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mental health photos

Essential nighttime rituals to unwind after a long day

A long day is mentally and physically fatiguing. Muscles tense, your head heavy, and all the energy that fueled you during the day is completely drained. Your attempts to end the day uneventfully ‘bedrotting’ and ‘doomscrolling’ won’t recharge you. You won’t feel refreshed even the next day, especially if it’s the middle of the week with days of built-up mental exhaustion. Avoid using your phone, as the blue light can disrupt your sleep and make you feel more tired the next day. To fully recharge, engage in these daily rituals that will help take the load off your shoulders at the end of the day.

Published on Sep 03, 2024 05:08 PM IST

Fear of abandonment: 5 unexpected ways it can show up

Emotionally overwhelmed: When we feel overwhelmed with a surge of difficult emotions, we crave the care of an understanding partner – failing to find that can make us scared, anxious and lonely.

Published on Sep 02, 2024 02:55 PM IST

Cheat sheet for difficult emotions: Therapist shares hacks

Low Thyroid hormones can disrupt the balance of neurotransmitters, and contribute to anxiety, stress and brain fog.

Published on Sep 02, 2024 02:26 PM IST

More reasons to love your furry BFF: Here's how dogs can help with anxiety

Dogs are our furry best friends. Our pets, without exchanging a word with us, occupy the largest parts of our hearts. Spending time with them makes us feel happier and drives our blues far away. Dogs can help in combating anxiety as well – mentioned Psychologist Carolyn Rubenstein. Here's how spending time with your dog can help you beat anxiety.

Published on Aug 29, 2024 06:15 PM IST

Are you under-feeling your emotions? 6 behavioural red flags to know

Replaying and dwelling in negative thoughts and getting into the loop of it refers to ruminating. We are often stuck in this vicious cycle of thinking, replaying, getting back to the trauma and playing the worst-case scenarios. " We all get negative or intrusive thoughts sometimes. But it is your responsibility to determine what you will continue to dwell on. Let this fact bring a sense of empowerment, rather than judgment toward yourself," wrote Therapist Carrie Howard.

Published on Aug 28, 2024 05:59 PM IST

Feeling emotionally drained? Here are 5 ways to preserve your emotional energy

When we realise that some people are always committed to misunderstanding us, we should stop wasting time and energy repeating ourselves and trying to prove our point.

Published on Aug 27, 2024 07:30 PM IST

Trauma of dysfunctional homes: 5 signs that you grew up invalidated

Trauma can often show up in the body as physical symptoms. "Trauma isn't only a person's emotional and psychological reaction to an intense or overwhelming event; it can be felt physically too. Your survival response is a complex reaction that involves several brain regions and chemicals. It's triggered by any situation that threatens your safety or well-being, whether it's an intense emotional experience or a stressful event," wrote Therapist Anna Papaioannou. Here are a few ways by which trauma may show up in the body.

Published on Aug 27, 2024 06:15 PM IST

Dealing with difficult emotions? Here's how you can validate yourself

Sometimes when we deal with difficult emotions, we seek validation from others to understand if what we are feeling is the right way to feel. But often, we need to validate our own emotions to let us know that our emotions are significant and valid. “If you’re someone who second guesses your emotional reactions, this may be because you were told you were overreacting as a child or told to feel differently in the moment. As an adult, you now have the ability to validate your own emotions,” wrote Therapist Gianna LaLota.

Published on Aug 23, 2024 06:35 PM IST

Is your brain on trauma? Therapist shares 5 signs

When we carry unaddressed trauma for a long time, it starts to affect the way we think, behave and respond. The brain also gets into the effect of the trauma and impacts the thoughts and perspectives. Therapist Linda Meredith shared a few signs that we should look out for, when our brain is in trauma.

Published on Aug 23, 2024 04:53 PM IST

Get inspired by Rashmika Mandanna's life essential list

Rashmika Mandanna shared her life essentials—important things she can’t live without for better mental well-being. She presented them in an old-school 'dear diary' format, posting candid and goofy pictures in the form of a digital diary on her Instagram. The pictures had creative doodles and handwritten text describing each essential in the frame. Take inspiration from her life essentials - the things she can’t do without.

