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MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES
In today’s fast-paced and demanding world, it’s easy to overlook the importance of mental health. Many of us prioritize our physical health with regular exercise and a balanced diet, but we often neglect the well-being of our minds. However, mental health is just as crucial as physical health, if not more so. In this blog, we will explore the significance of prioritizing your mental health and provide practical tips to help you achieve a healthier, more balanced life.
Mental health refers to your emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It encompasses your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, and it plays a vital role in how you handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. Good mental health isn’t just the absence of a mental illness; it’s about maintaining a positive state of well-being and resilience in the face of life’s challenges.
Mental health exists on a continuum, ranging from optimal mental well-being to various degrees of mental illness. It’s crucial to recognize that mental health isn’t binary—it’s a spectrum. A common misconception is that mental health and mental illness are opposites. In reality, they are interrelated. Just as physical health can fluctuate from excellent to poor, so can mental health. Mental illness is a diagnosable condition that may affect an individual’s mental well-being, but it doesn’t define the entirety of their mental health.
Why prioritize your Mental Health?
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Improved Physical Health: There is a strong connection between your mental and physical health. Chronic stress and untreated mental health issues can lead to physical health problems such as heart disease, diabetes, and weakened immune function.
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Enhanced Productivity: When your mind is in a good place, you’re better equipped to focus, make decisions, and solve problems efficiently. Prioritizing your mental health can boost your productivity at work and in your personal life.
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Better Relationships: A healthy mind enables you to communicate effectively, empathize with others, and build stronger relationships. It’s a key component of emotional intelligence.
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Resilience: Mental wellness equips you with the tools to cope with adversity and bounce back from setbacks. It helps you navigate life’s ups and downs with grace and resilience.
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Healthy Relationships: Good mental health is essential for nurturing positive relationships. It enables you to communicate effectively, empathize with others, and establish meaningful connections.
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Self-Understanding: Focusing on your mental health can lead to greater self-awareness. You gain insight into your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, which can help you make positive changes and personal growth.
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Preventative Care: Just as you engage in preventative measures to maintain physical health, prioritizing mental health is a form of preventative care. It can help identify and address issues before they escalate into more severe mental health conditions.
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Reducing Stigma: Prioritizing mental health helps reduce the stigma surrounding mental illness. By openly discussing and addressing mental health concerns, we can contribute to a more accepting and supportive society.
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Fulfillment: Ultimately, prioritizing mental health contributes to a more fulfilling and satisfying life. It allows you to pursue your goals and aspirations with a sense of purpose and well-being.
Practical Tips for Prioritizing Mental Health-
Self-Care: Make self-care a non-negotiable part of your routine. This can include activities like meditation, yoga, journaling, reading, or simply taking a leisurely bath. Find what brings you peace and make time for it regularly.
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Set Boundaries: Establish clear boundaries in your personal and professional life. Learning to say no when necessary and protecting your personal time can prevent burnout and stress.
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Seek Support: Don’t be afraid to reach out for help when needed. Whether it’s talking to a friend, family member, therapist, or counselor, seeking support is a sign of strength, not weakness.
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Practice Mindfulness: Mindfulness involves being fully present in the moment, which can help reduce stress and anxiety. Try meditation or simply focus on your breath for a few minutes each day.
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Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle: Proper nutrition, regular exercise, and adequate sleep are crucial for mental health. These factors can significantly impact your mood and overall well-being.
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Socialize and Connect: Human connection is essential for mental health. Spend time with loved ones, engage in social activities, and nurture your relationships.
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Manage Stress: Learn effective stress-management techniques, such as time management, deep breathing exercises, or progressive muscle relaxation.
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Set Realistic Goals: Avoid setting overly ambitious or unattainable goals that can lead to frustration and stress. Break your goals into smaller, manageable steps.
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Develop a Routine: Consistency can provide a sense of stability and control. Establishing a daily routine can help reduce anxiety and improve your mental health.
Prioritizing your mental health is not a luxury; it’s a necessity for a fulfilling and balanced life. Remember that mental health is an ongoing journey, and it’s okay to seek help and support when needed. By incorporating these practical tips into your life, you can work towards a healthier mind and overall well-being. Your mental health matters, and taking care of it is an investment in yourself and your future.
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About Thoughtability
At Thoughtability, our vision is to transform lives and communities through the power of therapeutic services. We envision a world where individuals, couples, and families can navigate life’s challenges with resilience, hope, and well-being. Our therapy service-based company is committed to creating a profound and lasting impact on the mental and emotional health of our clients and the broader society.
In pursuing our vision, Thoughtability aims to be a beacon of hope, healing, and personal growth. We are dedicated to helping individuals and communities thrive, one therapeutic journey at a time. Together, we can build a brighter, more resilient, and emotionally healthy world.
In pursuit of this vision, we dedicate ourselves to making a meaningful difference in the lives of our clients and contributing to a world where mental and emotional well-being are celebrated as fundamental to a fulfilling life. Together, we can transform pain into strength, adversity into resilience, and despair into hope.
