Mental Health Tips from People Who've Been There
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- čas přidán 23. 03. 2020
- In which John discusses his difficult week and the mental health tips for social distancing from Partners in Health. You can read the PIH article here: www.pih.org/article/10-mental...
I also made a printable list of these tips, which you can view here: docs.google.com/document/d/10...
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Hi. I made an easily printable google doc containing all these tips and also some things that I tell myself when feeling scared or overwhelmed: docs.google.com/document/d/10bDwtsvNAxtti63a2JNNvIOeQHeGimZkpvw0HvXrDG8/edit
The original document, written by Dr. Bepi Raviola, can be found here: www.pih.org/article/10-mental-health-tips-coronavirus-social-distancing
If you are concerned about your mental health, PLEASE reach out for help. Ask a friend to assist you on the road toward health, or reach our directly to a mental health professional. Lots of them are doing teleconferencing/e-therapy these days. If you live in the U.S., you can learn more here: www.samhsa.gov/
Thanks for being here with us. -John
vlogbrothers very kind. thank you
I'm scared and overwhelmed by the fact that we can all highlight and comment on that document lol, thank you though John this is really fantastic.
thank you, john.
Thank you thank you thank you THANK YOU! Spain just passed another 15 days of quarantine, which means we'll be stuck at home until April 11th if we're lucky. And I feel like we've been neglecting people's mental health a bit (not completely, just a bit). So again, thank you :)
Thank YOU for being here with US, too, John! (I don't think you can know how much it helps)
I read someone refer to social distancing as “physical distancing” and I like that much better. We do not have to end or sacrifice our social lives. We can stay distanced physically and still be closely connected socially.
It seems to be gaining in popularity. And I agree with you. It makes more sense, and it doesn't make it sound like people will be so...lonely.
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“I just don’t have a brain that’s particularly well suited to disease pandemics”
I have ocd, this spoke to me too x
Lol. I loved that, too.
That's so funny, I was thinking that I might be more prepared for this because I had health anxiety for so long. I'm just glad that my loved ones are now actually listening when I ask them to wash their hands and stay home if they are sick.
God same my anxiety has been bouncing off the walls and making me restless
I have GAD and felt this
“Your now is not your forever.”
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From the list, this made me cry: “Doing things on this list IS BEING PRODUCTIVE. Taking care of myself and others is the productivity that matters most right now.”
Yes! ❤️😭
Krissy M
Don’t worry about short-term productivity, because taking care of yourself is far more important, and also more productive in the long term.
Nillie thank you for the encouragement ❤️
I also find it helpful to reframe "doing nothing" as an active verb. I *am* doing something. That something is "nothing." And that is one of the best things I could be doing for the world right now. Thinking of it that way helps me feel more in control of my life and my actions.
This is a wonderful way to look at the world- everything else will come back eventually.
I would add one to this list: Actively Create. (I wanted to add 'art in that statement, but that may cause self limiting boundaries in the message) CREATE! The act of creation is a positive response to a null situation. Whether it's writing, painting, cooking, sculpting, knitting, building, photographing, singing, stacking dominos, card making, book binding, weaving, letter writing, gardening, origami, rock writing, pom-pom gluing, MC Village fixing, craftstick knotching, paper doll making, or yarn spinning - bring something into Being that was not present before. And bring it without judgement. Create. The journey from Zero to One is creation. The step from from nothing to something reminds us that we have power within us and are not random leaves blown about in stormy times.
Actively. Create.
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+ this advice is gold.
yes yes yes yes yes I haven't been doing a good job of it myself but yes!
Great. You have reminded me that I don't have a domino set. And the childhood memory that I wanting to have one (or several) to create those wicked patterns once you topple the first domino. I do have a few decks of cards though that I could build card building. Which was another thing that I did as a kid. V
Very good post. "Art is a weapon against life as a symptom"
+1
I would like to add to this list: continue to take your meds (if you take meds). I take 3 different meds to help me maintain mood equilibrium. In the past, when I wasn't working or in-person schooling, I would stop taking my stimulant, or take it infrequently, which ended up being bad news bears for my overall mental well-being. Now I think of my mental health as a delicate flower. A flower needs sunlight, rain, AND soil to grow. Take just one away and the flower withers. 🌻
My husband is on Blood pressure meds, and he ALMOST quit taking them, thinking it would be against social distancing to refill them. He got a loving lecture from me and thankfully didn't miss a day.
