Mental Health - Widower Experience (WX)

Anything to raise awareness about mental health is important and I do welcome days like "Mental Health Awareness Day" - and as every year on 10th October is World Mental Health Day - but it can't be allowed to be a day where companies, organisations, brands even, think they can pay lip service to it for a day and then forget all about it for the rest of the year. Sure it is good to have a dedicated day in the year - a day when we throw a spotlight on some of the biggest societal challenges that pose a threat to people’s mental health ... but - the mental health conversation and the mental health support required need to be ever-present.  World Mental Health Day is happening on Thursday 10th October 2024. The official theme is set annually by the World Federation for Mental Health. And the theme, as chosen by the World Federation for Mental Health is: “It is time to prioritize mental health in the workplace”. With worldwide issues like the Covid pandemic, social injustice...

Each May, the world unites to honor Mental Health Awareness Month, a time dedicated to focusing on mental health, raising awareness about mental health issues, and breaking down the stigma surrounding them. This month is a significant opportunity for us to make an impact by promoting understanding and providing valuable information on mental health. In a fast-paced and ever-changing world, where societal, technological, and personal pressures are at an all-time high, prioritizing mental health has become more critical than ever. The rapid shifts in our daily lives - whether through work demands, social media influence, or global uncertainties - can take a significant toll on our well-being. By fostering greater awareness and a deeper understanding, we can empower individuals to navigate these challenges with resilience, compassion, and the support they need. What Does Mental Health Awareness Mean? Mental health is just as important as physical health. Despite this, discussions around m...

March: Self-Injury Awareness Month – Let's Break Down Stigmas and Support Each Other March is Self-Injury Awareness Month, a time to shed light on a often hidden and misunderstood issue. Self-injury, also known as self-harm, is a response to severe emotional distress where a person intentionally hurts themselves to cope with overwhelming feelings or combat emotional numbness. It's more common than you might think, with around 15% of teenagers and 4% of adults experiencing some form of self-injury. It's crucial to recognize the warning signs, so we can support those who might be struggling. Warning Signs of Self-Injury Consistent injuries on arms, legs, or other body parts, such as scabs, bruises, burns, or cuts Wearing long sleeves, pants, or coats in warm weather to hide injuries Repeatedly making excuses for injuries Avoiding activities and relationships they used to enjoy, and withdrawing from social life Self-harm can take various forms, but the most common are ... skin...

Blue Ribbon Day is often celebrated within Blue Ribbon Week as a focal point for activities and events dedicated to child abuse awareness. Originating from a grandmother’s heartache over the devastating loss of her grandson to abuse, the blue ribbon symbolically calls for society’s attention to the vulnerabilities children face. The day, therefore, stands as both a memorial and a call to action, urging communities to address the issue and protect children from neglect and harm. Blue Ribbon Week Apr 7th, 2025 - Apr 13th, 2025 Goals of Blue Ribbon Week The primary goal of Blue Ribbon Week is to shine a spotlight on the prevalence and implications of child abuse and neglect. By encouraging conversation and reflection, the initiative aims to: Educate: Inform communities about the forms child abuse can take—physical, emotional, sexual, and neglect—along with the signs and symptoms. Engage: Foster community involvement through events and activities, promoting a collective responsibility towa...

World Autism Awareness Day is an international day celebrated every year on April 2nd. It's a special day aimed at raising awareness of autism, a developmental disorder that affects communication and social interaction. The goal is to educate people about autism and to promote acceptance and inclusion for individuals on the autism spectrum. Autism, also known as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), is a complex neurological developmental disorder that affects communication, social interaction, and behavior. It manifests differently in every individual with symptoms ranging from mild to severe. Some common signs of autism are difficulties in social interaction, repetitive behaviors, and communication difficulties. Autism is a growing concern worldwide and affects about 2 to 5% of all children – but not only children. It is often diagnosed for the first time in adulthood. It is a lifelong condition for which there is currently no cure. However, one could also wonder if a 'cure' is...

Rules of life - there are several one. But the main one for me are the three As ... A wareness         A cceptance         A ction Or in other words, getting aware, then accepting and our understanding that there is a way through any situation In my private life, in my decades as competitive sportsman, and on my jobs as craftsman, paramedic, architect or now as designer - I never call it in question that I have to be aware of, review, comprehend and perhaps dig into the circumstances, driving and influencing aspects and use my empathy. And that is even more true when it comes to self-awareness. The first step toward change is awareness. If we feel that something as it should be, can be, might be ... that we suffer, that we are not happy, or can not accept something any longer ... and I firmly believe that is true for personal life as well as professional life. I verily believe that our mental health needs this as a basement and that...

