A safe place to talk openly about mental health & illness
I got thinking about this after reading a post a while back by Cynni Pixy. Sometime's it's easy to assume self-care is just bath bombs and spa days. As lovely as they may be, they're just a small part of a much bigger picture. Let's start with some a couple of definitions for self-care from… Continue reading Self-Care: More Than Just Bath Bombs
One of the things I talk about in my new book Managing the Depression Puzzle is the idea of differentiating between illness treatment strategies and wellness promotion strategies.; I think it's a distinction that applies to mental illness in general. So what's the difference? Illness treatment I'm sure I'm preaching to the choir here, but… Continue reading Mental Illness Treatment vs. Wellness Promotion
52 Small Changes for the Mind by Brett Blumenthal lays out a year-long series of weekly small changes to improve your overall mental wellbeing. It's not specifically geared towards people dealing with mental illness, but there are plenty of common sense, realistic ideas that could be useful for anyone. Each of the book's 52 chapters… Continue reading Book Review: 52 Small Changes for the Mind
The More Or Less Definitive Guide to Self-Care by Anna Borges is an A-Z listing of a wide variety of different self-care strategies. The book is visually appealing, with illustrations and an easy to read layout. Parts of the book are targeted specifically at people with mental illness, but it would still be relevant to… Continue reading Book Review: The More or Less Definitive Guide to Self-Care
Dealing with Depression: Simple Ways to Get Your Life Back is written by clinical psychologist Jan Marsh. It offers strategies that readers can use either alone in milder forms of depression or in conjunction with medication or psychotherapy. The book incorporates concepts from several therapeutic approaches, including cognitive behavioural therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, and compassion-focused… Continue reading Book Review: Dealing with Depression
I've seen other bloggers talk about having a self-care box (also referred to as a coping box or various other names), and I decided I want to give it a go myself. I decided to make it small and easily portable, because it's when I'm away from home that I feel the most lost in… Continue reading What’s in My Self-Care Box
There are various sources that can be found online that talk about the mental health benefits of aromatherapy with certain essential oils. I started using aromatherapy daily almost a year ago. Mostly I use a diffuser but I also have a few topical roll-ons. It's hard to say if there's any therapeutic benefit aside from… Continue reading Aromatherapy and Mental Health/Wellness