@@nariu7times328 A lot of pharmacies are delivering, or you could ask your insurance company about having his meds sent in the mail.
This is super important! It took me way too long to figure out that one of the reasons I got depressed every summer was that I would stop taking my meds because I wasn’t “doing anything”.
John! All of Europe's radio stations are playing "You'll never walk alone" at the same time these days. It's a beautiful island of togetherness inside and outside of the stadium.
Hearing that song these days makes me just burst into tears. But it's true. Walk on, walk on . . .
Bianca R
A masterpiece by Rogers and Hammerstein. No wonder it is remembered even though the rest of “Carousel” is largely forgotten.
vlogbrothers czcams.com/video/o7CA8ru3PGA/video.html watch the video of the campaign! The intro is not in English but the hope in their hearts translates! Walk on! As someone you might know once said: Hope is the correct response to the human condition.
This is one of those videos where you take some time to just read all the comments. Thanks John (and Hank) for fostering this amazing community of support and togetherness.
CZcams autoplay recommends me to watch "fitness for nerds" after this video, so I guess CZcams decided which tip I should start with
Still one of my favorite old-school Vlogbrothers videos to watch when I'm feeling out of it. Also, side-note that I just thought of - how does one define "old-school vlogbrothers"?
I am horrified by the thought that people might still watch that video. :) Not a bad workout, though! -John
@@DianaMcManaman I´d define "old-school" vlogbrothers as Hank making songs and unscripty videos and John just not blinking
@@vlogbrothers John, that was one of my first videos and still one of my favorites. It made me feel like "I can do this" whilst bringing me joy.
vlogbrothers, I still happily watch that video. It is a treasure ^_^
As someone who depends on communication with others to silence the noises in my brain. This made my heart warm.
As someone who suffers with OCD, I’m actually not as panicked as one would expect because my mind has pretty much been living in a pandemic my whole life😂
same 😂
I have a chronic condition caused by stress, and when one of my friends asked me why I seemed so chill during exams, I sent her that Hulk bit from the first Avengers movie - "that's my secret; I'm always angry" but edited so "angry" was "stressed". That's you now, my friend!
I consider that a superpower.
OddUndeniably haha exactly!
it's funny until you realize your little contact with other people or things like eating in a restaurant eg coping mechanisms are gone. Now you can start laughing.
Honestly having been through seven life changing mental health crises in as many years I've felt really blessed that I've got the mental tool kit to cope. It's put me in a very privileged place to support my friends and family in figuring out how social distancing will work for them. As Hank said a new normal is on the horizon and in the mean time we all just need to be kind to each other, and kind to our own self.
I don't call it social distancing, I call it distant socializing. Feels much better (and less impersonal) that way.
Love this!
Joanne Hunter
“Physical distancing” also describes it better, in my opinion.
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@Kaumudi H yeah, it makes me think of the videos I'm seeing of folks in Italy, coming out on their balconies to play music together, or pictures of neighbors sitting in their lawn chairs in circles (staying 6-10 feet apart, of course!) to chat with each other.
This made my brain happy. I'm totally using this. Thank you ❤️
A friend had this useful tip: Dress like you're going out
YES! Doing this has made me feel like so much more of a person these past few days!
*looks down at my bathrobe and pjs* oh shit
Definitely! In my house we've also established a clear time of day for when to get into normal clothes. It's another structural point in our daily schedule. On weekends all bets are off, though 😁 (which helps structuring the week, too)
I've been alternating between "YAY PAJAMA DAY" and dressing like I am going out. Both have helped a lot!
yeah! I started wearing a blazer during my home office times, and it helps me seperate work from my private life:)
You've got this John, I'm so proud of you and how hard you are working to stay positive.
