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| Clare Pentelow of Kitchener Therapy |
Taking Care of Your Mental Health
By Clare Pentelow, MSW, RSW, RP
Covid-19 has been a part of our lives for over
a year now. It has had such a huge
impact on both the world’s economy and health! Many people have also found their mental health has suffered. It’s
hardly a surprise, when you consider all the ways the pandemic has influenced
our lives - we are now dealing with so many more life stressors such as job
insecurity or loss, loneliness, health anxiety, relationship stress, loss of
routine and previous coping strategies, homeschooling children, etc. As a social worker and psychotherapist who
deeply understands the emotional impacts of the pandemic, both from
professional and personal experience, I have a few evidence-based (and lockdown
compatible!) tips that you can use to boost your mental health and wellbeing during
this challenging time:
- Exercise
Exercise has been proven to be an incredibly
helpful coping strategy for those suffering from depression and anxiety. I
cannot emphasize enough how important it is to try to make exercise a part of
your self care routine. Sometimes my
clients really struggle to make the time, or find the energy, which is
completely understandable! I encourage people to start small, even if it’s only
a 15 minute walk a couple of times a week.
If it's possible you can build on it from there, increasing the time and
intensity of the exercise. However, don’t let yourself be discouraged if that’s
not possible at this time in your life.
With exercise, a little goes a long way when it comes to your mental
well-being!
- Self Compassion
Self compassion is so important - especially
during this incredibly stressful time. It might be helpful to identify WHAT
self compassion is exactly - self compassion means being kind to yourself in
instances of pain or failure rather than judging yourself or engaging in
negative self talk. It is the act of
seeing your experiences - even the negative ones - as a part of the larger
human experience rather than seeing them as separating and isolating. We are
all facing a collective trauma, and this means many of us are having trauma
reactions, such as becoming hypervigilant and anxious or feeling numb and
depressed. It can be easy to feel
frustrated and self-critical when we are finding certain activities challenging
in ways that we didn’t before the pandemic. For example, some people have found
they are feeling more low energy, and do not have the capacity to get as many
household and work tasks done as they used to be able to do prior to the
pandemic. As a result, they may engage in negative self talk, calling themselves
“lazy” and “useless”. However, low
energy is the body's way of coping with extreme stress, and it is incredibly
important to remind yourself of all that you are dealing with, and treat
yourself with care and kindness in these situations. Some people really
struggle with this, and an exercise that can be helpful is to ask yourself how
you would respond if your friend or loved one was experiencing the same
situation that you are in. In my
experience people are generally much kinder to others than they are
to themselves.
- Nature
Getting out in nature has positive impacts on
your mental health, stress levels and self esteem. When my clients are
struggling with stress and mood issues, I always try and remind them to make
sure they spend time outdoors, especially as the weather gets warmer! Being in nature, whether it’s to go for a
walk, exercise, meditate, or garden, a few times a week can really be nurturing
to your mental wellness. When deciding where to go, studies found that areas
with more vegetation and bird noises enhance the positive impact on your mental
well-being, and bonus points if you can be near water! But if spaces like this are inaccessible,
simply try walking through a neighborhood with some leafy trees and gardens,
and notice the calming effects.
- Counselling and Psychotherapy
Sometimes what we are experiencing is too much
for us to navigate on our own, and there is no shame in that! It can take a lot of strength and courage to
reach out and ask for help. Therapy can
provide us the space to reflect and understand ourselves, as well as help to
develop the coping skills to deal with the (many!) day to day stressors we
experience. I am a social worker and
psychotherapist who is based in Kitchener, ON. I support individuals through
mental health challenges such as depression, anxiety, life stress, and trauma.
Below are my contact details. Please
don’t hesitate to reach out if you feel you need some support during this
challenging time.
Clare Pentelow, MSW, RSW, RP
Social Worker and Psychotherapist at Kitchener
Therapy (link: www.kitchenertherapy.ca)
In order to schedule an appointment with me,
feel free to email, call, or book through me website:
Email: kitchenertherapy@gmail.com
Ph: 519.358.7181
Book Online: https://kitchenertherapy.ca/contact-book/
While I do have some spaces for sliding scale,
they are limited. Feel free to check out
my resources ((link: https://kitchenertherapy.ca/resources/) page for
information on other community counselling centres that offer affordable and
sliding scale options. Also listed on
the resources (link: https://kitchenertherapy.ca/resources/) page
are crisis lines if you or anyone you know is experiencing a mental health
crisis.
References
https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/sour-mood-getting-you-down-get-back-to-nature
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