Die Bedeutung mentaler Gesundheit geht weit über persönliche Pflege und Selbsterkenntnis hinaus; sie umfasst auch grundlegende gesellschaftliche Aspekte wie Teilhabe und Barrierefreiheit. Jeder Mensch, unabhängig von seinen Fähigkeiten, sollte die Möglichkeit haben, vollständig und gleichberechtigt am Leben teilzunehmen, sowohl im physischen als auch im digitalen Raum. Der Global Accessibility Awareness Day, ein Tag, der weltweite Aufmerksamkeit auf die Barrierefreiheit lenkt, erinnert uns daran, dass eine digitale Welt ohne Hindernisse ein wesentlicher Baustein für das Wohlbefinden aller ist. Durch die Schaffung von zugänglichen digitalen Umgebungen tragen wir nicht nur zu einer integrativen Gesellschaft bei, sondern unterstützen auch die mentale Gesundheit unserer Gemeinschaften, indem wir sicherstellen, dass niemand ausgeschlossen oder behindert wird. Lassen Sie uns gemeinsam diese Vision verfolgen und die Grundlagen für eine inklusive Zukunft legen, in der jeder sich entfalten und ...

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, ...

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...

There are many reasons why inner peace is important in all aspects of life - but the most important reason is YOU! Inner peace means being calmness - mentally and spiritually calm - being aware of yourself, in sync with yourself, with your emotions despite the everyday challenges of life. When you found and have peace of mind, you’ll not be swayed by what people think about you or the events and challenges you encounter. They allow us to overcome the problems that life hands us and all the curveballs and trick plays of life. Self-awareness, love and peace of mind do protect you. It teach us to survive… to live now… to have the courage to confront each day. Finding inner peace is a personal experience, and peace means something different for everyone. There are several ways to find peace within yourself  - being at peace with yourself can mean: Feeling secure about yourself and your path Being mindful and self-aware Finding the ability to let go No matter how you achieve it, in...

Thoughts that are "positive" are not a good way to approach life, in spite of common sense and self-help advice. Friends advise you to "hold out hope." Gurus of self-improvement advocate for "the law of attraction." My heart and soul are filled with 'Aye' and 'Nae'. Because thinking like this only breeds disappointment, despair, and anxiety. (Why, in your opinion, do most people lack productivity and low self-esteem?) Instead, I developed a life strategy that is actually much more effective for me: I began practicing stoicism without realizing it was that. This article will outline / list five essential Stoic concepts which helped me and I hope that they will help you "upgrade" your thinking and gain confidence in your ability to accomplish ´'challenges of life'. Develop mind power All humans possess the ability to think, feel, and use their minds. Thoughts give us opinions about other people, things, and ourselves. These ...

Caregiving is about having the patience and empathy to help people in their most vulnerable states. Great caregiving respects and dignifies the lives people have built and lived, and strives to enrich their day-to-day experience wherever possible. Becoming a caregiver for others, for relatives, for your parents or your partner is rarely included on a person’s list of future-facing plans, but it occurs far more frequently than most realize.  When two people commit to spending their lives together, it’s a moment of celebration. They often envision settling into a home together, maybe growing a family, going on adventures, exploring shared passions and hobbies, and celebrating major milestones. But we all know where light there is also shadow. For myself it was a as a matter of course and was without discussion that I stand with my wife. But at the beginning I was not aware about the level of hyper-awareness that came and often comes with being a caregiver for your partner—managing he...

It starts as so often with awareness and honesty - awareness of yourself and honesty to yourself. Honesty of feelings is the pivotal factor for self-awareness . Emotional Honesty is ones capacity to consciously feel our own true feelings, our true emotions, as we experience them in our body. everyone experiences loneliness from time to time. The feeling can be especially noticeable around the holidays, Valentine's Day, birthdays, and times of extreme stress. In a world so big, it can be easy to feel alone. Loneliness can happen to anyone at any time, but even so, blue feelings are never fun. Thankfully, there are ways to cope and deal with loneliness, and they’re probably simpler than you may think. We’ve rounded up the best ways to help you start feeling like yourself again (plus explanations for why you may be lonely). Now, everyone is different, so all of these tricks may not work for you, but it doesn’t hurt to give them a try to see what does! Practice Self-Care When you'r...