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In Global Health
Like so much else
Everyone needs to learn from everyone
- John Green
Man, John, or Mr. Green, however you choose to be called. You are just such a good person, your relatable, you write books, you do CZcams, your a good public speaker. If you didn’t exist (or didn’t write tfios, or any other of your books that moved me), I wouldn’t be writing a book of my own. Your words make my mind sing with glory. And best of all, you think about the needs of others.
Thank you for everything - Elias
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With school going online I'm studying more than I've studied the this whole year and it keeps me busy in the morning. It also makes me wake up early which is great for my mental health but I don't need to go to an unhealthy environment like school. I also concentrate more and I can use crash course for school and I have fun while watching because it's something I would do in my free time. Thank you for all the videos and the live streams.
Edit/Update: I started studying physics for the first time this week and now i’m stressed.
Beatriz Costenaro
Being able to control your environment and make it suit your sensory needs, without having to worry about disturbing your classmates if you need to move around or make sound, can be very beneficial.
Too bad our school doesn't have online classes. I've been having a lot of issues with schools closing actually. I find it hard to concentrate on anything having to to with studies and end up feeling regret and stuff. Feels like ADHD at times. Any advice fellow nerdfighter?
it’s the first time this has happened to us and it’s the first week so every thing is a mess. The teacher are telling us what to study so we ready at home and we can ask questions through whatsapp or google classroom. I’m reading the books but mainly a lot of online classes from two platforms that i pay to have acesses to. But yesterday i had classes that i liked and are mainly reading but now i’m trying to study physics and it’s not going great because i can understand the theory but can’t understand the math. so i’m trying to concentrate in the subjects that i like or else i wouldn’t do anything. but it’s time of uncertainty so give yourself a break. i would finish high school in the end of this year but because of this i really don’t believe that i will and i don’t know how to react to that, because my motivation to this year it’s that it is the last year but i might have a hole new semester.
Beatriz Costenaro
One tip I got from Brian McManus who is behind the channel “Real Engineering” is to first manipulate just the units to make sure the equation you’re using is right for what you’re trying to calculate, before you put any numbers into it, because units that don’t make sense (such as a runway length in s^2, like I once got) are an easy way to tell when you’re using the wrong equation.
Having or making a list of "things you can do" is really helpful in a lot of circumstances when I feel scared or overwhelmed. Seeing that I can do something concrete and immediate makes me more able to break out of that kind of anxiety-paralysis.
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My mom had depression when I was growing up. My heart goes out to anyone that struggles with emotional or mental illnesses ❤️❤️❤️
i've been having a hard time during this because i'm socially isolating (edited for the actual right words) with less than ideal conditions for my mental health. but the livestreams have helped a lot, so thank you (and sarah) for engaging with us a bit
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I'm also quarantined! We'll get through this together!
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Everyone is in a mentally frail moment right now and that alone can be scary, it's really clear how much we need each other. I'm sure doing the streams help Sarah and John a bit as well. PS: You look a lot like a good friend of mine, I immediately like you :)
@@floorboardss thankfully i'm not quarantined as in showing symptoms, but i'm worried about exposure, because my sister is working (she's a health researcher). so i'm home for a while
Thanks for sharing this John. I don’t think I’ve ever felt more anxious than about a week ago, laying in bed until 4 am panicking out of my mind. Since then I have found things to get a lot better by practicing these tips in little ways, but it’s putting a voice to them and naming the habits that truly helps me visualize and take specific action.
I was listening to a podcast that said, “it’s important to live life by design rather than emotion. Basically, sticking to a routine is what allows us to be the healthiest version of ourselves (especially when you're fighting these demons ex. OCD for me).
I’ve had to overhaul how I approach taking care of my brain (exercise, journaling, studying etc) by practising mediocre consistency. Now I try to put in consistent 50-60% effort into my journaling habit - to make sure I do it I began recording it and posting it on my youtube channel.
Historically I have a habit of going too hard, not being able to sustain the Herculean effort, giving up and hating myself. So now I’m trying to give a small, consistent mediocre effort everyday. And its crazy how it adds up. I finally feel less dysregulated and prepared to tackle my other issues like my loneliness.
