boiMAG.com "Dearman Health Article"

by: Dr. Charla Waxman BS, MBA, EdD Director of Business Development Lake Behavioral Hospital

Relationships, work, finances, trauma…. the list of things that can create stress and anxiety are many and any one of these can take a toll on your physical health and your mental health. To manage your mental health means planning and developing skills to help navigate difficult times before you need them.

Here are some ways you can manage your mental health. These are ongoing skills that can benefit you on a daily basis. Give them a try.

DEARMAN

What? This acronym was created by Dr. Marsha Linehan and is part of Dialectical Behavioral Therapy. The acronym spelled out, is as follows:

Describe: This means describing in clear words what your needs are.

Express: Be in control, and express a full range of feelings.

Assert: Find the middle ground. Being passive or aggressive cannot help you achieve success in relationships.

Reinforce: Help the person understand what you want and why you are expressing your needs in this moment and how they can help by being honest in their communication and response to your needs.

Stay Mindful: This is about staying in the moment and staying in focus as you communicate. Avoid distractions.

Appear Confident: Believing in yourself often helps others believe in you and listen more carefully to what you have to say.

Negotiate: This a mature way to show that “it’s not all about you” ; someone else’s feelings and needs are at stake. Be a compromiser.

Journal: Sort your feelings out in writing. You can review, contrast and compare how you are managing your emotions.

Pray or Meditate: Depending on your practices, prayer and meditation may help give you a state of relaxation to begin or end your day. There are some great apps that can help you find the best way of managing your mental health. Practicing breathing techniques is a great way to start.

Pay Attention to Your Body: Simply put, eat well, work out and sleep plenty. Journal this and you will find you may begin competing with yourself to do better and better with each of these important life elements.

Achieving mental health is not always easy. If you need support because you find that you are struggling to feel successful, to cope or that handling day to day tasks is just too much, don’t go it alone. Call Lake Behavioral Hospital for a free assessment that will help determine the best kind of support for you right now. Calling 855- 990-1900 at any time for an appointment is a great step toward managing your mental health.

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