In fact, reading comic books has even gained popularity as a therapeutic tool and is nowadays being used by many as a form of self-care.

If you want to know more about how engaging in this relaxing and enjoyable activity can help improve your mental health, then keep reading.

1. It reduces stress levels

If you’ve had a long or particularly stressful day, reading comic books can be an amazing way to relax and unwind. 

You can always count on the characters and stories in comic books to have you transported to another world within just minutes, allowing you to forget about any problems you might be facing. 

Just think about how many times you’ve found a specific story or a character in any piece of literature to be a source of inspiration and encouragement. 

We’re sure at least one has helped to boost your mood and reduce your stress levels.

2. It improves emotional well-being

Many comic books go beyond being just a source of entertainment and actually have the power to help readers better understand and cope with their emotions. 

Specifically, when characters in comic books deal with their own complex emotions and challenging situations, readers get to follow them through these difficult experiences.

For example, in Spiegelman’s “Maus,” a reader gets to learn about the emotional toll of trauma and the resilience of the human spirit by following the story of a Jewish Holocaust survivor. 

As long as you have internet access, you can find a site that offers this and many more comics to read – and some of them are entirely free! 

3. It boosts creativity and imagination

When you’re reading a piece of literature filled with unique and fantastical characters, worlds, and stories, your imagination is undoubtedly stimulated.

After all, what’s not stimulating about superheroes using their powers to save the world or exploring future technologies that might revolutionize life as we know it?

Moreover, just think about all those effective illustrations following the story in comic books. 

In combination, they are sure to help readers understand and relate to different perspectives, as well as inspire creativity and lead to fresh ideas.

4. It increases empathy

Comic books often deal with complex social issues and characters from diverse backgrounds. 

In a world where there are still so many marginalized groups dealing with issues such as prejudice, inequality, and discrimination, stories that can help readers relate to different cultures, ethnicities, and walks of life are so incredibly important.

If we look at comic books in this way, they have a huge potential to inspire compassion toward the struggles of others, such as loss, trauma, or mental health issues.

5. It enhances cognitive function

Reading any type of literature has been shown to improve cognitive function, including:

• Memory and focus
• Vocabulary and grammar
• Language skills
• Comprehension
• Critical thinking, and
• Spatial awareness. 

Reading comic books is no exception.

Keep in mind that many comic books are considered more complex than some other forms of literature. Surely, you must’ve seen some using incredibly technical and scientific language, as well as advanced grammar and vocabulary.  

6. It provides a sense of community and belonging

So many comic book readers have formed friendships based on their shared love of comics. 

Whether they’re uniting at conventions, online forums, or comic book stores, they can often be seen offering understanding, support, and a sense of belonging to each other. 

Also, we can’t forget about how discussing comics with other fans can help comic book lovers get a sense of validation for their passions.

Wonderful, right?

7. It offers escapism

Reading comic books can be a form of escapism from reality, allowing readers to temporarily forget about their problems by entering alternate worlds. 

As we’ve said, think of it as a form of entertainment that allows you, as a reader, to immerse yourself in different worlds, cultures, and time periods. What a great way to escape from the stresses and pressures of daily life!

Apart from that, the immersive nature of comic books provides, for many, a safe space to explore themselves through different roles and identities. It also allows the reader to face potentially difficult emotions and experiences while getting to experience a happy ending. 

8. It encourages self-expression

Many comic book readers enjoy creating their own comics or fan fiction, whether alone or in collaboration with other comic book fans.

This can be a great form of self-expression and a way to explore personal experiences. 

The best thing about it? In doing so, you get to take control of the story and your characters, all while shaping the narrative in a way that resonates with you.

So, if you’re in need of getting rid of negative emotions, channeling them into your comics can be a powerful way of processing your feelings. 

9. It teaches resilience

Consider how many comic book characters, particularly superheroes, you know who had to overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles to achieve their objectives.

Reading their stories must have taught you something about the importance of determination, hard work, resilience, and perseverance when on a quest for personal triumph.

After all, it is incredibly inspiring to see a character face challenges and inner demons similar to yours – and see them win.  