Published on Aug 22, 2024 05:33 PM IST

Building capacity within your nervous system: Psychologist shares tips

The way our nervous system reacts to stress or trauma depends on a lot of factors. From our relationship with stress to the way we handle trauma to external factors, the nervous system goes into the fight, flight, freeze or fawn mode. Psychologist Kelly Vincent shared a few ways by which we can build capacity within our nervous system.

Published on Aug 21, 2024 05:02 PM IST

Manage your emotions better: Psychotherapist shares 3 tips

As we grow up, it becomes increasingly necessary for us to learn the tools of addressing our emotions in a healthy way. We need to take accountability for our own reactions and responses. “While I strongly believe in the benefit of co-regulating and being open to receiving support from others, there’s also tremendous power is being able to pause, self-soothe, and process how you’re doing within yourself,” wrote Psychotherapist Sadaf Siddiqi. Here are three powerful tools to manage our emotions better.

Published on Aug 15, 2024 09:53 PM IST

Recognising emotional numbing: Therapist explains 7 steps

Disconnection from emotions is the first step where a person starts to notice that they are not able to identify how they feel.

Published on Aug 09, 2024 03:30 PM IST

Self neglect: What does it look like? Psychologist explains

We usually avoid situations where we may require to be vulnerable, such as intimate relationships or deep conversations.

Published on Aug 06, 2024 07:40 PM IST

Are you holding back? 5 signs say that you are not claiming your space

Do you often keep quiet and let go of things that hurt you? Do you prefer to suppress your emotions rather than being aware of them and addressing them? Then you are not claiming your space and starting the journey of healing. Therapist Linda Meredith shared a few signs on a social media post that denote that we are holding back our emotions.

Published on Aug 03, 2024 05:20 PM IST

Signs of self-neglect and over-responsibility: Therapist explains

When we end up taking too much responsibility and neglecting our own emotions, it can turn harmful for our own emotional and mental health. We need to be self-aware and in connection with our thoughts and emotions to take care of ourselves and prioritise ourselves. Therapist Linda Meredith shared a few signs of self-neglect and over-responsibility that can be harmful.

Published on Jul 29, 2024 06:30 PM IST

5 ways emotionally dysregulated people behave: Therapist explains

Emotionally dysregulated people often end up overreacting or underreacting in situations. This happens because their nervous system is constantly in fight or freeze mode. “Emotional dysregulation can manifest in various behaviors that disrupt an individual's daily life and relationships,” wrote Therapist Linda Meredith as she shared five ways by which emotionally dysregulated people usually behave.

Published on Jul 23, 2024 06:00 AM IST

5 food items to improve your mood, brain and mental health: Nutritionist shares

The food that we eat and the diet and lifestyle that we follow directly impacts our physical health and mental health. It is important to watch our diet and incorporate essential nutrients into our diet. “By incorporating nutrient-rich foods into our diets, we can support brain and mental health, decrease stress, improve our mood, protect against cognitive decline, and promote optimal cognitive function,” wrote Nutritionist Marina Wright.

Published on Jul 22, 2024 07:12 PM IST

Are you overstimulated? Early signs to be aware of

Often, we may feel overstimulated and overwhelmed. However, if we do not know the early signs of overstimulation, we may not be able to control our emotions and our reactions when we reach the breaking point. “Many people don't notice they're overstimulated until it's too much. Catching early signs can prevent you from reaching your breaking point,” wrote Psychologist Carolyn Rubenstein.

Published on Jul 19, 2024 02:12 PM IST

Feeling overwhelmed with negative thoughts? 4 tips to change them

Dialectical Behavioural Therapy is a technique that is used by distressed people to cope with difficult situations. "It involves engaging in activities or strategies that can help shift focus away from negative thoughts or overwhelming emotions. This skill aims to increase mindfulness, self-soothing, and distraction techniques to effectively manage distress and promote emotional well-being," wrote Therapist Gessica Di Stefano.