Our mission is to provide accessible, effective, and compassionate therapy services that enhance mental and emotional well-being. We are dedicated to fostering a safe and supportive therapeutic environment that empowers our clients to overcome life’s challenges, find resilience, and lead more fulfilling lives.
We aim to:
Promote Healing: We help individuals heal from trauma, overcome mental health challenges, and build emotional resilience.
Strengthen Relationships: We support couples and families in fostering healthy, loving, and enduring relationships.
Facilitate Personal Growth: We empower individuals to achieve personal growth, self-discovery, and a deeper sense of purpose.
Reduce Stigma: We work tirelessly to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health, advocating for open conversations and increased awareness.
Empathy and Respect: We approach every client with empathy, respect, and understanding, creating a safe space where they can explore their thoughts, feelings, and experiences without judgment.
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Psychology Internship
OVERVIEWOur psychology internship program offers a unique opportunity for individuals who are passionate about psychology to gain practical experience, refine their skills, and prepare for a successful career in various psychological fields. Whether you are a graduate student, a recent psychology graduate, or seeking a career change, our program welcomes candidates from diverse backgrounds who are committed to personal and professional development.
Key Features & ExpectationsSupervised Clinical Experience: Interns will engage in supervised clinical experiences that may include individual and group therapy, psychological assessments, and treatment planning. They will have the opportunity to work with diverse populations and gain exposure to various therapeutic modalities.
Professional Development: Our program includes regular supervision and mentorship from licensed psychologists and experienced professionals in the field. Interns will receive feedback on their clinical work, participate in case consultations, and engage in professional development activities.
Research and Projects: Depending on their interests and the program’s focus, interns may have the chance to contribute to ongoing research projects, program evaluations, or community outreach efforts.
Ethical Practice: Throughout the internship, interns will uphold the highest ethical standards in psychology, ensuring the confidentiality and well-being of clients and adhering to ethical guidelines and regulations.
Networking and Collaboration: Interns will have opportunities to connect with peers, psychologists, and mental health professionals, fostering a supportive and collaborative environment for learning and growth
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Book a Therapy Appointment
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5 Mental Health Applications in 2023 that can boost your Mental Health
The covid-19 pandemic has led to the increasing development of mental health apps! During pandemic and the post-pandemic period, we all have seen the increased prevalence rate for mental illness. Not only the physical health but mental health was also affected during the global pandemic. The lockdowns, where in everyone was trapped with their families, without any social contact, was known as ‘social distancing’ which was initiated by the government. Most of the people were financially affected as well, due to the closure of workshops and offices, they were unable to provide their families with basic necessities like food, etc. Most organizations also saw an increased rate of employee absenteeism and turnover, that is when the hybrid culture came into practice. People started working from home and the meetings were held online, on platforms such as Zoom, Google meet, etc. Not only the work culture was affected but student’s education was affected as well, they started having online classes and exams (open book examinations). The affect of the pandemic was evident in every country of the world and it’s harsh realities were experienced as well. That’s when people started to prioritize mental health more because of the increasing prevalence rate of anxiety, depression, obsessive compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, etc.
Effectiveness of Mental Health Apps
The overpriced therapy sessions have led people to download various mental health apps that are available today, especially in India. The Mental Health apps offer various facilities to the consumers to keep a mental health check in, like filling out questionnaires that helps in being aware about our feelings and emotions. Some mental health apps also match the clients with a licensed therapist who is trained, experienced and accredited based on the client’s needs and preferences. These apps also provide a schedule of the therapist, to which the client can book a session comfortably. Clients can also ask questions whenever possible, gain insights, feedback and guidance. But these apps have a monthly and an yearly subscription where in they get to use these important facilities. People prefer these mental health apps over going to an offline therapy session with a psychologist.
Mental Health Apps- Replacement for Therapy
But the question is- are mental health apps, a replacement for therapy? Mental Health apps are not a substitute for therapy. They can provide awareness with respect to your mental health, through a mental health check in and a questionnaire. They ask you questions regarding your mental health like- how have you been feeling today, what emotions are you experiencing, any physical symptoms related to it, etc. This can help gain an insight regarding your mental condition, and what you can do about it. But these apps are not an alternative for therapy, although there are apps which also provide connecting with licensed psychologists but it is quite overpriced as compared to the normal charges of therapy in India. An average psychologist in India charges 1500/- per session, duration is for 60 minutes. Mental health apps can provide with helpful resources that can help improve your mental health like improving sleep cycle, reducing stress, working through mild relationship and family troubles, etc. But when it comes to severe and chronic mental health conditions like Depression, Schizophrenia, OCD, PTSD, Personality disorders, etc., people need to approach a licensed and experienced mental health professional, especially a clinical psychologist. People are concerned more for their physical health than mental health in India, they go to a physician whenever required but when it comes to mental health, no one is ready to pay for therapy. People are not to be blamed for this but it is the stigma that is attached to mental health that needs to change in a positive light.