A word from the author

As a die-hard comic book fan myself, I can attest that the impact that comics have had on my mental health is nothing short of amazing. 

Every time I dive into a new comic, it’s like getting to see a movie and read a book all at the same time. In fact, it’s like a little vacation for my brain!

So many awesome people are a part of the comic book community, and getting to geek out about who should win in a fight (Wolverine, duh) is like having a bunch of friends who really get you. 

So, all in all, I couldn’t recommend comics more highly as a way to improve your mental health. There’s something out there for everyone, so go forth and read some comics!

The post 9 Reasons Why Reading Comic Books Improves Your Mental Health appeared first on Adclays.

Sleep helps you form and maintain the pathways in your brain that allow you to learn and create new memories. Sleep also enables you to concentrate and respond quickly to activities.

However, there has to be a certain level of sleep your body gets for you to function well. That’s why there’s an emphasis on quality sleep. Quality sleep can help your body function right, which will, in turn, communicate with the rest of your body. 

This article discusses how important sleep is to your brain function and how you can reduce your risk of developing sleep-related brain disorders.

What different sleep stages mean for your brain activities

There are two basic types of sleep: rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and non-REM sleep.  Each type of sleep is linked to specific brain waves and neuronal activity.  There are 4 stages of sleep that one goes through. 

The first stage is the non-REM sleep, where you quickly go from wakefulness to sleep within a short period. It’s characterized by light sleep, slow eye movements, and muscle twitches.

The second stage is the period of light sleep characterized by more relaxed muscles and stoppage of eye movement. This is where you spend the most time.

The third stage is the deep sleep period that keeps you refreshed when you wake up in the morning. Here, your brain waves become even slower than the first two stages. 

Then, there’s the REM sleep that occurs about 90 minutes after falling asleep.  Your eyes move rapidly from side to side behind closed eyelids.  It gives mixed frequency brain wave activity that becomes closer to that seen in wakefulness.

Memory consolidation most likely requires both non-REM and REM sleep.

Why the brain needs sleep

Sleep helps solidify the memory

One of the functions of sleep, which may be one of the most important, is that it helps strengthen long-term memory. The strengthening in question isn’t just about the neural connections, but also about cutting down the redundant ones. 

The brain goes through a lot of activities during the day, which makes the nighttime the period where the brain can make all the necessary connections it needs and cut down on those that aren’t useful. 

Brain toxins are cleared during sleep

The brain is working at every minute of the day, but it works faster and better at night, especially when it’s trying to clear out toxins from the brain. Recent research is now indicating that the lymphatic system of the brain opens up at night, and removes toxins while we’re asleep.

One reason these toxins are cleared up is that during sleep, the space between brain cells expands considerably and this makes the clearing up process faster and easier. A good deal of the toxin that gets cleared up is the β-amyloid protein – the forerunner that leads to Alzheimer’s disease.

Sleep helps cognitive abilities

We find it hard to concentrate and retain information when we’re tired and don’t sleep well because sleep deprivation affects our brain function. When we falter in sleep, our cognitive capacities are affected. Sleep deprivation may affect our attention and decision-making processes.

Even if you’re able to multitask on a typical day, sleep deprivation will reduce your chances of being able to, as your brain’s executive function will be affected.

Creativity requires sleep

Sleep promotes creativity. When we don’t get good enough sleep, our abilities to get creative and think deeply will be affected, thus leading to a drop in our creative and imaginative abilities. Continuous sleep deprivation will lead to a rapid drop in our thinking, fluency, flexibility, and general creative abilities.

From our verbal memory to our abilities to solve problems, our creativity will be affected if we’re sleep-deprived. However, consciously maintaining a good sleep cycle will not only upsurge our creative juices, but it’ll also allow us to enjoy our activities better.

Physical health and longevity

Sleep is also connected to physical health. Yes, the physical isn’t as affected by sleep like mental health is, but they still go hand-in-hand in how the entire body functions. 

Sleep does a lot more to the body, especially the brain even when we don’t realize it. Developing a better attitude to sleep can be the difference between a maximum and a slowed down brain function.

The post How Sleep Affects the Brain appeared first on Adclays.

