Hello, It's Hannah

Hello, everyone, and happy February.  I know I've already done a self care day post a little while ago, but this one is different, because its purpose and target are specific. Today, in light of recent political events, I have designed a self care day specifically for escaping the never ending vortex of politics, news, and social media. It is important to be informed about what is going on around you. It's important to watch the news, pay attention to current events, and if something that happens upsets you, find a way to make your voice heard. Whether it's calling your representative, signing a petition, or writing a letter, it is CRUCIAL to stand up for what you believe in. But sometimes, the news can be completely and utterly exhausting to watch. It becomes toxic, and eventually, you start to feel like there is too much going on in the world and you can't do anything about it. You become stressed and scared, feeling like every petition you sign and letter ...

The world is filled with negative energy and negative people all around us. They exist at work, at school, and especially on social media. Sometimes, it feels impossible to escape that hole of negativity because it is so prevalent in today's world. However, you can make the choice to push away that negative energy and live in your own little bubble of positive energy. And here's how. How to Attract Positive Energy 1. Try Meditation This is one of my favorite ways to keep my positive energy. Meditation at the beginning and the end of every day has been so helpful for anxiety and just negative energy I feel during the day. When that negative energy comes along and tries to burst my bubble, I channel that same energy I had during my meditation time. Here's some meditation tools I recommend: meditation apps (Smiling Mind and Stop Breathe and Think are my favorites) a quiet or private place that's comfortable for you headphones (noise cancelling on...

Hey guys! Sorry for the long break between posts last week. I've been a busy bee. But I'm here today addressing a common problem we students have: stress. It's basically ingrained in us. We've been experiencing stress for as long as we've been in school, and finding a way around it can be very difficult. But there's an easy way to eliminate at least a small part of this stress, and that's by creating a morning and night routine. This way, your day has a little bit of structure and you're making time for taking care of yourself. Today, we're focusing on the night routine. How to Create A Night Routine 1. Find out what you need most. This routine's purpose is to eliminate YOUR stress and make YOUR life easier. So decide what specific things you need to include in your routine to make sure you feel good. Here's my list: Wash my face and moisturize Do some nighttime yoga Read Pick out my outfit for the next day Put K Cup...

Hello everyone, and Happy Monday! I'm back today with my very last Mental Health Monday. I have covered all of the major mental illnesses and disorders and  I would like to move on to another weekly topic. If you have any suggestions or anything you would like to see me post, email me, leave a comment, or tweet me. The last Mental Health Monday will be focused on Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD. WHAT IS PTSD? Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is defined as a mental health condition triggered by witnessing or experiencing a traumatic event. PTSD cannot be cured and it can last for one's entire life, but certain treatments can help. SYMPTOMS OF PTSD The symptoms of PTSD include: agitation irritability hostility flashbacks fear nightmares anxiety loss of interest or pleasure in certain activities self destructive behavior isolation Emotional detachment and unwanted thoughts are also fairly common symptoms of PTSD. TREATMENT FOR PTS...

We’ve all been there. It’s Thursday morning, you wake up, and the second you open your eyes, you’re already exhausted. Yesterday’s stress is still rattling in your brain, and the thought of even trying to get out of bed is agonizing. If you really and truly feel awful when you wake up, and the stress of the week is weighing on your shoulders and just feels like too much to handle, do yourself a huge, ginormous, favor: TAKE A BREAK. If you go hours, days, or even weeks without taking time for yourself, the results can be catastrophic. Sometimes, you just need a day to relax, unwind, and have a day that is all about you. No one else. Just you. This, my friends, is called a Mental Health Day, and I’m going to teach you how to have one. How to Have a Mental Health Day Step 1: Pick a day Choose a day for your Mental Health Day, preferably the day you start feeling like the stress is too much. If you have a full time job or are in school, it can be a little hard to skip a ...

