Photographed This Ukrainian Village Because It Is My Solace That Inspires Me (38 pics) By Changing His Lifestyle And Eating Habits At Age 60, Steve Ramsden Has Successfully Lost Over 60 Lbs And Now Has A Body Of A Bodybuilder Almost finished... To complete the subscription process, please click the link in the email we just sent you. Like what you're reading? Subscribe to our top stories Subscribe Please enter email address Also on Bored Panda "Lost In History": 50 Pictures That Shed A New Light On Our Past Employee Gets Told They're "Replaceable", So They Play Along And It Ruins The Company Woman Goes Viral With 7.7M Views When She Shares That Her Date Called Her An Uber To Go Home After He Saw How She Was Dressed "Never Come Back To My Restaurant": Chef Bans Rude Restaurant Patrons And Gives $1,350 Bill To 22 Y.O. Employee They Disrespected 23 Y.O. Son Tells His Parents He’ll Never Speak To Them Again After Finding Out They’re Paying For Sister’s Education Yet Didn’t Pay For His 50 Times Teachers Hung The Funniest Signs In Their Classrooms And They Ended Up Being Praised Online I Used AI To See What These 30 Popular Cartoon Characters Would Look Like In Real Life, And Here's The Result (New Pics) Dad Overhears A Conversation Between His New Wife And His Son, Cancels The Mother’s Day Celebration He’d Planned The Best And Worst Transformations Seen During School Reunions, As Shared By These 30 Internet Users 32-Year-Old Independent Modern Woman Draws Comics On Her Observations About Society (30 New Pics) Employee Laughs In Boss' Face For Saying It's "Unethical" To Make Plans After Work, Takes The Case To The Director 50 People Who Are Having A Terrible Day At Work Employee Maliciously Complies To Work Only His 8 1/2 Hours, Makes The Company Lose $85k Per Year “I Felt So Shaken Up”: Woman Leaves Family Trip After Eavesdropping On Husband’s Conversation With Mother-In-Law 50 Times Signs Were So Funny, People Had To Share Them On This Facebook Page 30 Mistakes Made By Designers And Architects Who Didn’t Think Of The Person Who’d Be Using Their Designs Woman Buys Ex-Hoarder's Home With All Of Their Belongings, Spends 4 Years Cleaning When Relatives Start Demanding Heirlooms They Didn't Want People Are Roasting Airbnb For Getting Completely Out Of Hand, Here Are 30 Of The Most Savage Tweets 50 Times People Spotted Stupid Design Decisions In Public Places And Just Had To Share This Online Group Is Dedicated To Things That Are Inexplicably Satisfying, Here Are 50 Of The Best Ones (New Pics) "An Entitled Mother Insists That I 'Share' My Nintendo Switch With Her Child On My Flight" European Is Shocked To Learn How American Suburbs Work, Goes Online To Ask Some Accurate Questions Management Introduces Disciplinary Rules To Make Most Of Employees, Freaks Out When They Turn The Rules Against Them Chefs Are Sharing 30 Common Cooking Mistakes We Need To Avoid Also on Bored Panda 50 Times Teachers Hung The Funniest Signs In Their Classrooms And They Ended Up Being Praised Online Employee Maliciously Complies To Work Only His 8 1/2 Hours, Makes The Company Lose $85k Per Year Chefs Are Sharing 30 Common Cooking Mistakes We Need To Avoid 50 Times People Spotted Stupid Design Decisions In Public Places And Just Had To Share Woman Flabbergasted At Thrift Store's Prices, Calls Them Out By Sharing 14 Examples 50 Parents Having A Pretty Miserable Day 30 Mistakes Made By Designers And Architects Who Didn’t Think Of The Person Who’d Be Using Their Designs People Are Roasting Airbnb For Getting Completely Out Of Hand, Here Are 30 Of The Most Savage Tweets 32-Year-Old Independent Modern Woman Draws Comics On Her Observations About Society (30 New Pics) I Used AI To See What These 30 Popular Cartoon Characters Would Look Like In Real Life, And Here's The Result (New Pics) 50 People Who Are Having A Terrible Day At Work "Lost In History": 50 Pictures That Shed A New Light On Our Past Photoshop Troll Who Takes Photo Requests Too Literally Strikes Again, And The Result Is Hilarious (17 Pics) “I Felt So Shaken Up”: Woman Leaves Family Trip After Eavesdropping On Husband’s Conversation With Mother-In-Law Woman Goes Viral With 7.7M Views When She Shares That Her Date Called Her An Uber To Go Home After He Saw How She Was Dressed Employee Gets Told They're "Replaceable", So They Play Along And It Ruins The Company The Best And Worst Transformations Seen During School Reunions, As Shared By These 30 Internet Users 50 Times Signs Were So Funny, People Had To Share Them On This Facebook Page Management Introduces Disciplinary Rules To Make Most Of Employees, Freaks Out When They Turn The Rules Against Them European Is Shocked To Learn How American Suburbs Work, Goes Online To Ask Some Accurate Questions "Never Come Back To My Restaurant": Chef Bans Rude Restaurant Patrons And Gives $1,350 Bill To 22 Y.O. Employee They Disrespected This Online Group Is Dedicated To Things That Are Inexplicably Satisfying, Here Are 50 Of The Best Ones (New Pics) 23 Y.O. Son Tells His Parents He’ll Never Speak To Them Again After Finding Out They’re Paying For Sister’s Education Yet Didn’t Pay For His Employee Laughs In Boss' Face For Saying It's "Unethical" To Make Plans After Work, Takes The Case To The Director Follow We're also on Instagram and tumblr App Store App Store User Submissions Hey Pandas, How Often Do You Forget Something Important, And What Was The Result? 35replies 21 points Hey Pandas, Share Pics Of Your Halloween Decorations 4comments 22 points This Artist Continues To Create Amazing Logic-Challenging Photo Manipulations (70 New Pics) 5comments 33 points Hey Pandas, What's Something You've Made Yourself? (Closed) 6comments 29 points I Created My Own Dark Tarot Deck Featuring Creepy Creatures And Demons (78 Pics) 16comments 53 points This Artist Reimagines Brazilian States As Video Game Characters (22 Pics) 9comments 30 points Hairstylist Shares 30 Women Who Took The Risk Of Cutting Their Hair Short And Got Awesome Results (New Pics) 75comments 51 points Hey Pandas, What Is The Weirdest Name For A Human You've Ever Heard? (Closed) 80replies 21 points Artist Creates Adorable Images Of Dressed-Up Animals With References To Star Wars, The Hobbit And More (44 Pics) 23comments 61 points "An Amazing World Right Under Your Nose": 24 Pictures Of Nature That I Took With A Macro Lens 7comments 43 points Get the App App Store App Store Google News © 2022 Bored Panda