Mental Health - Widower Experience (WX)

Compassion Is Not a “Nice-to-Have.” It’s Essential. On this World Humanitarian Day, we shine a light on those who put their own well-being aside to be there for others. People working in crisis zones, helping in disaster situations, or quietly supporting behind the scenes what others can barely endure. I’ve been in many of these situations myself—not at the world’s major hotspots, but at small personal crisis centers right within our communities. As a medic soldier, a paramedic on the streets, part of a motorcycle rescue team, on medical services—and today, often in psychosocial emergency care. I remember one call where I sat next to a young man who had just lost his father. We simply sat there. I hardly said a word. But in that moment, that was exactly what he needed: not to be alone. These moments remind me over and over: Humanity doesn’t need a title or a uniform—it needs presence. Even outside of emergency lights and uniforms, compassion can make an impact. As a UX designer, I ...

Can you believe the year is already coming to a close? Time really flew by, didn't it?   The new year is such a great opportunity for fresh beginnings (though I’m a big fan of starting whenever you feel ready, not just on January 1st, haha). Still, there’s something undeniably *special* about kicking things off on the first day of the year. I’m sure you can relate. 5 Selfcare Ideas Thoughts to Kickstart the New Year 1. Savor Those Holiday Treats This isn’t the time to be obsessing over calories or denying yourself those festive cravings. Enjoy the delicious foods and drinks that come with the season! You don’t need to throw your health out the window, but let yourself indulge guilt-free. 2. Create Your Ultimate New Year Playlist Music and selfcare go hand in hand! When I need to unwind or recharge, music is my go-to. As we move into the new year, why not create a playlist that gets you pumped and ready to tackle your goals? It’s the perfect way to lift your spirits and motivat...

Self-awareness starts and goes on with a continuous process and perception of yourself - including your personality, strengths, weaknesses, passion and more and your emotions- and this leads you to a knowledge about yourself, acquaintances and familiarity - referring to an objective and non-judgemental evaluation. Why me - why should you value self-awareness so much? Sometimes what we feel can fool us. Feelings and emotions are highly subjective. Without self-awareness, our emotions can lead us to false beliefs. When you know yourself well and you are able to judge yourself at least a little more objectively, it's much easier to break free from emotional bondage and challenges. If you deal with it in a more reflective way, you can deal with the ups and downs of life better because you understand them better - better understand what you want and what you want, should or must do next. Emotions are the essential part of life Emotions are an integral part of who we are, but they are no...

The person in life who will always be with you always and all time, is yourself. Even when you are with others, you are still with yourself, too! When you are at the most beautiful or important place in the world - the most beautiful and important person is there as well. When your are laying in bed at night you are with yourself. When you wake up in the morning, you are with yourself. When you are walking along a beautiful beach in the sunlight you are with yourself. What kind of person do you want to walk along the beach with? What kind of person do you want to wake up in the morning with? What kind of person do you want to see dusk is falling, before you fall asleep? Because that person is yourself, and it's your responsibility to be that person you want to be with. It is up to us how and what we think about ourselves and how we can perceive ourselves. Every person is something unique in the world. Self-awareness is important because our feelings are an expression of our needs. ...

Resilience isn’t just a buzzword — it’s a vital part of mental health and emotional well-being. In the world of mental health care, we now recognize that treatment and support aren't only about managing symptoms; they're also about   building the inner strength to cope, adapt, and recover . Whether you’re navigating personal stress, supporting others, or working in a high-pressure environment, resilience acts like a protective shield — helping you bounce back from setbacks and stay grounded through life’s challenges. But how do we build resilience in everyday life? One simple, science-backed framework I often come back to is  R.E.S.T.  — a four-part guide to nourishing your mind and body when life feels overwhelming. Let’s explore what R.E.S.T. means and how you can use it to strengthen your resilience, one small habit at a time. R.E.S.T.: A Simple Framework for Building Resilience In today’s fast-paced world, stress is inevitable — but burnout doesn’t have to be. The dif...