According to the National Center for Health Statistics, about 8.2 percent of adults over 18 show depression symptoms, and 6.6 percent had symptoms of depressive disorder. Since social isolation is necessary and workplaces have moved online, many employees face mental health issues, such as depression, anxiety, burnout.

As the owner of a business, it’s partly your responsibility to ensure you’re not adding a decreasing mental state of your employees. For obvious reasons, you should care about your employees’ wellbeing, but your staff can also only be productive when healthy. So, it’s important for you to prioritize your remote (or on-site if you have them) employees’ mental health. The following tips can help you with this:

1. Remove the Stigma of Mental Health Issues

Working from home can be tough, and many employers may avoid the topic of mental health issues entirely to not dampen the mood. However, it is vital that you keep an open mind and teach your team that mental health is not taboo. Ensure that your team knows that they are free to discuss anything on their mind (inoffensive) and that they can always reach out for help. Be sure to provide the appropriate resources for anyone who may be struggling.

2. Schedule Video Check-ins

Remote employees often miss the social interaction that comes with their jobs. Schedule informal one-on-one video calls or conference meeting sessions so that they can see each other and still feel like a team. You can hold virtual breakfast meetings or lunches where everyone can cook their favorite meals and make small talk unrelated to work. Depending on your company’s financial status, you can also offer them coupons or treat them to meals.

3. Know What to Look For

Many employers often never realize when their employees are struggling with health issues and wonder where they went wrong. There are many signs and symptoms that you should look out for when holding virtual meetings or conferences.

• Signs of Depression– This includes sleep issues, sadness, social withdrawal, lack of interest in activities that were earlier exciting, difficulty concentrating, undereating or overeating, and fatigue. Apart from this, individuals may also demonstrate signs of self-harm, restlessness, or feelings of guilt.
• Signs of Anxiety– An individual may show signs of worry, constant irritation, paranoia, palpitations, hyperventilation, fatigue, insomnia, and gastrointestinal problems.
• Signs of Burnout– While burnout isn’t diagnosable, an employee may grow frustrated, cynical, and emotionally distant from their coworkers. They may also experience headaches, intestinal problems, fatigue, and reduce performance or inability to cope with work.

4. Ensure Your Health Insurance Includes Good Coverage for Mental Health

Mental health is a crucial aspect that shouldn’t be neglected, and it should also be included in your health insurance. You should reach out to your health insurance consulting servicer to learn about your options for mental health coverage and ensure your employees know this is an option.

Mental illnesses are to be treated at the same level as physical ailments, and they are covered by almost all health plans offered by insurance companies. Here are a few things that you should ensure is included in your mental health coverage:

• OPD Treatment– Many insurance plans only offer coverage for in-patient hospitalization. Unless your insurance plan includes OPD or out-patient department treatment, employees will only be able to get coverage for dire issues that require hospitalization. Ensure that your plan also includes OPD services so that employees can get coverage for consultation and psychiatric therapy.
• Extended Limitations– Insurance companies can refuse to provide coverage to employees if they were already at a high risk of developing the mental issues or were already experiencing signs and symptoms of the illness before the pandemic occurred. Make sure that your plan or policy includes not just disorders but also illnesses leading to physical ailments.

5. Provide Opportunities and Resources for Self-Care 

While a team may need to put in long hours while working remotely, it is also crucial that you let them take some ‘me’ time. While you can schedule breaks and off days, staying connected is vital to compensate for the consequences of social distancing. While recreating meal times can be an excellent idea, you can also encourage friendly competition by holding trivia nights or other fun games. Apart from this, employees can meet up virtually for happy hours and even participate in morning yoga or meditation together through modern apps.

Yoga can be a great way to stay physically healthy, and meditation can help improve stress due to pandemic and the change to remote work.

Creating a Safe Space and Focusing on Digital Socializing

Even though there is a significant change in how everything works, it is crucial that employees feel motivated and good about their work from home. Although it’s a difficult challenge that can be stressful at times, staying connected and making them feel like they can open up and talk about their emotions and experiences can make all the difference.

The post 05 Tips on Prioritizing the Mental Health of Your Remote Workers appeared first on Adclays.

