#but a lot of people can benefit from it when they're in a healthy mindset

[gods-angriest-girl]

🫀🍽️

[han4el]

How I see the moon signs, as a cancer rising + leo moon

— Taurus Moon

This might be favorite moon sign. No one ever really hates them. They're that person which makes you feel comfortable just by being in their presence. They actually accept the way you are, with all your flaws and unique qualities. Very good at understanding their own needs, thoughts, feelings and reactions. Might not be very talkative, since they prefer to just ponder on their inner life quietly, but when they do say something, it's usually that piece of the puzzle you were looking for. But don't try to exploit them, because they can and will put you in your place, while also being graceful and pretty with it. Others might not even understand that what they said hurt you, because of how charismatic they are, but it WILL hurt you. And you won't even be able to say anything, since you'll know they're right. Their self-esteem is usually unshakeable. But they earned it after a long period of obsessing over their insecurities, most probably related to body dysmorphia or weight gain. However, this also means that they put a lot of heart into what they cook for themselves, because they won't eat just anything. Food for them is almost therapeutic. This comes from their strong relationship with anything related with comfort, luxury, security and personal needs/values. VERY pretty faces. Omg... Even if when you first see them they might not be your type, they start to grow on you quickly. They might be the friend to which everyone runs for mental or emotional health advices. To which they'll respond the best as they can, to a certain limit. Keep in mind that they value their boundaries a lot and won't tolerate you using them for your own benefits. Might be philosophical (more specifically, stoic) but won't discuss it openly, since they keep their more important thoughts to themselves. Once they start seeing something as their anchor for grounding, they'll defend it with their life. This includes material things AND people.

⚘ Random associations: the friend that was there for you no matter what, healthy food, self investment, self-care, skincare, spas, perfumes, luxurious lifestyle, big comfortable home, gifts as a love language, producing music, making art as a way of relieving stress, spending time in nature, having a very strong bond with your pets, putting on lip balm in public, putting on certain perfumes depending on your mood, reapplying perfume whenever you feel kinda sad, experimenting with food, experimenting with furniture arrangement until finding the perfect place for everything, pilates, desserts, macaroons, tiramisu, chocolate or vanilla flavoured body scrubs, best smelling one in the room, exquisite clothing style, only clothes made of quality materials, gold or silver jewellery, generous mom, good relationship with every female figure, LOYALTY, very sensual and they know it, that one girl that doesn't really have any drama in her life, pretty mysterious... you often realise you don't actually know that much about their personal life, curly hair, dimples, soft skin, very resilient and independent, looks great in earth toned outfits, will NOT do physical labour (especially the girls) not even for money.

⚘ What I love about this placement: very loyal, resilient, loving (but not openly), sees the beauty in everything, values self care and self love, they can control their emotions very well, always takes care of their needs first, makes sure they are stable enough before starting something new, will not come venting at you with their issues, genuinely enjoys making others feel comfortable and loved, amazing at flirting, unshakeable mindset, if they put their mind to something it's impossible to stop them, very cute when affectionate, soothing voice, healthy skin, gives the best hugs, possessive but in a good way (territorial almost).

⚘ What I dislike about this placement: might have a s** or p*** addiction, they get addicted to things very fast and it's difficult to control it, stubborn af, sometimes lazy, the kind of person to be stuck on their ex while in multiple situationships, usually very materialistic, they have more of a hedonistic lifestyle, does NOT care about your feelings once you got them mad (on a good note: it's difficult to get them mad).

⚘ My experience with this placement: 10/10

• Disclaimer: I'm not a certified astrologer. Everything in my posts is based on my personal experience and observations. Please, feel free to ask any questions or tell me your opinions.

⌗ follow for more content!

[rainbowsky]

Hi Rbs,This is not an ask. Just wanted to share few words with you. Dont publish this if you not wanted to.

(Its not pointed at only Accio like she mentioned in comments.I can see some bxgs with large followers started saying the same nowadays in twitter also).Really sorry if the ask created issue for you.

I always look for your POV when i get confusion in my turtle journey for almost 3 years now. Thanks a lot for that .I am glad you are clear in your point of view that-bad behavior is the issue, not the headbands/toys.

There is a saying-'If you want to kill a culture, kill their language'

Likewise I think its one of the way to turn turtles to solos slowly by changing their mindsets (like its a shame to show cpf stuff when one of them only present )-That means we need to show solo banners and considered solos in events/we will be voiceless in that events and our identity will be lose eventually.

This is in reference to a previous post.

Hi, Anon. Thanks, I'm glad that you find my blog helpful.😊

I'm going to respond to those two separate topics, here - the topic of fan colors, and the topic of anonymous asks/responses.