There are many forces that divide us in the world: politics, religion, beliefs to name just a few. What unites us is the desire to live with dignity. But not all political systems and religious beliefs give or allow everyone the identical, same or similar opportunities - so many people on our planet fight to ensure that they and their loved ones can have a dignified life and, ultimately, self-determined living until a dignified end. Dignity is one of the most important things to the human spirit. At least that is my firm believe, even if some religious and political views see it differently. Everyone has the right to lead a dignified life and to realize and try to unfold their potential and to find their personal joy of life and happiness. Young, old, rich, poor - anywhere in the world we all have the right to be treated with dignity. We treat others with dignity whenever we help other, stand up for a friend or recognize the qualities and talents that make each of us special. When thin...

Happiness is an emotion that all people desire, actually all the time, and at the same time most find that they experience it all too rarely. Poets and philosophers focus on the question "How can I be happy?" for centuries - and don't we all concentrate on this question in the last few years or centuries? For decades, however, scientists from other disciplines have also taken it up. Nobody knows a simple recipe for a happy life. Last but not least, this may be due to the fact that we are chasing “a false kind of happiness”. Joy - Happiness - Contentment What we generally and our Society understand by the term happiness - and the related terms "joy" and "contentment" I am unable to say or interpret. But I can share what I understand and feel when I think about happiness, joy and contentment. Joy is a strong feeling that usually occurs in response to a pleasant situation and moment. Joy is rather short-term; a feeling of being alive and vital. Happiness...

This article should not trying to make you have more positive thoughts or more rational thoughts - or at least not completely - perhaps partly - as that's how I do it as stoic. Even more I am trying to help you to have a different relationship to your thoughts, and your fears. Fear, anxiety and panic can severely affect life. This no question. And yes there might be and for sure a short-term relief is occuring when fears are avoided and fearful situations are prevented, avoided, or bypassed. However, avoidance will preserve and maintain the fear in the long term, and will further limiting life. The solution most often will be found in facing your fears. Fear is just a feeling - it is that easy - but as well - that challenging  Same as we can not turn on and off the feeling of love and mourning - we can not turn of the fear of something. But the moment we accept out fear and embrace it with compassion - the moment we can begin to create and build upon our own self-trust. The thing i...

When the days are getting shorter - it is normal and extremely common to feel a kind of autumn or winter blues - many people feel sluggish and down during these months. With decreased sunlight and shorter days during the winter, our vitamin D, serotonin, and melatonin levels can become low, which exacerbates depression and other changes of their mood. When the weather is cold, people tend to stay indoors and become socially isolated especially or even more during the still ongoing time of Covid. They may also get less exercise, which can cause weight gain, lethargy, and lower mood. What can you do to beat the blues when the short, dark days are getting you down? A few hints I like to share ...  1. Practice gratitude and awareness Our thoughts precede our emotions and behaviors, so keep your thinking positive. Did you ever thought about autumn and its beauty? Autumn shows us how beautiful it is to let things go. Autumn can be seen as a second spring - when every leaf is a ...

Being able to be your true self is one of the strongest components of good mental health. Sometimes the people around you won’t understand your journey.  They don’t need to, it’s not for them. But - You are not alone.  You are seen.  I am, we are, your friends and family are with you. You are not alone. Mental health is more than the absence of 'fun'. It exists on a complex continuum, which is experienced differently from one person to the next, with varying degrees of difficulty and distress and potentially very different social and clinical outcomes. Mental health is an integral component of maintaining good overall health. When individuals are mentally healthy, they are able to realize their own abilities, cope with the normal stresses of life, work productively, and make positive contributions to their community. It is important to do your best to find an outlet that allows you to be open and honest about your struggles, be it with a therapist, good friend, or family ...

Life is made up of small moments spread over days, weeks and months. Your happiness is built on these small moments. That is why you should strive to enjoy your day – every day. And everyone's daily routine should have enjoyment and fun built into every day, because it  is important for our mental health and well-being. I like to share a few ways on how you can enjoy Your day so that you can get started to interwreathe more enjoyment into your day and your life. Find the Moments, Activities or Breaks which boost your energy Lately I wrote about giving yourself the right and permission to rest ( Link to the article ) Sleep is the top priority when it comes to resetting your mental health, but that can be hard to believe when you consider that one in three adults does not get enough sleep every night. Sometimes the key to resting and making breaks - and happiness lies all too often in the simple things, like the great outdoors. Research shows that spending just 20 minutes o...

