Recently, I started becoming more intentional about using Meetup to connect with other writer groups virtually. Until last week, I had no idea that so many writing groups met online. On my day off, I signed up for three writing groups on Zoom. Being more active in my writing endeavors with other people has been helping me come out of my depression. Here are five reasons writing groups are positively impacting my mental health.

As the new year draws near, I cannot believe how fast time has passed. Time is something that has always triggered my anxiety. There are many milestones I would have liked to have met by now. There are many goals I want to accomplish by the end of the year. From experience, I know that putting too much pressure on myself only makes anxiety worse. So I came up with six ways to cope with anxiety when time becomes a trigger for me. Continue reading this post to learn more.

During the holiday season, one of the most talked-about topics is holiday shopping. Many people who struggle with anxiety find it to be overwhelming. Before I started my holiday shopping, I feared that some people would not like my gifts. I also worried about how much money I would spend. Now that I have finished shopping for two people, I do not feel as anxious. Here are some tips that helped me start my holiday shopping.

Thanksgiving gatherings trigger feelings and emotions for everyone, but not all of those feelings are of peace or gratitude. Some people have wonderful memories of celebrating with childhood friends and relatives. Many of these people feel excited to reunite with loved ones they have not seen in a long time. Other people have unpleasant memories of the holiday. Many of these people feel stressed out, sad, lonely, angry, etc. If you feel anxious or depressed around Thanksgiving, it can be hard to find peace and gratitude. Here are six tips to help you feel better during Thanksgiving.

My therapist helps me with anxiety and depression by providing me with a safe place to talk about my struggles and process my emotions. Over the summer, my therapist recommended that I try therapy groups. I have been attending the groups for about two months now. Here are some ways therapy groups have been an effective supplement to individual therapy.

Anxiety is like the aftermath of vivid dreams or nightmares. Most of the time, you recognize the physical symptoms of anxiety right away. Other times, worry builds gradually and then morphs into anxiety and/or panic attacks. Anxiety can last for a short time, or it can extend into obsessive thoughts that last for a long time. Thankfully, I've found that affirmations can help to reduce (and even release) the power of anxiety before it gets worse. To learn about these affirmations and why they can help, continue reading this post.

If you experience intense mood swings and start behaving out of character, it might be easy to blame it on a mood disorder. For instance, if you have skipped classes several times, you might say that it was because of your anxiety. While that was probably a huge reason for it, there could be more specific reasons as to why your anxiety increased. The things that stimulate a negative change in your thoughts, behaviors, and actions can be loosely thought of as your triggers. Identifying your triggers so that you can deal with them is important for you to manage your mood disorder symptoms and increase your quality of life. To learn how to recognize and deal with your triggers, continue reading this post.

While common responsibilities include working, raising families, going to school, and doing household chores, practicing self-care is just as important. Yet, we often do not make it part of our priorities. One reason is that we are busy thinking about other things and helping other people. However, we need self-care to function well in life. To learn more about self-care and two analogies that represent its importance, continue reading this post.

Anxiety is a common struggle for people who undergo major stress. However, anxiety becomes paralyzing when it intensifies so much that a person loses the ability to function. In this post, I share my description of paralyzing anxiety and information about my experience with it. I also discuss coping methods that helped me get through paralyzing anxiety.

Have you ever wished you could take back something you said to someone? Maybe after a stressful day, you took out your frustrations on a family member, friend, or partner. Maybe you said something inappropriate to a colleague or teacher. In any case, saying things you regret can have negative consequences and cause lasting feelings of guilt. Here are five ways to avoid regret from your words.