Improve Physical Health:

1. Do Yoga

Yoga improves balance, strength, flexibility, and increases energy levels because it releases tension from muscles as you hold the poses for a few seconds. You can take a class, buy a DVD, buy yoga magazines or books or sign up for a streaming exercise service such as “Extend Barre” “Om Stars” “BeachBody” or “Les Mills.” If you are not interested in Yoga, then do some other form of exercise that focuses on flexibility such as Mixed Martial Arts class.

2. Avoid Injury

Have the responsibility of preventing injury whether caused by you or someone else. Always wear your seat belt and always be prepared for another driver to make a mistake. Do everything to avoid surgery. All drugs weaken your physical body. Drugs or medication may fix one condition at the expense of something else. Warm-up before physical exercise.

Improve your Mental Health:

1. Spend More Time Outdoors

Get outside and exercise every day if the weather permits. It can be something as simple as going for a moderate walk. Scientists who once warned us to avoid the sun are now encouraging people to spend some time outside every day. Open your windows to let the sunshine into your house will improve the mental outlook of everyone in the household.

2. Surround Yourself with Positive People

Consider moving to another city or community if you live in a negative community. Try to avoid living in high crime areas where there is a heavy presence in drug activities and physical violence. Your surroundings on the outside should be considered vital to your mental health. People who live in locations where the landscape outside is highly maintained appear to have an increased outlook. Offer to volunteer to help with maintenance if you live in a community or apartment complex where the lawn is not maintained. Other people in the area will likely join in to help you.

3. Make a To-Do List

The night before you go to sleep set goals of what you want to get done in the next 24 hours. Write down your morning routine; You wake up, fix breakfast, get your children off to school, go for a morning run or do an aerobics class, come home back home to do the laundry. Make goals and write them down. Do you want to start making healthier breakfasts and reduce the preparation time? Write it down and what you can do differently. Do you want to improve your running speed or increase the time you spend running every morning? Do you have a painting you have stopped working on weeks ago? Set goals of what you want to accomplish. Write it down.

Improve your Financial Health:

1. Managing Your Electric Bill

There are several ways to reduce the costs of your utility bills which include using solar lights. Another option is the Constellation Energy Company that allows its clients to compare prices of utility companies serving their area.

2. Spend Less than What You Can afford

Leave yourself as much free spending money as you can. When shopping for a vehicle, house, electronics that carry a monthly bill always go for the less expensive option. Everything works great when it is new and is under warranty.

Although many people understand how physical and mental health controls how they feel about themselves; but, surprisingly, finance is the most powerful influence on self-esteem. Financial problems often proceed to divorce and substance abuse. However, following these easy and simple steps that you can effortlessly fit into your life will increase an immediately noticeable difference in how you see yourself and how you live your daily life.

The post Boost Your Self-Confidence With these Simple Steps appeared first on Adclays.

The printed well-being model of the National wellbeing Institute includes the following dimensions: physical, social, emotional, intellectual, activity, and religious.

Emotional well-being is related to health, family, work, and economic standing advantages. Positive emotions and examination of life square measure related to bated risk for illness, illness, and injury; higher immune functioning; higher brick and faster recovery; and inflated longevity. So you can contact rehab cape town for your mental health problem. Addressing mental health imbalances and talking to therapists helps to get to the bottom of issues such as lack of concentration, for example, New Vision ADHD assessment & diagnosis.

Additionally, psychological state and psychopathy might influence physical health and biological functioning. So getting the correct treatment after, for instance ADHD diagnosis Manchester based, is important. A positive psychological state is related to higher endocrine operation (i.e., lower corticosteroid, epinephrine, and norepinephrine) and higher immune reaction (i.e., higher protein production and more significant resistance to illness). It’s conjointly been shown to be related to longevity.

Researchers’ square measure continued to be told additional regarding the mind-body association. It’s been shown that emotions play a significant role in our physical health. There’s conjointly a reciprocal relationship between several chronic diseases and psychological states. Self-efficacy, goal-setting, and problem-solving change self-management behaviors, which are measured by emotional health. 

On the other hand, self-management behaviors that enhance health, like physical activity and stress reduction, will improve psychological state standing and quality of life. In some ways, it makes no sense to handle physical health while not addressing emotional health at an equivalent time.