First of all, don't worry about any issues. If I want to avoid issues I can just ignore questions that are potentially controversial. I don't generally do that because I'm a believer in discussing things in a healthy way and sharing perspectives.

Fan colors

I feel pretty strongly about fans' right to exist, and their right to show support. All fans, regardless of fandom color. I think there is far too much polarization and conflict in the world. Live and let live.

Perhaps my perspective is overly idealistic, but I would vastly prefer a world where people would have higher standards for acceptance of other people rather than leaning on divisions and differences as an excuse for excluding and marginalizing each other.

It feels like there is often an agenda whenever an event like this happens, where certain uncharitably angled and edited clips of turtles supposedly behaving really horribly suddenly appear out of the woodwork, and this narrative starts to spread around turtledom and solo spaces that turtles are behaving badly and being disrespectful. This happens every single time there is an event like this where turtles dare to show their faces.

I respect that there are many turtles who will disagree with me on this, but as far as I'm concerned turtles are innocent unless proven guilty to me. I will always do my best not to malign or chastise turtles without having all of the facts and without being absolutely certain of what really happened.

If fans really are being disruptive, that is unacceptable. However, if they are not, if they are just having fun and supporting DD, I do not want to be among those who join solos in attacking them.

I hope we can remember as fans that a lot of the supposedly damning material we see about turtles in situations like this is anti material! We shouldn't be so ready to believe the hype about turtles being disruptive and bad.

Even in cases where a turtle might be behaving badly - there are usually dozens and dozens of turtles at events. Why are we so happy to condemn all turtles based on the behavior of one or two?

I don't buy the solo narrative of turtles being uncouth, of turtles not belonging, of turtles not having a right to show themselves publicly. I think everyone could benefit from a bit of perspective. This is fandom, it's supposed to be FUN. Excluding certain 'undesirable' people from sharing their enthusiasm and support - it's just such utter BS to me. I made it all pretty clear in this post.

I'm a turtle. That's it. That's all I have to say about it. I'm not a solo I will never be a solo. I will always love both of them, no matter what happens.

Turtles have a right to exist. Turtles have to a right to exist and be seen as existing. They're not under any obligation to crawl under a rock or pose as solos.

I firmly believe that GG and DD appreciate the support of turtles. They have behaved in ways that I believe support this theory. There's even a LRLG rumor that came out a while ago that said that "turtles give them strength". This is something that I have always believed. I believe the evidence supports it.

Therefore, who is anyone to say that BXG support should be withdrawn or covered under a blanket?

I will never jump on the bandwagon with solos to cut turtles down. Especially not without clear evidence turtles are behaving badly.

When turtles are behaving badly, or when I feel our fandom needs to pull our socks up and behave better I will always be among the first to say so. I'm sure people get sick of hearing it. But this isn't one of those cases, as far as I'm concerned.

And just to be really clear: this is my OPINION. There are totally valid contradictory opinions out there, and I fully respect everyone's right to disagree with me. We all must engage with fandom in the way that feels right for us, and I think it's extremely important for people to form their own values and perspectives on things based on what feels right for them.

That includes you, Anon. While I'm glad you find my perspective helpful, I hope you will form your own ideas about these topics. I am often wrong about things! 😅

Anon asks/responses

As for the comment about anons contacting me when they have something to say about something Vic posted, surely you can understand why it looked like that's what you were doing. Your phrasing was very similar to Vic's post. While there's nothing necessarily wrong with writing me about what you're thinking/feeling about stuff you've read outside my blog, it's worthwhile to understand why it can rub people the wrong way in some cases.

I think Vic had a good point, that if people have a reaction to what they read on Vic's blog, they should respond there.

As bloggers we stick our necks out when we put our positions out there every day. Everything we say and do is attributed to us, and we take all the backlash (and praise) of people's reactions. That's fine - that's what we signed up for - but I think sometimes readers lean too much being anonymous, in ways that sometimes feel a bit gratuitous. Just my two cents, but

anonymous should not be the default.

I get it that some people are shy, and no one is ever obligated to respond or interact openly if they do not feel comfortable doing so, but I really encourage everyone to respond off anon in the appropriate place whenever humanly possible.

I think it's important for everybody to remember that all of us are Anonymous, even bloggers. We're all hiding behind usernames. Nobody knows our real identities. Therefore, I hope people will try a little harder sometimes to just interact and engage directly with comments or questions in the notes of a post. Especially with simple, basic questions.

And especially with responses that aren't questions. My inbox is for questions.