The feeling of self-worth / the way you judge yourself, is built on / growing on your roots of ... confidence and awareness of yourself - the knowledge of your personality, your abilities and your goals as well as the conviction of your own actions trust in yourself - believing in yourself and your strengths acceptance of yourself - accepting your weaknesses and knowing that you are always good enough Everyone is born with these roots, but you have to work on them to make them stable and strong - it is up to you to care for these roots and yourself. And the recognition we receive from others - starting when we were children - affects how we feel about ourselves as adults. If you were laughed at because we missed certain goals or you were constantly picked last for the team, you may still think today that you are not good or get attention or not the way we like to get. A lack of respect, ridicule and distrust can damage feeling of self-worth and the way you judge yourself. As a result, ...

To understand others, it is absolutely essential and inevitable that you see and understand your true values. Self-awareness, self-understanding, self-acceptance, and self-respect are the vital foundations to develop these values and empathy for other people - It helps improve self-esteem, personality, confidence, and the various relationships people build with one another. Change begins from within, and self-respect plays a huge role in bringing such change. On the flip side, without these foundations, it is / it will be difficult to have honesty, confidence, and integrity. Many people have been criticizing themselves for years, and in almost each case - I can tell you - it hasn’t worked. Try approving of yourself and see what happens! Self-belief is not self-centered. And too many people overvalue what they are not and undervalue what they are. We can only fight effectively for others if we already believe in ourselves. Believe in yourself! We should keep in m...

Dealing with a topic like death and dying is not easy for most people. Especially when it comes to death and dying in their personal environment, many people don't know at all how to deal with it. But that was not always the case, because there were times when death was, so to speak, a constant companion of people. Today we don't come into contact with death that much as our ancestors in the past. There are several reasons one is, the general life expectancy of people is increasing due to improved living conditions and modern medicine.  The global life expectancy at birth for women is 75 years old and for men, it’s 70 years old. However, in America, the average life expectancy for women is 81 years and for men 77 years. On average, a woman lives 82 years and a man only 76 years in Germany. In the erstwhile centenaries things were quite different. On average, the people in previous years of the turn-of-the-century 1891-1900 men only became 40 years old and women 44 years old in...

Nowadays we all forced - not only by the pandemic. The everyday life, each business is subject to a constantly, permanently faster, changing world. and we all often have more than one role - at home, in business, spare time ... even as I am no father or mother - and even this article will be of help for everyone - this time I like to emphasize mothers and care-givers (I took care on my wife for 11 years 24/7 ) - especially mothers and care-givers are needing short breaks for self-care even more - mothers take care on so much up from the first blink of the baby's eye. Mothers and care-givers are often under constant stress almost around the clock.  No matter what your job is - self-care is very important. So that you can do your job, so that you can be there for your family AND be there for yourself. We all know that we cannot take care of others or do our best if we don't take care of ourselves as well. Take care of your own needs and your power balance and listen to your...

Dignity is a word, label we often can read, hear and see in so many quotes, news and in various context. When we are young, we are taught that dignity is something that we should look after and develop. The German Basic Law codify that the human dignity is inviolate and may not be balanced against any other right or value. Any violation of human dignity is unconstitutional - that is what our German and many other laws tell us. Even if it is necessary to have a public spirit and social understanding in order not to violate the limits of dignity. I see dignity as one of the most personal and unique values which a person has and everyone can only define for themselves. Dignity is so much more than how someone appears, or how others see one. On the one hand dignity is as simple as it is and on the other hand at the same time so much complicated - I see dignity as the sum of the positive thoughts and the personal environment, and what develops and does in ourselves. Aspects like ... S...

Tonight I heard the song "Man In The Mirror" by Michael Jackson ... ... and I was reminded how inspirational,  meaningful and powerful it is.  Like Mahatma Gandhi said "Be the change you want to see in the world" This song has a significant message ... I guess we all know times in life when we are so fed up, that one finally decide enough is enough!  There are many things in life we can’t change. Aye - there are so many things I can't / you can’t / one can't control - but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try.  That’s a fact - True - And we must accept it - But there is one thing you are fully in charge of ... it's oneself. If we want things to be different around us, at work or in the world, it starts with one person / with each of us.  Put yourself in position to do so by analyzing the results you're getting- and take a hard look at the face staring back and determine whether we’re doing everything we can to make a difference. It all starts with ...