Top 5 Mental Health Apps of 2023
1. BetterHelp
This mental health app has over 30,000 trained, experienced, and accredited therapists. It covers a wide range of areas- depression, anxiety, family therapy, individual therapy and couple therapy. It provides support through resources that help in overcoming personal changes. BetterHelp provides a number of features-
- Matching with the right therapist
- Unlimited messages to therapist
- Schedule live sessions with your therapist
- Gain access to webinars.
The cost of therapy at BetterHelp ranges from $60 to $90 (for every four weeks), it can be higher as well based on a number of factors like location, preferences and therapist availability. A traditional therapy can cost over $150 for a single session as compared to the low costs of BetterHelp.
2. Talkspace
This app is the most convenient and affordable way to improve your mental health. Through the comfort of the client’s device, they can connect with their therapist through text, video or audio calls. It provides high-quality mental health care to anyone who is aged around 13 and more. In a research study which was conducted on participants regarding the effectiveness of Talkspace, 81% of the participants reported that this app is more effective than an offline therapy session. In only two months, there were significant improvement of depressive symptoms and anxiety.
It has the following features:
- This app provides insurance for sessions.
- Children at the age of 13 and above are eligible to use this app.
- Connect with therapist easily.
- Provides individual, teen and couples therapy.
3. Calm
Calm app has been proved to be No.1 app for sleep, meditation, relaxation. It used music therapy to calm our nerves that help us to have a peaceful sleep. It also includes guided meditation, breathing programs, exercises and relaxing music. Calm has also been recommended by psychologists, therapists and mental health experts.
It has sleep stories as well that can help people who have difficulty sleeping like wonder story by Matthew, blue good by Stephen Fry, happy little Zzzs with Bob Ross and many more. Mindfulness topics include- managing stress, forgiveness, non-judgmental, deep sleep, happiness, relationships, etc. It includes the following features:
- 21 mindfulness program
- Breathing exercises
- Soundscapes
- 10 minutes meditation program
4. Headspace
Headspace has been awarded for creating a social impact on the society by Apple. Just like Calm app, it provides guided meditation, mindfulness and exercises on subject s like stress, anxiety, building resilience and many more. Headspace is a everyday mindfulness and meditation app, that can help us to learn how to relax, manage stress, finding focus, releasing stress and general anxiety.
It’s features include:
- Daily meditations
- Sleep sounds
- Stress relief and coping meditations
- Centered fitness and tension release
5. Happify
Happify has science-based activities and games that can help us overcome negative thoughts, stress and life challenges. 80% people who use Happify app regularly report feeling better about their lives in just 2 months. The techniques included in the app are all developed by some leading scientists and experts who have been studying evidence based interventions in the field of positive psychology. It has the following features-
- Unlimited access to 65+ tracks
- Unlimited access to games and meditations
- Helps in tracking progress everyday
- 20-page character strength report
Free Mental Health Apps by LoveYourHealing
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Do we have an Indian mental health app?
There are mental health startups in India that are providing therapy and support at low prices. In a country like India, where the stigma related to mental health is higher and the rate of mental illness is increasing as well, more mental health apps should develop. Some of the apps are:
- YourDOST
- Evolve
- Wysa
- Inner hour
- Manas
2. Are mental health apps better or offline therapy sessions? It depends upon the severity of the mental health conditions of the individual seeking help. Severe conditions like depression, schizophrenia, personality disorder, OCD, etc. It is not a substitute for therapy but it can count as counseling.
3. When should we use a mental health app?
If an individual is experiencing emotional distress, examination anxiety, stress, depression, grief/losing a loved one, relationship problems, etc. they can use the features that are provided in the mental health apps like mindfulness techniques, meditation, sleep sounds or connect with a therapist, etc. It can also help us deal with day-to-day problems like insomnia, lack of focus and procrastination.
4. What are the other ways to improve our mental health?
It is a subjective question, because improving our mental health depends upon us. Resources for reliving stress or anxiety can be different for everyone, one might feel relaxed after talking to a friend or by journaling their thoughts. Some of the ways to boost mental health that can be helpful-
- Practice self care
- Journal
- Talking/venting
- Get good sleep
- Connect with others
- Take a walk and self-reflect
5. How can I know, which mental health app is the right one?
The right mental health app depends upon your needs and preferences. Finding the right mental health app can do wonders to one’s mental health, especially if you find what you are looking for.
Here are some suggestions given by American Psychiatric Association:
- Features- choose the app which offers your needs, things that you need help with like anxiety, depression, stress relief, etc.
- Compatibility- some apps might be available on play store while others might be available on apple store, choose that app that is available on every platform.
- Evidence based- select that app which has been proven beneficial to the users.
- Privacy and security- check for clear privacy policies of mental health apps especially because of confidentiality and ethical issues.
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