How to Manage your Mental Health on Difficult Days

Not all days are the same. Some are great, some are passable, some not so good, and some are really hard to get through. The great days are a breeze, we manage to deal with the passable and the not-so-good, but the hard ones are a challenge, and truly test our tenacity and mettle. We have all had those days where nothing seems to be going right or in the way we expected it to; whether it’s at work or otherwise at home. There are some days which seem so difficult that you feel they’re never going to end. Days like this have an impact on our mental as well as physical health and well-being. Developing coping skills can help us get through them. Rearrange your perspective – While going through a tough day, we are plagued by the thought that we are in it for the long run, that this will never end, which increases the severity of the emotions we are feeling. We need to rearrange our perspective by telling ourselves, “This seems like forever, but it cannot last that long”. “I have been through hard times before and emerged from it, I know I can get through this too.” Or, as Eckhart Tolle reminds us, “This. too. will. pass.” Acknowledge your emotions – Feel deeply what emotions you are going through; whether it is anger or disappointment or sorrow of frustration, and then try to go beyond them. Denying emotions at that time could cause them to rear their heads later with greater intensity. Acknowledge “I am feeling really sad”. “I am so disappointed”, etc. Honor the validity of the emotions without getting stuck in them. The emotions that you don’t own, will own you in the long run. Have a little faith and everything will be alright – Wanting something badly doesn’t mean that it is best for you. Not getting what we want could turn out to be a good thing, sometimes—there could be something better in store for you. You are bigger than your problems, so don’t let your problems define you. Don’t let them become your identity. It is said that, “There will be days when all you can do is breathe, and that’s ok.” Reach out to others for help and support – Reach out, in times of vulnerability, to people who you trust, who rally around you and care for you. It is not a sign of weakness; asking for help also requires courage—the courage you summon that makes you want to overcome a challenge. Remember that fear saps you of your peace of mind – Fear of the future i.e. fear of what is going to happen leads to us imagining all kinds of apocalyptical scenarios. We ‘fearcast’ the worst possible outcomes, thereby, causing ourselves stress and anxiety about something that hasn’t even happened. So, spare yourself the unnecessary angst, live in the moment, tackle a situation in the present instead of worrying about the future. Take life, one day at a time. In conclusion, trust yourself: that you are capable of handling anything that comes your way. Change is constant. To quote Maya Angelou, “Every storm runs out of rain.” This, too, shall pass. Mental health and well being are important The Covid 19 pandemic may have helped in bringing mental health issues to the forefront. As organizations find themselves in a situation with no precedence, it helps to have support in charting a new course alongside experts in counselling. At KelpHR we have experts on board to deal with conversations around mental health, through our Counselling and Employee Assistance Programs. Our Customized EAP solutions At KelpHR, our experts can help you with solutions for the mental health and well-being of your employees through our Counselling and Employee Assistance Programs. For more on our customized and confidential Employee Assistance Program (EAP) solutions that help provide mental health and wellness for organizations and their employees, do get in touch with us at info@kelphr.com,call +91-95001-29652. About KelpHR KelpHR was incorporated in 2013 to provide the best HR solutions to organizations, and to improve workplace culture across the board. Over the last 8 years, we have serviced more than 700 clients in India and a few overseas, across various industries in the areas of PoSH (prevention of sexual harassment at workplace), D, E & I (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion) and EAP. But the common objective of all of these services is to build safer, happier, inclusive and productive workplaces. For any of our other services related to Prevention of Sexual Harassment (PoSH) or Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), do get in touch with us at info@kelphr.com, call +91-95001-29652 and we’d be able to help you with customized offerings suited to your organization.