You are free to ask anonymously of course, but I hope everyone will give it a second thought every now and then and consider going off anon. There are a lot of benefits to that.

Not least of which is that when you go off anon you begin to build a relationship with me, with other bloggers, and with other readers. You begin to become a more integrated, engaged part of the turtle community here.

If I don't know who is asking the question, I can't associate those interactions with anyone, and therefore you're losing an opportunity to make friends. You might feel like you heard from me, but that doesn't mean I have any clue who you are.

I've made some good friends through people who regularly asked questions in my inbox off anon.

HOWEVER, my anonymous inbox is not a place for people to ask questions aimed at bloggers who do not have anonymous asks turned on. And yes, people do regularly send me anon asks about Vic's posts, and other bloggers as well. You don't generally see them because I don't answer asks that I feel aren't for me.

If somebody has a question about a post another blogger has made, the appropriate place to ask that question is in the notes or comments of that blogger's post. Unless someone is asking me for my opinion on it, or unless there is some other direct connection to me, it doesn't belong in my inbox.

Anyway, this is not aimed at you Anon, I just want to address that because I think that Vic's point was a valid one.

Neither of us bite. I know sometimes I can be a bit blunt by some people's standards, but I do my best to respond in good faith to people who approach me in good faith.

No one ever needs fear messaging me privately or commenting on my posts or sending me asks off anon if they are doing so in good faith and in the spirit of friendliness.

And as someone who considers Vic a friend, and who I've known for years, I feel the same holds true. People are selling themselves short if they don't take the opportunity to spark a friendship by engaging with Vic's posts.

Edit: follow-up post here.

[cleaningandmentalhealth]

Benefits of Cleaning and sanitization at your Home and Office

Benefits of Cleaning and sanitization at your Home and Office

Customer Satisfaction

Customers want to feel safe. It is crucial to understand that their surroundings have been well cleansed and sanitized. Their experience is influenced by how safe they feel within the institution. Every time it's feasible, make sure to let customers know about cleaning efforts and their advantages. They will feel more comfortable doing business with you and your personnel since this shows what is being done to safeguard their health.

Employees Performance

That same sense of security also makes a positive difference in worker productivity. From offices to warehouse floors, employees focus better when they're sure about the safety of their workplace. Your efforts to provide healthy workspaces reflect your commitment to their overall well-being. When employees see certified technicians regularly cleaning and disinfecting their work environment, they know you care.

Prevent Diseases

Many of the germs present in workplaces are airborne, which can lead to workers developing allergies and breathing issues including asthma, as well as other respiratory illnesses. Additionally, allergens like dust mites, pollen, dander etc. can result in skin infections, runny noses, watery eyes, coughs, and labored breathing in addition to causing nasal congestion and other symptoms. People seldom experience severe allergy responses and respiratory problems in clean environments with few allergens and mold. Having proper cleaning and sanitization will prevent you, your family and your employees from a lot of fatal diseases.

Enhance Mental peace

Having a tidy living environment is beneficial for mental health since a nice, clutter-free home and office makes its users feel less stressed. Maintaining a clean environment and organizing your belongings properly are vital for a healthier mental state. Reputable end of lease cleaners claim that some individuals even find cleaning and decluttering to be peaceful.

Offer natural pest control

Homes or offices that are left unclean for a lengthy period of time frequently get infested with insects and animals. It's one of the reasons individuals choose to have pest control services in addition to deep cleaning done by experts. Because they may poison supplies of food and make living spaces unclean, bugs are harmful to have in your offices and houses. Because pests are less likely to penetrate houses that are routinely cleaned, it is crucial to pay attention to every nook and corner of the house while cleaning. So. Proper cleaning and sanitization services could help to deal such problems and protect you from pest control expenses.

Hacks to maintain clean environment

Here are some pointers on how to keep your house clean.

Keep a task schedule that assigns deadlines and responsibility for these activities to various members of the house.

To sanitize anything or an area at any moment, keep all the cleaning tools on available.

Adopt the "clean-as-you-spill" principle, which calls for cleaning and disinfecting as soon as they occur. If this guideline is followed in the home, there will be less possibility that spills will serve as microbial spawning grounds.

Cleaning as soon as you see a dirty area is a great approach to maintain your home's cleanliness at all times.

It's crucial to manage your property with the proper mindset. Therefore, to prevent recontamination of a space, utilize the top-to-bottom and left-to-right techniques.

It is best to hire safaeewala cleaners if for whatever reason you are unable to maintain hygiene, leading your home to remain unclean. 

