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lifehack: believe this

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i know that this may be hard to believe, but:

you are not a burden

you deserve happiness

you deserve to be listened to

you are so strong

you are kind

you are amazing

your situation right now is not your forever

it’s going to get better

your best is good enough

you are good enough

you are beautiful

you deserve to live your best life

you’re working so hard

you’ve gotten through everything that has been thrown at you so far; you can get through this too

you are worth so much

you are wonderful

you can choose positivity 

your past does not define you

your mistakes do not define you

your grades and achievements do not define you

your mental health does not define you

your struggles do not define you

it’s never too late to try again

it’s never too late to start

you are cared for

you are valued

you are so important

i am so proud of you

you’re going to be okay

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a little gif I just made ♡ 

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read the rest of this useless nonsense of a comic here

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psa for college freshman

hey, whats up, hello! so you’re gonna be a freshman and you’re probably moving in real soon, and you might be excited but also nervous, not to worry i got you! here are some tips and tricks and general advice based on my own experience. 

okay so step by step:

MOVE IN

okay so this is easily the most stressful thing about the first week of school. you gotta get all of your stuff into a tiny dorm if it’s a big room i am literally so jealous my dorm was like a prison so don’t freak out, stay cool and pack efficiently!

try not to overpack, it’s really easy to believe you’ll need everything you’re bringing but trust me you won’t even look at half of it

a good tip for this is, if you don’t use it at home, don’t bring it to school! (plus it’s really easy to just buy stuff you need on amazon so don’t forget that that’s an option too)

if you’re going to a school that deals in snow, DON’T bring that stuff (jackets/hats/boots/etc) with you when you move in. if you know you’re going to go home for a weekend before the snow sets in, definitely leave it at home and bring it with you later!

let your parents/guardians/friends/family help you move in. it might not seem like a big deal, but letting them help you will make them feel better. and if you don’t like how they arrange things, let it be! you have all semester to rearrange and settle in, they only have this one day, so just let them have it! also don’t forget to thank them when they leave!

ROOMMATES

ah yes, the wonderful concepts of roommates. i was lucky my freshman year, but some people aren’t

try and connect with them via facebook/school emails/phone, settling things like are you gonna share a mini fridge, microwave, coffeemaker and how you’re gonna decorate (if you’re into that) will help when you finally settle into your room

definitely go over ground rules once you’re all unpacked and settled in. my dorm had us go over a list of questions, come to an agreement, and sign it in case there were any future conflicts. cover things like: 

is it okay to have my friends sit at your desk or on your bed when you aren’t there?

how should we handle overnight guests?

do you want me to give you a heads up if i have friends coming over?

100% agree to give each other a heads up on parents coming to your room

sharing food?

cleaning responsibilities

definitely definitely give each other a copy of your class schedule, and if you have classes at the same time maybe you can agree to make sure you’re both awake at the right time!

you don’t have to be bff’s with your roommate, sometimes it turns out that way and sometimes it doesn’t. what you do need to be is open and honest with your roommate. your year will be miserable (especially if you can’t switch roommates) if you don’t communicate with each other. don’t be afraid to tell them if something is bothering you. if you’re to nervous to do that or don’t like confrontation, talk to your RA or RD

so now that we got all that out of the way, here are some general tips about social things:

that whole keep your door open and people will come talk to you think is a load of bs. me and my roommate did that for weeks and no one came in. everyone is just waiting for someone else to take that chance. so go into peoples rooms and ask them if they wanna grab lunch/dinner! walk around and poke your head in their room! it might be awkward as hell but at least you’re trying :)

go to all (or as many) dorm activities as you can! this allows you to meet more people too even if the event is really dumb, at least show up. you always have the option to leave!

go to club meetings! even if you aren’t sure you want to stay in the club. it’s much harder or maybe just more awkward to join when you’re an upperclassmen, so try and get those roots down as soon as you can

that being said, you can always leave a group without any hard feelings. people do it all the time, so don’t be scared that once you go to one meeting you’re stuck in the group forever

don’t let anyone tell you that as a freshman you can’t get involved. if you want to, you can. there is absolutely nothing stopping you. you might have to work a bit harder but i know you can do it!

sometimes freshman year can suck, or at least have it’s moments. don’t give up. everything gets infinitely better as time goes one, i promise. if you’re having a tough time or feel isolated or overwhelmed, reach out to someone, a parent, friends from home, an old teacher, anyone really! don’t give up, things might get tough, but you ARE strong and you WILL get through it

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for wheat is wheat, even if people think it is a grass in the beginning — Vincent van Gogh

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Your feelings are valid. You have every right to feel whatever emotion you want. You aren’t being dramatic. You aren’t over exaggerating. You’re simply feeling. And that’s okay. 

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How do you (“how does one”) shop for a therapist?

Can you call up a therapist and be like “hi, I’m therapist shopping”? Can you schedule an appointment with a therapist and then be like “actually I have some questions and I want to spend part of this appointment talking about your practice and whether or not it is garbage?”? Are you expected to phone interview/screen your therapists if you are shopping around for a therapist?

If you’re seeing one therapist are you supposed to/not supposed to tell them if you start seeing another therapist? Is it possible to cheat on your therapist?

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coping mechanisms for anxiety 

distract yourself with a show or a movie

hug or cuddle

take a shower or bath

make lists (of anything)

debate your irrational thoughts with logic

ask someone to talk about unrelated stuff

look at cute animals

talk it out

go for a bike ride 

listen to music and focus on the lyrics

watch something funny

play games on your phone

take a nap

go for a walk

occupy your hands with anything

do some breathing exercises 

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I hope something unexpectedly good happens to you this week.

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been drawing the Lessons I’ve been learning recently

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PSA: YOU ARE LOVED AND YOU ARE WORTHY OF LOVE, ALWAYS

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Helpful Links:

what is depression?

types of depression

types of bipolar disorders

psychotic depression

symptom checklist tool

what to expect: being screened for depression by a doc

common treatment options

treatment for bipolar disorders

can counselling actually help depression?

how does cognitive behavioral therapy help depression?

how to find a support group

what to expect during counseling or therapy

pros and cons of antidepressant medication

dysthymia self help

self help guide for depression

coping with depression in pregnancy

identifying barriers to recovery

17 foods to help fight depression

vitamin deficiency and depression

more depression self care

weekly self care checklist

emotion wheel

antidepressant skills workbook

beyondtheblues workbook for teens

coping with depression workbook

how to cope with overwhelming thoughts

6 self help and coping tips for depression

21 tips to keep your sh*t together when you’re depressed

Interactives:

audioentrainment 

coffee shop sounds

depression recovery quotes

disgruntle me

disney and pixar movies

dwd: dealing with depression

emergency compliments

moodgym

nature sounds

need a hug?

neonflames

nowmattersnow

orisinal: cute free games

planetarium

rainymood

student stories

weavesilk art

Free Phone Apps:

breathe2relax: android + iphone

cbt self help guide: android

meditationoasis: android + iphone

mindshift: android + iphone

operation reach out: android + iphone

optimism: iphone

t2 mood tracker: android + iphone

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