We are three weeks into Mental Health Month. How are you feeling? Have you been able to incorporate some of the tips and utilize the worksheets from week one (Adapting after trauma and stress) and week two (Dealing with anger and frustration)? The COVID-19 pandemic has had profound impacts on the mental health of people of all ages, and now more than ever it is critical to reduce the stigma around mental health struggles that commonly prevents individuals from seeking help.

For week three, Balanced You is focusing on the topic ‘processing big changes.’ It’s safe to say that most of us experienced significant changes in the past year, with the COVID-19 pandemic effecting almost every aspect of our lives. It still feels uncertain if and when our lives will go back to normal and that can make us feel helpless and out of control.

Tips for processing big change

Actively working to process the mental struggles associated with big changes and making time to care for yourself will help you adapt more easily. You can write out your thoughts and feelings on paper to ease your mind from racing. Instead of holding it in your head, you can release it on paper.

Finding support can help you feel less alone and learn from others who’ve gone through similar changes. Big changes can come with a lot of grief, which is important to process and feel your way through.

Mental Health America put together Tips for Processing Change with more information. After you’ve read through the tips, take some time to go through the accompanying Dealing with Change worksheet. Use these tools to process an existing or upcoming change that you are facing.

More resources

Interested in exploring more resources and tips from Balanced You? Read through past blog posts Self-care at your fingertips, Self-care toolkit for King County responders and essential personnel, and past mental health blog posts.