Short messages on Mental health, stress and anxiety issues from Respect Yourself, the guidance site for young people to help make good decisions in life.
You can either make a list of what you have, or you can make a list of what you do not have. The first list will bring you peace and happiness, while the second list will bring you only sadness. Being sad and focusing on what we do not have does not change the circumstances.
If you’re hurting, give yourself the necessary space and time to hurt, and be open about it. Talk to those closest to you, and tell them the truth about how you feel. Let them listen.
Learn to love and value things when they are less than perfect. You can accept and appreciate the world as it is, and people as they are, rather than to trying to make everything and everyone conform to an impossible ideal.
Forgiveness is for you, not the person you are forgiving. More often than not, the person you are forgiving will never know you’ve forgiven them. It is a gift you need to give yourself.
You can start ecotherapy on your own or with a group. Sessions often include some type of formal therapy, such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) or other talking treatment. You can find activities near you through the online Ecotherapy Directory (http://bit.ly/28ncBk5).
People join ecotherapy programmes because it can improve mental and physical health, develops your social life, build your confidence, strengthen your connection with nature and help you practise mindfulness.
Finding happiness in the small things that happen every day, like the smell of a homecooked meal, or holding hands with someone you care for, can make a big difference in the quality of your life.
Ecotherapy: “It gives me structure, makes me utilise the daylight and get out of bed. It gives me something outside of myself to nurture and look after and that helps me to better look after myself.”
Ecotherapy can improve your mental and physical wellbeing through doing outdoor activities, by working in nature, such as a conservation project, gardening or farming, or by experiencing nature, such as enjoying the views on a walk or cycling through some woodland.
Remind yourself that you can and will grow stronger from hard times. Focus on what you have, not on what you haven’t, and on all the things in your life that are right.