Thank you John! I've traided bedtime routine with my daughters to go for a run. Was considering to not go and just watch CZcams. Opened up, watched this video, put on my gear and went. 15 minutes later I'm stopping mid run to write this to say I already feel better. And I would've sworn that I wouldn't. That staying home and doing all I could to not think about COVID19 and work would be better. Thanks for the reminder. And to anyone reading this : do some exercise, it'll be OK.
When the pandemic first became evident to me, one of the first people i thought about was you, John. I've moved away from my obsession with your content over the past few years, but your openness and authenticity about your mental health struggles was always so important to me. I remembered you talking about your anxieties about disease and viruses and pandemics over the last 10 years or so, and imagined how difficult it must be to have one of your worst anxieties realized. I'm thankful and happy for you that are in a much more stable place with your mental health these days, and I am proud of you for all the difficult work you put in to keeping yourself above water. You inspire me a lot. Thank you for always being honest and hopeful with your audience.
Me: Okay, this is fine, I'll just work from home and create a nice daily routine
My inattentive ADHD: hahahahaHAHAHA
(for real, though, John: thanks for these tips! I'm going to try to implement some of them today!)
The last six days since my cat and I have come to stay with my family, rather than alone in a small apartment in a big city, have been extremely difficult for me. Being here triggers a lot of memories of my worst periods of depression, and even though I'm with my family, I feel far more lonely here than I do in my own home. Every minute I feel like I'm balancing on the line between being okay and completely dissolving into an emotional breakdown. It's been exhausting, to put it mildly. But I'm trying to focus on these tips, and I'm doing my best not to turn social distancing into emotional isolation, which is a surefire recipe for personal disaster. It's hard, but I'm still here. And I'm glad you are too.
I am not a crier, not at movies or at books or at happy videos. John Green’s calm, warm hopefulness and helpfulness makes me cry every time. thanks for being awesome🙅🏼♀️
I mashed that 👍🏼 before I even watched the video, for several reasons:
1. You always have reliable content
2. You’ve walked this road (and still walk it)
3. I’ve walked this road (and still walk it)
4. The more aware people are about mental health issues, the fewer people will feel alone... because the truth be told, there’s a lot more of us on this road than we realize. And you (the reader) are not alone. ♥️
I have always appreciated how open both you and Hank have been about your mental health. I have PTSD, complete with anxiety and depression, and have a family who feels that makes me incapable of...everything. Of course, this is the same family who gave me PTSD in the first place, so there’s that. Hearing very intelligent and capable people discuss their own mental health issues so openly and matter-of-factly has done quite a lot for me. Thank you.
another john green video to battle away tearful panic attacks. thank you john. my love to you and your family during this ongoing pandemic.
I wrote this poem a few years ago, on a particularly rough mental health day. I come back to it from time to time when I need to feel strong. I hope you guys find it helpful too.
Where Light Used To Be
The universe is 13 billion light years wide
Everyone on earth
Who ever lived
Could travel it
In order
One by one
And they would all die
Before they reached the other end
But I'm in here
Everything is dark
I cant breathe
I can only feel
My body
Tearing
I fell in
Now I'm a prisoner of the place where the light used to be
If i look back i can see it all
Crushed into a pinprick
Everything that ever was
Shining
You don't escape a black hole
But I'm not in a black hole
The event horizon is just the penumbra
The shadow of shadow
The way I escape is such
There was dark
There will be dark
But now there is light
So long as there is light
I can see
So long as i can see
I can escape
And so I escape
The pinprick becomes wider
Until it is everything
And the great horrid dark
Is a just an absence of light
A chip in Orion's belt buckle
And come what may
Right now
I'm here
And here
There is light
I woke up this morning feeling like everything was pointless, and I should just sleep the entire day. It's difficult to find purpose for yourself when your only vocation is student, and at the moment that's been ripped away from you by the cruel folks who created spring break. And this year it's an extended spring break, so for 2 weeks I need something to hold onto. I've been trying to continue with the routines I already have established for myself (waking up, making tea and my bed, spending time with the Essential Mystery that is God), but that can be difficult. Today I chose to push the feeling of pointlessness back, and I'm grateful for you sharing these tips that will help me to make that decision in the future, again and again. We will make it past this.