I know, I know. “I’m too busy to put aside time to take care of myself.” “I just don’t have time anymore.” “School makes it impossible to make time for self-care.” Well, not anymore. Because today, I present to you… Self Care for a Busy Life! That’s right. I’ve got some tips and tricks for those of you who are in school, college, or your job keeps you busy, and it seems impossible to make time for self-care. I understand that it can be hard, but I promise that just taking five minutes a day to do something for yourself will benefit you in the future and will help you make self-care a habit. So, here we go! TAKE IT FIVE MINUTES AT A TIME When it comes to self-care, it does not matter if you do it for five minutes, five hours, five days, and so on. It just matters that you DO it. Five minutes is better than nothing. So I encourage you to find five minutes, just five, out of your day and dedicate it to yourself. It could be five minutes in the morning right wh...

Hello, my friends! Part of taking care of yourself is treating yourself every once in awhile, just so that you don’t get overwhelmed. To make that process a little easier, I’ve created ideas for a Self-Care Kit that you can take out when you are feeling overwhelmed and need a break. How to Create a Self-Care Kit: Think about all the things that make you happy and relaxed.  Books, taking a bath, candles, watching your favorite TV show, things like that. Once you’ve compiled that list, find a container or a cheap plastic box from the dollar store, and decorate it with stickers or decorative tape. The decoration is optional, but it just makes it more personalized and fun. Take the things that you put on the list and put them in a box. Put that box somewhere you’ll remember it and take it out on those days where you need a little extra boost. Ideas for Things to Put in the Self-Care Kit Tea Bubble bath Your favorite book Your favorite movie...

Sometimes, when life gets messy or rough or overwhelming, we neglect the things that make us happy and healthy. We eat more junk, we drink less water, we sleep less. And it all adds up to an unhappy, unhealthy you. So when everything seems to be out of control, here’s a few tips that you can use to make sure you still have a happy, healthy, positive life. 5 Tips for A More Positive Life DRINK WATER Guys, I’m begging you. No matter what, do NOT neglect your water. It is absolutely vital for your health, and if it is neglected, dehydration can hit you really hard and really fast. Set several alarms to drink water, get an app that reminds you, get a special water bottle just for you. Just make sure you’re drinking 7-8 glasses a day. GET ENOUGH SLEEP I’m speaking from personal experience when I say that the amount of sleep you get can make or break your life. I used to stay up all night long doing who knows what, and sleep all day. It took a to...

Hello, world, and welcome to my first edition of Mental Health Monday! This is going to be the part of the week where I focus on different mental illnesses, their symptoms, and how to get help if you need it. Today, we’re focusing on anxiety. Generalized Anxiety Disorder, or GAD, is identified as severe feelings of ongoing anxiety that interrupt or interfere with everyday life. GAD is a common mental illness (more than 3 million Americans are diagnosed with GAD a year), and it can be easily treated by a medical professional. The psychological symptoms for GAD include: Lack of concentration Excessive worry Emotional distress Thoughts repeating over and over in the head The physical and behavioral symptoms for GAD include: Fatigue Lightheadedness Restlessness Sweating Headache Lack of sleep Irritability Hyperventilating If your feelings of anxiety are interfering with your everyday life or you have several of these symptoms, talk t...

For me, one of the most important parts of self-care/anxiety management is aromatherapy. Aromatherapy is the process of using essential oils to enhance your mood and heal. You would be amazed at how just one sniff of lavender or putting some eucalyptus lotion on can instantly calm you. I actually own a bottle necklace that I fill with lavender oil when I leave my house just in case I get a little stressed or anxious. Aromatherapy is a great way to take care of yourself, and today I’ve got a list of scents and their different purposes. Trust me, there’s one for everything. Aromatherapy Oils and Their Purposes Lavender- Lavender is primarily used for relaxation. It’s great for calming you down and  bringing you into a relaxed state of mind. Lavender is really easy to find and not expensive at all.  You can find it on Amazon and various health stores (Natural Grocers, Whole Foods, etc.) Eucalyptus- Eucalyptus oil is known to have a refreshing, cooling effect ...