Remarks

Do it yourself or hire a professional cleaning service by Safaeewala cleaning services LLC, but never compromise on hygiene because a clean environment has many health advantages. Allergies, skin sensitivities, respiratory issues, food poisoning, etc. are less common among people in clean surroundings. They are also more productive, physically and emotionally better, and less stressed.

[pinkpruneclodwolf]

Ok I think the reason Decue see Yuu as a leader of there band of merry band.Hes still has a delinquent impulsive wal trying to be a good boy.Yuu is a safe bet,there the most morally good out of all of them.Along with they seem to care deeply for everyone no matter what.Damn I wanted to hold Ruggie for what Leona was doing to him.

Do you think Deuce ever last out at Yuu.No one can change overnight.He has said he used his magic over others.Maybe there both having a bad day and it escalated from there.

Also to the trey post,he could be a little bit on the Mad hatter,that damn fordora gives him away.All of the cast share personality with other characters not just the villain's hell.Riddle and Ace share character traits with Alice.

The angst potential for Deuce to lash out on Yuu—

Lemme close my eyes and pretend I didn't read.

NO BC TREY

I coulda lived my entire life NOT knowing that shit from his birthday story bruh, now I'm gonna be side eying everything he does for the rest of my life because I cannot handle people playing with my food okay?

I watched too many horror movies where that shit could go left, 1000 Ways To Die had my lil ass screaming as a child—

I just— it kicks up child hood fears of bugs in food (there's a book about a boy eating a worm with a ketchup on—🤮🤮🤮)

I swear I don't hate Trey but I do hate how his actions could lead to people getting hurt especially when he plays like he doesn't have ulterior motives just like everyone else—

Don't make your Yumesona's dependent on him bc he'll get irritated and uncomfortable and might find humor in making them eat dirt.

Which also plays into a fear that the people that love me would hate me?????

I honestly think that Ruggie's reaction after Leona tries his life needs to be explored more—not in the "poor ruggie" but rather how Ruggie and Leona's relationship functions—

They aren't friends; Ruggie uses Leona for his money, Leona uses Ruggie's willingness to to work for that money.

Ruggie could always drop Leona for another rich sucker in the school, Kalim is right there!!!!

But he stays because they're relationship is symbiotic—they understand each other and understand how each other tick, Ruggie wouldn't have taken Azul's magic boost potion if he wasn't down for it.

Money is the motive, basically.

I do think that with Ruggie's situation by depending on the closest proximity for change he kinda needed Leona to snap at him to realize that relying on Leona would end up not benefitting him if he starts acting the way that he was in Savanaclaw.

But poverty traps him in relationships he knows it isn't good for him because he has to support his family, Leona doesn't offer to change either of their situations because he's backed himself into a corner of self wallowing and hatred thinking that he's inadequate bc he's the second prince and his people kinda hate him since he's developed an unsavory personality—

Leona caused some of his problems but that doesn't mean he isn't changing—Ruggie needs Leona to step up if he wants to see change in the slums is my take away.

A lot of ppl think that Ruggie's whole personality is being a smug mother hen, and to an extent he is, but he's on a consistent grind and that is not a healthy mindset.

Back to Deuce snapping on Yuu though, I do see the potential there—yeah, he's working on being a model student and he's down to work with someone he previously viewed as weak, however—

We have to take into account that people slip up, the road to becoming a better person is never an easy journey and while one may feel like they're on top of the world one moment life has a mean ass right hook—

One argument can escalate, a misunderstanding, even just the simple act of Grim making a pass at him could end with him popping off—no i don't think Deuce is volatile due to his delinquent past, I think he's volatile because he's a teenage boy surrounded by teenage boys who think magic makes them better—

Lets not even talk about the money or social status some of these boys have (Leona, Idia, Kalim, Vil).

Just a whole lotta testosterone.

The most likely of him snapping off on Yuu would be if he perceives Yuu as weak— i firmly believe that twst!humans are strong as shit to keep up with Fae, Merfolk, and Beastmen— Yuu not being able to do something Deuce, or even Epel, sees as average can have him questioning Yuu's position.

Delinquent circles often move like a pack of animals, the leader will be challenged the same way the dormleaders have challenged their previous, the same way he and Ace challenged Riddle.

I def think Leona or Jack would step in on Yuu's behalf because Ace just seems like the type who doesn't fight physically, Grim can use magic but one cauldron and he's out, Jack stepping in could parallel how Deuce stepped in for Yuu.

Let's not even take into account Yuu's thoughts during this��your friend turning on you because they think your weak—

Just an overall angst train.

It's very ooc but angst isn't really my forte lmaooo, I also believe Deuce respects Yuu even if they're magicless, he favors the idea of strong leadership rather than strength—it's how they survived the OBs.