such a helpful reminder as I'm struggling with so much anxiety and depression, as well as the giant change in my life that is living at home again and trying to adapt to school online. forever grateful for this little corner of the internet and being able to rely on these videos twice a week
Dear John,
Thank you so much! Take care of yourself, I wish you all the best in the world!🤗
I'm blessed to be so stressed with online classes that I have absolutely no time left to get too anxious.
Your video (as always, if I may mention that) brightened up my day and I'm incredibly happy to be part of this community so I can scroll through the comments and feel a little bit better :)
Lots of love😊
As someone with mental health struggles of my own, I just wanted to thank you, John. I wanted to thank you not just for this video, but for all of the times that you have opened up about your mental health. It has helped me in immeasurable ways, as I’m sure it has helped so many others.
Thank you so much for making this video.
My girlfriend is a pediatrician in Madrid, stuck in our tiny flat on her own. I've just lost my brother to the long-term effects of alcoholism and drug abuse a month ago and am thus here in Germany at my elderly parents' house, trying to be there for them, trying to keep the anxiety under control, sometimes successfully.
Be kind to yourselves, everyone
John, just like Hank’s, your words confort my soul in these troubled times. Your honesty, kindness and help is always wonderful. Thank you for sharing it with us once again.
As someone who was always emotionally distant, I'm finding this social distancing to be a wonderful improvement in my life.
That I already thought Jelle's Marble Runs was the world's greatest sporting event doesn't hurt.
You are loved & appreciated. Thanks for being vulnerable & transparent! As one who also is on antidepressant & antianxiety meds, it helps to know I'm not the only who feels like this! Thanks John!
As another person with an obsessive anxiety disorder, this helped me immensely.
Thank you SO much for this video, John! We're all in this together. ❤
Thank you John and Hank. I have anxiety as well and this past week has been harder than most. The videos you both released have helped me to stabilize my ever moving thoughts. You both have earned a spot on my list of gratitudes.
"Social distance cannot mean emotional isolation." I love this and it is so true, I find the more I am with my loved ones, the happier and calmer I am. It is therapeutic adjacency (kind of like this channel :). Thank you as always John, you and yours stay safe and healthy!
Thank you for this video, John. As someone fighting her own anxiety and other issues, I find comfort in the fact that I'm not the only one struggling and fighting. One again, thank you.
As someone currently struggling with crushing mental illness, these videos are on my list to watch everyday. You two find a way to always make me re-evaluate my thinking, and though I can't speak from experience with being a parent, I know that everyday is a struggle for those who suffer from any mental sickness. To anyone reading this, please realize you're doing great every single day just by taking another breath in and out by the second.
You've made it this far, and you should keep going.
John, I don't know how you do it, but in so many videos you have a way of saying just what me and my anxiety need to hear in order to cohabitate my body more harmoniously. Thank you, thank you always
Kaumudi H Ohh thank you so much! 😊
I started a gratitude journal at the beginning of this semester. I was proud of myself for keeping up with it every day, but then I started slipping the past few weeks. I still have to remember to keep writing in it even when I feel like there is not so much good going on in the world right now because I know that there is still so much to be thankful for. I think it is in moments like these that it is especially important to recognize the goodness in our lives and appreciate all of the little moments of happiness that usually go unnoticed. Thank you for reminding me to write in my journal, John
The videos that you and Hank are posting throughout this time are really helpful for me. They are reassuring without being unrealistic and they help me feel connected to a larger community. Thank you both so much!
Thank you, John! As a viewer with mental illness & physical disability I appreciate this video and list SO MUCH. You're awesome, no need to remind you to be awesome. 💖
You guys really are a wonderful comfort thru all this. Thanks to Hank for sharing his thoughts and being my favorite fact reading robot. Thanks to John for his honesty and relatability. And thank you so much for reading to us. I love the story you shared.
