Time For Change

When I think of feeling happy the cold and gloomy days ahead of us are not really what comes to mind. By February the effects of the holiday season have worn off and it is usually about time to finally start my New Year’s resolutions. If you’re lucky you have a hot beach vacation to look forward to, to break up the remaining three months of winter. This year instead of getting sucked into endless scrolling on my phone and overeating until I can’t move, I’m going to look for ways to prevent myself from falling down that rabbit hole. By promoting good mental health and trying out ways to feel better I’m hopeful to make this February a month that I look back on in a positive way and I can avoid getting stuck back in the same rut come this time next year. Throughout the month I am going to bring forward a different topic or strategy every day that discusses happiness, stress, or anxiety; and how to improve your mental health. I am setting this as a challenge for myself to focus on positivity and take advantage of opportunities to grow and learn. Hopefully I can share some helpful resources and a little inspiration along the way.

It is normal to feel unhappy sometimes and there are things that happen in life that make us feel sad or upset. We all react differently to the things we experience in life but being able to relate to what other people are going through can be a big source of support. Often when I am feeling down or just stuck in a weird mood it helps just to hear someone say it’s okay. It can be hard to even admit to the people around me that I am feeling unhappy because there feels like so much pressure to look perfect all the time and mental health is still marked with stigma. We all experience an overwhelming variety of emotions and it isn’t about feeling happy all the time. My goal is to take advantage of the things I can do to improve my mood and support good mental health. Health is so much more than one dimensional and the more time we devote to any one area the more positive effects we will see throughout the rest of our life. There are a lot of great resources available and professionals that provide services if you are in need, I have included this information at the end of this post for anyone who needs it.

For the next month I will be discussing ideas, tips, practices, and all different sources of information with the goal of promoting positive wellbeing. Each post will focus on one specific topic and by the end of the month will provide a road map for getting started on taking care of yourself and your mental health.

Mental Health Helpline (Alberta)

1-877-303-2642 (24/7)

Addiction Helpline (Alberta)

1-866-332-2322 (24/7)

Access 24/7 - Call 780-424-2424 for adult addiction and mental health access 24/7

Health Link - Call 811 to speak with a Registered Nurse about your health concerns

Programs & Services - Alberta Health Services