The absence of psychopathy doesn’t mean the presence of a psychological state. The growing analysis supports that these square measure freelance, however connected dimensions. Mental welfare square measure characterized by the presence of positive an effect (e.g., optimism, cheerfulness, and interest), absence of negative an impact on, and satisfaction with life. Conversely, psychopathy is characterized by altered thinking, mood, or behavior related to distress or impaired functioning.

Why Address Mental welfare within the Workplace?

The health of the mind and body can’t be separated. What affects one influences the opposite. Therefore, a healthy mind supports and contributes to a healthy body contrariwise.

Mental illness prices employers’ cash, and psychological state will impact productivity and worker performance. Rather than physical health, the psychological state may be viewed as a time. At one finish, psychological state and psychopathy are found at the alternative finish.

Mental health usually refers to the mental health clinic of the cognitive operation, leading to productive activities, fulfilling relationships, and therefore the ability to adapt to alter and adversity. These domains square measure commonly remarked as welfare.

Mental illness includes diseases with classic medicine diagnoses, like depression, emotional disturbance, and schizophrenic disorder. Psychological state and psychopathy may be influenced by multiple determinants, biological science and biology, and their interactions with social and environmental factors.

Employers approach worker health through a multi-strategy framework. A multi-strategy framework may be applied to associate leader approach to psychological state. A comprehensive system includes promotion, prevention, intervention, and follow-up. It’s vital to acknowledge that psychological state promotion must be equally important to the hindrance and treatment of psychopathy.

Today’s worksite wellbeing programs address all dimensions of worker well-being, not simply physical health.

Addressing Total worker wellbeing

Employee psychological state could be a vital part of sure-fire worksite wellbeing programs. I invite you to let the American state assist you in producing your own effective, sure-fire, and property program. I focus on mentoring worksite program coordinators and making finished you worksite worker health and wellbeing programs.

The post Workplace Mental Health – A Series – An Overview of The Issue. appeared first on Adclays.

The Complex Connection

Addiction and mental illness are intertwined in complex ways. Many people develop addictions as a way to “self-medicate” pre-existing mental health problems like anxiety, depression, PTSD, or bipolar disorder. For others, chronic drug use leads to changes in brain chemistry that cause mood and mental health issues over time. 

Regardless of which came first, over 50% of people battling addiction also live with a co-occurring mental health disorder. As one condition worsens, it tends to drag down the other as well. This downward spiral can feel impossible to escape, but with the right treatment program tailored to your needs, recovery is possible.

Seeking Integrated Treatment

To break the cycle of substance use and mental health problems, it is essential to seek integrated treatment that addresses both simultaneously. 

Look for a rehabilitation program that offers “Dual Diagnosis” support. This means they have expertise in treating co-occurring disorders together by providing psychiatric services alongside addiction counseling and recovery support. 

By choosing a rehab that supports dual diagnosis care, you can stabilize your mental health symptoms while working towards sobriety at the same time. This joint approach gives you the best chances for long-term well-being. You can learn more about dual diagnosis at our drug rehab center​.

Road to Recovery

The road to recovery from addiction is seldom straightforward, but the journey becomes smoother when you understand the links between addiction and mental health. 

As you seek integrated dual diagnosis treatment and start working on a program of recovery, be patient and kind to yourself. Healing from substance use disorders and related mental health issues is an ongoing process, but with a commitment to positive change, you can claim back your health, hopes, and dreams for the future.

If you remain open, honest and willing to accept support, you will start moving towards a state of recovery that may have felt impossible before. Little by little, things do get better when you are supported by knowledgeable professionals and peers who understand the struggles you face.

You deserve integrated treatment, compassion, and the chance for a better life. If substance use and mental health issues have dragged you down, reach out for the helping hand you need. Dual diagnosis rehab programs offer guidance back toward wholeness, one step at a time.

Addiction and mental illness often reinforce each other, but integrated dual-diagnosis treatment can help break this cycle. As you learn about the links between substance use disorders and mood issues, have patience on the road to recovery. With time and proper treatment, hope grows, and healing happens.

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