Yes, I think my anxiety disorder and my introversion has helped me cope a lot better with something like this. I have some friends who are much more social and extroverted who are struggling right now. Actually cooking stores food I have, walks in the countryside, and gardening now that I don’t have to be at work all the time (I’m a teacher) is relaxing. I’m actually working through my pile of history books I’ve been meaning to get through and the new Animal Crossing game has been wonderful! This is a good list of tips! Best wishes to all!
Well done, John. I have been surrounded my entire life with loved ones with various intensities of OCD. (I have a very mild touch of it myself). You candid, careful transparency is so heldful and important. You are dear to my heart and I’m grateful fir you.
Just what we need in this trying times. Thanks for the video John. Hope you are doing well.
I have been having near unending anxiety issues over this, panic attacks, struggling with OCD and depression. A thousand thank yous for this. Trying to build a schedule during this time has been tough and escaping my own mind even tougher.
Every time I see this kind of tips videos or articles I turn to them because the mere listing of ways to be healthier is usually soothing enough, but then there's always one about enjoying time with your family and my family and I are locked in different countries and I immediately break the f down.
Bathing though, that's the real thing. Oftentimes it's the only thing capable of dragging me away from the internet and it even helps me not go back to social media as soon as I'm outta towel.
We're only about 36 hours into isolation and I spent the vast majority of those hours hunched over my laptop. The only time I stopped was when John's live stream came on. So thank you.
John you are a hero. You don't think of yourself that way and probably don't want others to either, but it's true. You put yourself out there in all your pain and show others how they too can survive this. Thanks for being one of the heroes we need every day, especially (but not just) when times are tough.
I've been thinking about you a lot this week John, glad to hear you're taking care of yourself. Thank you for sharing ❤️
John your video brought me to tears because it was exactly what I needed in this time. Ocd is hard when you have to be apart from people so
this will really help
I love you so much. Thank you for saying that you keep a list and look at it. I tend to forget that just because you can make a video about it, doesn’t mean you’re not still struggling with it. I think that you have arrived and figured out this while human thing but remembering that you’re still figuring it out with the rest of us is so nice because I love and admire you so much. It’s nice to be in this together.
Puff levels are out of the frame high. Thank you for making this. I think I've had the hardest time today so far in the whole social distancing and it's comforting to hear from someone who actually understands having a very tenuous relationship with hope.
This was a much needed reminder today! Been struggling not to spiral in the last couple of days and the bit about not wanting to exercise but it making you feel better really hit home.
I would be totally lost without my therapist being able to telehealth video session. She and I had been using this method for times where I was unable to make it to the office due to illness or snow, so we were already comfortable with the format. I've been seeing her for three years. BUT I've been trapped in my home for 4 weeks as of tomorrow. With a 10 and 15 year old. I'm going crazy. But these tips in this video are EXCELLENT and they're right in line with what my therapist suggests! Thank you for sharing this with the rest of the world!
Thank you for this, John, and also for your livestreams. I haven't been able to watch live since you've been broadcasting at like 2am my time, but I can still access the record from my notifications and they've been a great source of calm, and something to watch that feels current (as opposed to hiding under the duvet of old sitcoms) but that isn't turning on my tv and seeing nothing but the virus on every single goddamm channel all the time.
On meditation, I have recently gotten into praying the Rosary. I'm Protestant, but I have always been fascinated by prayer beads of various religions, the Rosary beads being the closest representation of what I believe. I have also studied psychology and learned how the repetition of phrases can be helpful (granted, it's not everyone's cup of tea).
There have been a bunch of Rosary prayer livestreams pop up recently, but the one I like best is by Rosary Army (slightly biased since I've been listening to their podcast for years). Theirs is every night at 8pm ET.
For me, this has helped. I don't have a Rosary (anymore.. lost in a move), but use a virtual one for the time being. And helps when anxiety hits.
