With the increasing demands of our everyday lives, it can sometimes be difficult to pay much attention to our own mental health. Do you ever stop and think, “How am I doing mentally?”
“We can get distracted easily by the needs of others or the things around us that need to change for us to feel better. The reality is that our mental health is in our own hands,” said Caitlin LaTona, LCSW, program supervisor. “We are in control of how we think, how we feel, and what we do. If we are able to shift our focus to what we can control, rather than what we cannot, we will have the power to change our circumstances.”
To maintain or improve our mental health, it is important to incorporate regular self-care into our daily life. Self-care should be intentional and practiced mindfully. Self-care includes practice of positive affirmations such as “I am doing the best I can” or “I have people in my life that love and care about me.” Self-care includes spending time with loved ones that help you feel supported and accepted. If you notice you feel better after spending time with certain people, surround yourself with them more often! Self-care is doing things that you enjoy such as painting, dancing, fishing, or roller-blading. Physical activity decreases stress hormones like cortisol and increases endorphins, which helps to give your mood a natural boost (Star, 2023). If someone practices self-care activities on a daily or weekly basis, they will likely see improved mental well-being.
There are times that self-care alone is ineffective and professional help is needed. There are things to watch out for to help determine when professional help may be needed including:
- Excessive worry/fear
- Inability to stop or control worrying
- Irritability or agitation
- Feeling depressed or hopeless
- Trouble concentrating on things
- Restlessness or inability to relax
- Thoughts that you would be better off dead or of hurting yourself in some way
- Insomnia or oversleeping
- Having nightmares or flashbacks about past traumas.
If you experience such symptoms and notice your life at home or work is suffering, you should seek mental health treatment.
Catholic Charities Behavioral Health offers outpatient mental health services for adults and children age three and up. Catholic Charities Behavioral Health has multiple locations in Niagara and Erie County. The Niagara County sites, one in Lockport and one in Niagara Falls, specifically serve children and adolescents. Clients are eligible to receive services at the Niagara County locations until they turn 22 years old. The Erie County sites, those in Cheektowaga, and the City of Buffalo, provide services to children, adolescents, and adults.
To access services with Catholic Charities Behavioral Health, contact 1-877-448-4466. All referrals receive a mental health assessment to help determine eligibility for services.
