MENTAL HEALTH

Are you under intense pressure at work? Perhaps you're a busy entrepreneur and founder of a startup racking up 60 hours per week to keep your business afloat. Mental health is serious business, and not staying on top of yours can seriously affect how you perform. If things are turbulent right now and anxiety is beating upon you, you can get your peace back. Here are eight ways to take control of your mental health: 1. Don't figure things out yourself: Whatever problems you're facing now, they will only amplify if you isolate yourself and think you can handle it all on your own. It's okay to ask for help sometimes. Leave your shell and seek help. 2. Be real with how you feel: Self-confession is key. Don't deny your feelings, they are legitimate and they don't make you weak or broken. Once you embrace them and come to terms that you're powerless over your condition, work in community and accountability in making drastic new lifestyle changes to deal with your emotions. 3. Be OK with some things being out of your control: Many times, your worries are a direct result of the fact that you're not in control of everything. The things that are in your control, instead focus on what's immediately in front of you. This will help to ease some of the discomforts you experience from anxiety. 4. Practice Self-Care: You want to start pursuing activities that bring you peace and joy? You also want to take care of your mind, body, and spirit. What is it that you love to do? What are some hobbies that have been buried for years? How's that exercise routine you've been neglecting? You need to care for yourself before any other thing. 5. Be conscious of your intentions: Throughout the day, check-in with yourself. When you sense that control may be slipping away, pause, take a breath, and revisit your intention. Take notice of how the quality of your work shifts every hour, as you become more conscious of your intentions. 6. Focus on positive thoughts: If you're feeling anxious, move, go outside and get some fresh air. Put on your earbuds and start listening to your favorite relaxing music, give yourself a little break. 7. Train your brain to stop the fear response: President Franklin D. Roosevelt famously said, "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." It's this fear that paralyzes you before you take that big step. The anticipation of fear kicks in and you turn to Jell-o. But after you pull it off, you realize you're not in danger and no monster ate you. So training your brain to accept that there's no threat will help you to switch off the fear response. You'll soon realize that it's the fear of fear that you fear, nothing else. And that will eventually become easy to manage. 8. Practice Mindfulness: Mindfulness is one of the best-kept secrets to help busy people deal with anxiety. You can practice it by intentionally putting the focus on your emotions, and accepting in a nonjudgmental way whatever thoughts and sensations you're experiencing at the moment. BY: SIDIQAH UTHMAN SOURCE: Inc.com