Thank you. This was first in my mental health playlist of 14 videos and I watched the playlist many times when I was struggling with depression and anxiety and didn’t know what to do. I had support but to get through the day I used videos like yours. I also loved your book turtles all the way down. Now I feel a lot better with the medication I’m taking and I wanted to thank you for helping me get to where I am now. You helped me get through those tough times
Tom Rosenthal's music is also a big happy factor in these times. his lyric "There is a dark place but I'm not going there" sometimes pulls me out of my pit a bit. Listen to "You might find yours" or "Big pot of hummus"
Thanks for this John, I was feeling really overwhelmed yesterday and just wanted to spend the day in tears, this helped
Thank you! Having many anxiety disorders and other things including a chronic pain thing lots of these are hard but should be really helpful! I'll try and do some of them!
I love that both of you are so real about mental health. You help me and many others. Thank you.
I've been thinking about you recently, John, and how you've been doing in all this. Thank you for sharing. Best wishes to everyone! Stay safe!
John! I thought of you yesterday while I was in the middle of an anxiety attack and I just want you to know that I'm sending warmth and love in your direction.
Thanks for this, it really helped me feel more grounded living in this crazy world. During these times where I can barely will myself to sleep, and barely force myself to get up in the morning, recognizing what I CAN control, and the things I need to accomplish daily, really means the world. Stay safe everyone 💕
I cannot explain how thrilled I am at your appreciation of baths. I've always loved them, they got me through the hard times. Hearing you love them just feels like I know you a little bit more. Cheers to baths and all their wonder!!
I just want to thank you for what you have done during the covid out break john. these types of things from someone like me is reassuring.
This video is comfort in dark times, and also a very good reminder of the things I Know About Myself and my mental health. Thank you john
Thank you for sharing this. Your channel is the only thing that is providing me assurance and helping me relax. Thank you, John.
Something my therapist told me to do is make a list with stuff that makes me happy. I wrote down small things, like having a solo-dance party in my kitchen and reading this book full of drawings of birds and laying on the floor. It helps me SO MUCH to stay positive and not spiral into madness
Dusted off some anxiety coping tools I haven't needed for years last week but still had a panic attack. I moved in January and have no people in my local circle. My new year's resolution was to meet people and make friends.
This weekend I dug out a lot of home projects I'd been putting off (unpacking the Last Box, writing a novel...) and I'm making very detailed schedules for my freetime. It kept me from pestering long-distance friends for attention or all-day TV marathons.
This is a whole new ballgame for most of us, we're all figuring out how to live our lives, it's important to be patient with ourselves. Just cause we didn't have the perfect routine today (as if such a thing even exists) doesn't mean we won't improve the routine tomorrow.
Thank you John. Also, thank you so much for doing the livestreams. Many of my favorite things have been disrupted from shelter in place/stay at home, and while I am going to do my part to look out for everyone, it was such a relief when you said you'd be livestreaming. A switch in my brain went off and said: "This! We know how to do this! Community and support and nerdfighteria!" and it was (and is, and will be) such a comfort in a difficult time.
You guys are so amazing for informing us a little about the virus, but especially informing us on how to be good versions of ourselves, how to live our lives as fully as possible during this period, how to learn from one another and how to deal with our troubles. Many thanks to the both of you from the bottom of my heart!
Thank you so much John! I am dealing with postpartum depression alongside my regular depression and anxiety. So this COVID-19 thing is really throwing me through a loop. These tips are very helpful alongside your list of things you tell yourself when you are scared. I am so thankful for you and your willingness to share your experiences!
Thank you for sharing. It always helps to know that this struggle is not just mine. Anxiety is so overwhelming and isolating on regular days and I was anxious that it would get worse (most of my anxiety is about my anxiety). I've recently limited my news to just the daily updates I get emailed from the New York Times and that's helped A LOT. I've also put limits on apps on my phone. Both of these things have helped tremendously. I've also gotten back into a regularish routine thanks to online classes starting this week. Often, I think back to the famous "Your now is not your forever" quote and as others have pointed out, it's very comforting in this situation.
