5 Ways to Support Your Mental Health in a “What Now?” World

I remember unwrapping my first smartphone in 2012. I was a first-year graduate student and had decided it was time to finally upgrade the red Nokia flip phone I had for many years lovingly referred to as “old faithful.”

The instant it powered up and that white Apple logo appeared, I expected great things.

I was amazed to find I had instant access to The Weather Channel via their app (hey, I lived in Kansas at the time, and those tornadoes came on fast!), and of course I found myself slicing fruit like a ninja, inventorying my sparkling jewels, and crushing candy.

It also didn’t take long before my new high-speed-computer-in-a-pocket started dinging every time there was a major news alert. And, as it turned out, that happened a lot.

I started to feel overwhelmed every time the phone made any sounds. What now?, I’d wonder.

Fast forward to 2023, and it seems like every time I open my phone there is another disaster.

Gun violence. Climate change. Economic troubles. Democracy at risk. Global pandemics.

If I’m being honest, I find myself asking “What now?” a lot these days. And I don’t think I’m the only one.

In fact, according to the American Psychiatric Association, Americans rated their mental health worse than in previous years and anticipated higher stress at the onset of 2023.

So how do we support our mental health in a “What Now?” world? At Feel Creative Wellness, LLC we have some ideas.

1.     Limit the time you spend on social media.

Social media can be an excellent tool to help us stay connected with friends and family, get news and information, and even find new communities to build support networks in a fast-paced world.

However, it also opens us up to the ideas, opinions, and tragedies of literally billions of other humans—some of whom do not have our best interests at heart. According to research out of MIT, heavy social media use is making mental health problems like anxiety and depression worse. Yikes.

But we have an idea that could help: limit the time you spend on social media.

Did you know that your smartphone can tell you exactly how much time you spend using it each week? It can even break down how much time was spent using certain apps (ahem…Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter). If you find yourself checking your phone every few minutes or feel a sense of dread every time it dings, it may be time to set usage limits, disable notifications, or even delete apps. (If you go that route, we suggest deleting one app at a time to see how it feels. Extensive social media use/reliance has been compared to addiction.)

2.     Meditate.

According to the Mayo Clinic, meditation is a simple and fast way to reduce stress. Meditation is particularly helpful when your brain feels like it’s on information overload (which can happen easily in a “What now?” world.) The health benefits of meditation include (but are not limited to): building skills to manage stress, reducing anxiety, increasing creativity, improving patience and tolerance, lowering resting heart rate and blood pressure, improving sleep, and improving mood.

If you’ve never meditated before, we don’t recommend trying to sit in total silence for an hour. If you aren’t used to it, your nervous system may find it difficult to settle. Instead, start small. We suggest starting with short, guided meditations with music. Our favorite apps include Chopra, Calm, and Insight Timer (Note: We don’t have any affiliation with any of those companies! We genuinely like their content.)

Speaking of music…

3.     Use music!

As an experienced Board-Certified Music Therapist with a master’s degree in music therapy and advanced training in Neurologic Music Therapy, I approve this message: Use music to support your health.

In a world that tends to over-complicate things, we at Feel Creative Wellness propose it’s time to get back to the basics. We are all innately creative beings. Odds are, when you were a child, you used to listen to, move to, and create music all the time. In fact, while out hiking last weekend enjoying California’s current Super Bloom, I observed multiple children who were spontaneously singing while they hiked. No concern for whether or not it was “good enough;” just simple music-making.

At some point, many of us start to believe the cultural lie that creativity—or even experiencing joy— is “just for kids.” It’s time to reclaim your innate creativity, and infusing your life with more music is a great, science-backed place to start. A few ways music can support your health:

•             Singing releases dopamine, serotonin, and endorphins (the “feel good” hormones) and decreases cortisol (“the stress hormone”).

•             Playing musical instruments leads to improved cognition (a sharper mind) and improved memory.

•             Music engages parts of the brain that help you pay attention, stay on task, and solve problems.

•             Listening to music can reduce perceived intensity of pain and help the mind and body calm down faster after stressful and/or painful experiences.

•             Listening to music, moving to music, and creating music within a community has a positive effect on mental and physical health. It also contributes to better communication, building a sense of identity, and building or restoring social networks.

•             According to a meta-analysis, listening to, moving to, and creating music leads to significant improvement in perceived health-related quality of life and overall well-being.

Still not convinced? NAMM has put together a long list of benefits and their corresponding sources for you to check out.

Convinced and ready to work 1:1 with a Board-Certified Music Therapist who is specifically trained to use music as part of the therapy process to help support your physical and mental health? Visit www.feelcreativewellness.com to learn more or email us to book your free initial 20-minute consultation to decide if Music Therapy is right for you. We offer both in-person and virtual sessions.

4.     Offer yourself compassion if you are still grieving something and it seems everyone else has already moved on.

With today’s news moving at the speed of light, it can sometimes feel like everyone has moved on to today’s tragedy while you are still grieving what happened yesterday. When that happens, take time to remind yourself that grief is a highly individualized, complex, and completely normal response to stressful and/or traumatic events. Show yourself compassion by taking the time you need to process the event(s) and fully feel the emotions you need to feel. (We’re kind of big on feeling here at Feel Creative Wellness.)

If you need to, turn off your phone—or at least silence the alerts. Choosing to honor your feelings does not mean you are insensitive to or apathetic about what’s happening in the world; it simply means you are choosing to support your mental health so that you don’t completely burn out and render yourself incapacitated. What good can you do for the world if you are completely burned out? (Thich Nhat Hanh referred to this concept as “Engaged Action,”—highly recommend reading more on that.)

5.     Consider therapy.

We live in really challenging times. Seeking outside support is not a sign of weakness; it is a sign of courage. If you find yourself regularly feeling overwhelmed, anxious, burned out, lacking joy, unable to focus, or even totally numb, it’s time to consider reaching out to a professional. Asking for help may be the most important thing you can do for yourself, for your friends, and for your family.

If you’re looking for professional support that incorporates creativity (especially music), engaged mindfulness, and meditation guidance, we hope you’ll reach out to us today. It’s time to start feeling better, and we’re ready to help. Visit www.feelcreativewellness.com to learn more and schedule your free initial 20-minute consultation to decide if Feel is right for you.