First Step Men's Therapy helps men across Ontario, Canada develop healthier relationships with themselves and others. We offer individual, couples, and group counselling to men and their families online using our secure telehealth platform.
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Stress is now front and center more than ever.
The only thing that is certain in life is uncertainty. As a society, we have gone from a 2+ year pandemic, rife with shutdowns, closures, and restrictions and moved into an uncertain, stressful economic situation with the stress of rising interest rates and higher cost of living. Both the COVID pandemic and the rising cost of living have at least one thing in common: a toll on mental health.
How does stress affecting us?
In 2021, there was a 500% increase year-over-year for those seeking mental health services online. This statistic shows the demand for those seeking help for a wide range of mental health concerns: anxiety, depression, addiction, grief, and burnout - to name a few. The World Health Organization published a report that during the two years of COVID restrictions, there was a 25% increase worldwide in anxiety and depression alone. Economic factors, such as higher costs of living and rising interest rates, can also fuel anxiety and depression that can include questions such as:
Can I afford to take care of myself and my family?
Will I need to cut back on certain self-care activities and prioritize some over others?
Do I have enough to survive and take care of my basic needs such as food, housing, and medical expenses?
How long will this economic situation last and will I be able to weather any potential storm?
How can I ensure that I mentally take care of myself during this economic uncertainty?
How can self-care be a part of stress reduction?
It is important to practice healthy self-care and continue to stay connected to those around you, even in difficult, stressful times. Here are some tips to get by during this, and any other, difficult situations that may be out of our immediate control:
Scale back, but don't cut out completely, healthy activities and habits that help you stay grounded or connected. For example, rather than cutting back an activity for good, perhaps you can reduce the frequency and cost to a more manageable limit (once a week to bi-weekly). This might include therapy. Some individuals tend to cut out therapy completely, but may benefit from reducing the number of sessions rather than stopping completely due to financial reasons.
Set a plan: Work to plan out your monthly budget to help you stay on top of your finances and account for any unexpected, unplanned costs.
Free, self-care activities: meditation, journaling, meeting friends, or joining a new group can be a fun way to stay active and connect without spending lots of money.
Practice self-compassion: there may be times when you feel stuck, angry, or disappointed in yourself for past decisions. Self-compassion requires us to allow ourselves to feel, and to know that like other challenges, we will get past this uncertain, difficult time.
Can stress ever be healthy or helpful?
Coping with stress and uncertainty can also help us to grow and learn. Another way of looking at such times is an opportunity to grow as a person. While we might not be able to control what happens completely, we can learn to adapt and bounce back from such challenge with renewed vigour and perspective.
First Step Men's Therapy has a team of therapists who can help you with stress, coping skills, burnout, and developing tools to work through such challenges. We operate across Ontario and have immediate openings for new clients. Book a 20-minute consultation with one of our therapists today!
Want to learn more?
Anxiety Therapy: Click here
Depression Therapy: Click here
Why am I so anxious blog post: Click here
Anxiety Therapy in Toronto, Mississauga, Brampton, Ottawa, St. Catherines, Peterborough, Hamilton, Kitchener-Waterloo, Guelph, London, Windsor, Sudbury, Thunder Bay, North Bay, Kingston, Belleville, Oshawa, Oakville, Burlington, and Niagara Falls.
Depression Therapy in: Toronto, Mississauga, Brampton, Ottawa, St. Catherines, Peterborough, Hamilton, Kitchener-Waterloo, Guelph, London, Windsor, Sudbury, Thunder Bay, North Bay, Kingston, Belleville, Oshawa, Oakville, Burlington, and Niagara Falls.