I started a bullet journal in early-March 2017. At the time, I was a wreck. I had been trying to orient myself in a swirling mess of thoughts, emotions, and tasks. Following my hospital discharge, I was researching positive habits and ways to confront my perfectionism. Grand dreams were brewing about how I should lead…
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11 Cognitive Distortions for Students
Read moreI’m a university student in a program that has an admission requirement of a 90% average from grade 12 in high school. I absolutely love my program, but I have heard oh so often from my mental health professionals that it is a breeding ground for mental health issues. I attribute it to the fact…
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Abandonment – Overcoming the Fear
Read more“The reality, Nicole, is that although your thoughts are not completely rational and are definitely cognitively distorted, there is an element of truth to them this time.” I had spent three weeks ruminating endlessly on these thoughts that I shared with my psychiatrist, only to hear that statement from him. I knew that I wouldn’t…
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What to do when depression hits
Read moreI had a conversation with a friend the other day who asked me for advice on what to do when you are feeling so depressed that you cannot fathom performing any action at all.
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Creating a Crisis Plan
Read moreWhen do you use a crisis plan? First, let’s define for ourselves what a ‘crisis’ means. I think the definition differs per individual, and each individual must find out what they consider to be a crisis. But for myself, a crisis begins after attempting my coping strategies on my own. It occurs when I find…
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Bullet Journal – Activity Tracking for Mental Health
Read moreI looked up from my diary, my face streaming with tears. “This is supposed to be therapeutic,” I thought to myself. “Why am I feeling so much worse than when I started writing?” If this is something that you resonate with, then it may be time to reframe how you are approaching your journalling. For…
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Are emotions you? Are your thoughts you? What makes you…you?
Read moreSometimes people ask me what depression and anxiety is like. There are a myriad terms that can be used to describe it, but the best analogy I have found yet is that of a theatre performance in your mind. In my own mind, there is always a drama troupe putting on grandiose shows featuring rampant…
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7 Steps to Change Unhealthy Thoughts
Read moreNico, you’ve been sitting here watching Netflix for the last 2 hours. What are you doing? You think this is accomplishing anything? You’re wasting time. You’re not gonna get this time back. How are you ever going to be successful when you’re this lazy? When our thoughts become this muddled by our core beliefs, it…
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Overcoming anxiety – a step-by-step guide
Read moreI sat by myself. Not because I thought I was superior to others, or that I disliked those around me, but because I simply felt that I could not socialize with others. I looked around me. Students bumbling about with paper plates topped with potluck food, sharing fantastic plans for the upcoming break and talking…
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5 Intervention Points for Mental Health
Read moreIn my previous post regarding why people go “over the edge” and act impulsively/internalize suicidal tendencies, I explained a theoretical model that my psychiatrist presented to me while I was an inpatient at a local hospital. To summarize: Everyone has a different ‘baseline’ level of distress. There are generally two ways in which someone can…
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9 Apps for Improved Mental Health
Read moreThroughout my recovery process from depression and social anxiety (which is still ongoing), I have used a number of apps to aid me in gaining more self-awareness and a sense of personal agency. Please note that you do not have to be suffering from a mental illness to self-discover using these apps. Maintenance of mental…