Published on Jul 18, 2024 05:10 PM IST

What can loneliness do to our brains? Neuroscientist sheds light

We often feel lonely in a crowd – we have an intense feeling of loneliness even when we are surrounded by our loved ones.

Published on Jul 18, 2024 03:10 PM IST

Bizarre symptoms that are actually unprocessed trauma: Therapist explains

Abandonment wound gives us the fear of abandonment and makes us feel separation anxiety – this happens from the trauma of being abandoned as a child.

Published on Jul 17, 2024 05:10 PM IST

Do you react intensely to criticism? Here's how its connected to trauma

Criticism can be interpreted by the brain as a threat – thereby activating the fight or flight response. This further leads to extreme emotions such as shame, guilt and anxiety.

Published on Jul 17, 2024 02:57 PM IST

Mindful techniques for healing from grief: Therapist recommends

Grief is very personal. The way one views grief and finds a way to navigate through it depends on various factors. But the way to get over grief is the way through it. It is important to learn to be empathetic and calm with ourselves when we walk through grief to find peace. “When it comes to grief, there isn’t a right or wrong day to do it, but the pillars of mindfulness can be an excellent starting point,” wrote Therapist Andrea Evgeniou.

Published on Jul 16, 2024 06:00 AM IST

Emotionally shutting down: Ways to prevent it from happening

Emotionally shutting down in difficult or challenging times is a defense mechanism of the nervous system to protect us from further harm. This develops unconsciously when we carry the burden of trauma from childhood. “Emotionally shutting down during difficult moments is not something you – or other people – choose to do consciously,” wrote Therapist Sadaf Siddiqui. Here are a few ways to prevent emotional shutdown.

Published on Jul 09, 2024 06:00 AM IST

How dissociation is often misunderstood: Therapist busts myths

Daydreaming or lack of attention: Dissociation is often misunderstood as a person’s lack of attention. However, it is more complicated than that. In dissociation, a person is not able to come back to his/her surroundings and feels out of control.

Published on Jul 05, 2024 06:53 PM IST

Adult loneliness: How is it connected to childhood trauma?

In many homes, it is a popular belief that if a child is provided with the necessities such as food, education and a home, they will turn out fine. However, they forget one of the main ingredients of emotional growth – emotional connection and safety. That’s why when these children grow up to be adults, they feel overwhelmed with a sense of loneliness. “We subconsciously keep repeating what we are most familiar with (mostly it's linked to our upbringing). Only when we become aware of our learned and subconscious patterns and beliefs, we can break free from them and make healthier and better choices for ourselves (present and future self),” wrote Therapist Caroline Middelsdorf. The expert further noted down a few signs of adult loneliness and how they are connected to childhood trauma.

Published on Jul 05, 2024 05:00 PM IST

Nourish the nervous system: Therapist shares 5 tips to beat stress and anxiety

When we experience stress and anxiety, the nervous system goes into the fight or flight mode as a stress response. This can further make the body feel alert. “This is a state of action and chaos, which is vital for your survival. You naturally move in and out of this system often.⁠ But when there are constant stressors, anxiety or past trauma present, this heightened state can impact the function of your nervous system, body and mind,” wrote Therapist Anna Papaioannou. Here are five ways to nourish the nervous system.

Published on Jul 05, 2024 06:00 AM IST

Hold your friends close: Here’s how they are good for your mental health

Friends are the ones we go to when we are distressed. They help us to have fresh perspectives – this can reduce stress levels and increase happiness.

Published on Jul 01, 2024 06:46 PM IST

Sarcasm to hypervigilance; are you aware of these signs of trauma?

Often the behavioural and lifestyle patterns develop based on the trauma that we have been exposed to since an early age. More so than ever, it can be difficult to distinguish the signs of trauma from normal behaviour. Psychologist Caroline Middelsdorf shared a few signs of trauma which may not even look like signs of trauma, but they seep into our behavioural patterns and become a part of our daily life.

Published on Jul 01, 2024 04:42 PM IST

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