Thank you for this. I've been watching vlogbrothers nonstop over the past few days as the realities of the pandemic, our political climate, and years of mental health problems have finally started crashing down on me. Your videos give me hope and help me feel comforted in a way I haven't really felt before.
You're such a good role model and example. I owe you so much and I feel truly blessed to be alive at this time and have found this channel
More content like this please! I have been spiraling for weeks. Printing out the list now, thank you so much.
I am a support worker and, even if my work routine is unpredictable, knowing that I can use at least some of these suggestions has given me a relief I didn't know I needed. Thank you John
Thank you, John. I am always grateful when you share your own vulnerabilities with this community so we can all be healthier, kinder, more thoughtful people. xoxo
Thanks John, I needed this. I've been stuck at home studying and my work is now done remotely, so my wife leaves to stay with her parents most of the day so my girls aren't being loud and i can work/study effectively. However, I'm now mostly alone most of the time, and not gotten out except for a few instances, and it's taking a toll mentally. I'm planning on finally taking some R&R after my last Midterm tonight, but just knowing I'm not alone is a really big help. That should be like 1b) sharing with others to help both you and them not feel so alone. Like you mentioned earlier, the only way out is through and the only way through is together. Stay awesome Green Brothers!
For Routine, my therapist suggested to me that instead of trying to make myself a new schedule in the midst of all this chaos, to just Journal for my first week of having classes online and being home with my parents. And then building a schedule off of the things I am already doing. I'm hoping this works. I only started today. I check in with my therapist on Friday.
Thanks, John, and Hank as well, for always being so open with us. Your sincerity and authenticity is so refreshing, especially right now.
DFTBA.
John, I’ve noticed on live streams that you and Sarah are both stressed about teaching your kids. Know that one of these weeks was meant to be your kids spring break so maybe take a week off and let them, and yourselves, relax.
John! Thank you so much for this video. I have ocd too and your videos always make me feel less alone.
Thank you, John. I really appreciate you passing on these tips.
I think the thing everyone around me seems to be struggling most with is a thing I've had to accept while I've been unable to work for mental health reasons in the past: right now is not a normal situation. The normal things we think of as productive or helpful might not be, and we will adjust to that, and it's okay that we haven't yet.
And we all deserve the love and grace we would give a friend. All the love, nerdfighters. We're gonna get through this.
It’s nice to hear someone else talk about their anxiety in a time when I feel like mine is sky-high. And it’s 10 times better hearing about it (and what I can do to make it better) from one of my favourite authors and CZcamsrs 😄 Thanks, John!
I started rereading a series from my favorite author that I haven’t read in AGES and it’s giving me a happy little break amid all the strange stress and anxiety. Tamara Pierce is the bomb
Yes! Love those books!
My biggest goal this year was to seek help for my anxiety and depression after years of ignoring it. In February after a couple month of counseling I finally felt like things have turned a corner. I’m also in college, and I has so many other dreams and goals, so many things to look forward to. I finally felt like my life was pulling together. And then the pandemic happened. I guess the one thing that helped me was seeking refuge with my family and my friends and realizing I’m not alone. They too had goals and dreams and things to look forward to and lives that were disrupted. But anyways, thank you for these videos. Alongside my family, these have been extremely helpful. I hope y’all are doing okay physically as well as mentally. As John said in his last video, we will get through this together.
today I started to be so nervous about the whole quarantine thing & it's only been 1 weeek.
thx John for this video ♥
I've really been struggling and honestly these tips are things i know i should do on some level but hearing someone say it helps so much more
Hard same. I'm rooting for you! You can do the self care things!
I would like to thank you both for being incredibly grounding in this scenario. I myself have struggled with isolating simply due to how it's fully disrupted my habitual routines whilst I'm a physically and mentally healthy person in my normal life the way this is all impacting me personally has like many other disrupted what we use to be healthy in body and mind, I'm by no means developing depression or anxieties but see how other people who do struggle are coping helps me see what I need to do to start myself and help other do the same. A friend of mine kindly shared the wisdom "it is okay to feel unnatural in these all but unusual times, maintain or establish a normal for yourself to keep yourself going whilst everything else adjusts"