Why be a good friend?

 

Our society tends to place romantic relationships on the highest pedestal. However, I believe that a good friendship is just as important to our mental welfare.

There is a common saying that I am sure you have heard and that is ‘treat others how you would like to be treated.’ .. Are you doing this? Are you as reliable as you expect people around you to be? Are you as honest, or fun or helpful as you expect people to be? What do YOU have to achieve and become in order to attract the kind of people in your life that you want to hang out with?

It’s a fact that friendships have a huge impact on a person’s mental health, social life and overall well-being.

We all learn from an earlier age – When you plant seeds you need to look after them, nurture them, water them, shield them and protect them – then they will grow and give you back fruit or vegetables, shade or happiness.

Ask yourself these questions:

Do I have people in my life that support me, nurture me, laugh with me, cry with me, lift me up when I am down and listen when I need help? Are you willing to listen, learn, support when needed?

Or do you have people around you that pull you down, that hold you back, that manipulate you to stay small or not put your head above the lid?

The value of being a good friend does not have a price. As a good friend you have the capacity to relieve a friend’s stress, providing comfort, joy and preventing loneliness and isolation. On the flip side, a lack of social connection especially in lock down may likely pose as much of a risk as depression, anxiety which bring all sorts of new problems.

However, being a good friend is not just a benefit to your friend but is also a benefit to YOU.

Friendships are a two-way street and you will notice that building strong friendships will create a positive environment that you want to remain in forever, right?

Evaluate your environment and see if it supports you and make decisions if this is not the case! Leave behind what is toxic and move towards what makes you happy.

Start a new hobby, meet new people, surround yourself with likeminded people and the most important is… GIVE don’t ask… when YOU are giving it will make you feel good, you will make others around you happy and you will get it back 10 times from ways you never even expected!

Start your first step today!

Anxiety – wide spread – but a good thing?

I would like you to consider an interesting and different perspective toward anxiety and that is - is anxiety always bad? Surprisingly not. Let’s face it – anxiety can be a powerful motivator. Anxiety can work for you as long as it moves you to the right kind of action. For example, suppose you will be taking an exam for school or work the following week. Anxiety is capable of compelling you to study immediately and achieve something great.

A degree of anxiety can also alert you to danger. Perhaps you may feel anxious because you know that you’re taking a wrong course of action – Anxiety will help you to avoid such a wrong action for your conscience to be at rest.

Now don’t get me wrong, I am not advertising that you should be anxious all the time in order to become an overperforming monkey! But I want you to SEE and FEEL that when you shift your view point and FIND the positive angle in any situation- your feeling and your according action will change too.

Especially during the last 18 months people have come back to me and told me about the rising fears, income, job, children at home, or even worse things like abuse from a partner through constantly being home.

Anxiety can appear to be a constant battle that can seem emotionally and perhaps physically overwhelming. If you are reading this and it resonates with you then your situation will be different from the next person. Anxiety can stem from personal difficulties, a challenging upbringing or even genetics, such as negative thinking, a divorce, loss of a job, and grief.

“How can I overcome this?” There are many ways and not everything works for everyone but I would like to add a few points that you can try from home that are easy and free.


Exercise

Yes, exercise! Maintaining physical health closely connects to our mental health. Exercising whether that is enjoying a walk, swimming or team sports release a happy chemical in the brain called endorphins. So go on that walk through your local park and try, or go swimming with the kids or just do whatever feels good for YOU! If your body feel better, once you’ve overcome the muscle ache, - then your mind will automatically feel better too!