[writing-prompt-s]

Hey there! First time anon asker, long time follower. I appreciate all the work you do for this blog. Just want to keep the conversation going about the Edison quote you retweeted, on "giving up" versus "knowing when to stop." Though Edison sucks as some comments pointed out, I happen to agree with the quote to an extent. I'm curious to know more about your experience. First, some background for my opinion: I work as a student tutor for fellow college students. One of the biggest things we learn as tutors is how to encourage students NOT to give up when they face a challenge. Lots of people, especially first-gen college students, give up when they're struggling in class because they assume they're "not smart enough" or something along those lines, when research and my personal experience show that that's not true. They are able to change their school habits and seek out help, but only if they already have a mindset where they believe they can do it. Those who don't believe in themselves are less likely to seek help and thus, more likely to fail. Students might also drop out of college or get bad grades because of things outside of their control, like losing their job or other difficulties that make it hard for them to continue at college. This is also an issue because some (not all) colleges have programs to help students during difficult times, but many students don't even try, they just drop out. I have benefitted from some of these programs personally, so even though they can't cure everything, these programs should be considered when a student is struggling. And sometimes, dropping out of college IS the best decision for a person, whether they intend to return later or go a different path. It's just that for many students, they don't have to give up on their education/career goals because of the hardships they're currently trying to work through, but they believe that there's nothing else they can do. The solution may be out there, but they "give up" because they didn't look for it. As a tutor, that's why phrases like "don't give up!" are so important for the people I work with. Not because college is for everyone or that people should sacrifice their well-being for a degree, but because students (again especially first generation college students, students of color, and low income students) have such low confidence in themselves and their ability to learn and grow through obstacles. The Edison quote wasn't about college, but I'm using my experience as a college student and tutor as a more concrete example of why the Edison quote could be useful. College student or not, I think having a "don't give up" attitude can get you through some hard times. So all of this is to preface my question: in your opinion, how can we know the difference between a healthy, "I will do everything I can to meet my goals" situation and an unhealthy, "I will sacrifice everything" situation? Sorry for this lengthy ask btw, if you don't want to respond I completely understand. Just hoping to hear your insight to the topic more. Thanks for this blog and for sharing your thoughts! -S

Hey S!

Read “The Dip” by Seth Godin. It counts about 80 pages but reads like 30. I highly recommend reading it and using the ideas in guiding your students. When you read it, it’s mostly common sense with a bit of oh damn, nice! But sometimes common sense needs to be conceptualized, made concrete, or put into context, and this little book does just that.

The main idea is to know if you should quit or persevere during ‘a dip’ by forecasting the probability of success and take costs/rewards into account.

However, this might not be everyone’s best skill, so some people might need practice or guidance. As Ray Dalio points out in his book ‘Principles’, everyone is wired differently. Just as our bodies come in different shapes and sizes, so do the compositions of our brains. Some people might have weak bones or naturally have lots of muscle mass. Others might regulate emotions well, or are weak at visualizing the future. (By the way, neuroscience tells us we can shape and improve our brains!)

The different compositions of our brains also affects communication between people. Everyone encodes and decodes information differently, and then also gets filtered through one’s own life experiences. So advice such as ‘first seek to understand, then to be understood’ is paramount before encouraging people to ‘not give up.’ If the other person doesn’t feel that you completely understand their situation, saying that actually might work counter-productive!

In my opinion, in most cases 'don’t give up!’ is a good motto for college students. You know what to expect from college. If you do x you will get x. If you stick through the dip (time spend getting good grades), you will get the reward (degree). However, as you point out, some students might face additional stress outside of college, or society might already have put them at a disadvantage. It might just become too much. You helping and encouraging students who are at a disadvantage is incredibly helpful. As humans, we are naturally wired to be interdependent. We cannot do everything by ourselves, nor should we want to. We thrive on meaningful relationships and social connections.

So where is the line between healthy and unhealthy? That’s actually a very tough question. Most people tend to think of life as a journey, always trying to get somewhere, trying to achieve something. It would mean telling people how to live their life and I have no clue. Of course, if in trying to get to your goal your body shows signs of it being unhealthy, stop or take a break. Stress is good, but not to the point where you break down. Self-management is key. Overall I would say it’s healthy if your values align with the process to achieve the goal, the goal, and the consequences of achieving it. But then again, always be realistic. Quitting frees up time, energy and other resources that can be spend on achieving a different, perhaps more rewarding/meaningful/attainable goal.

An attempt at a more concrete answer would be:

It’s impossible to generalize what is healthy and what is unhealthy as everyone has a different idea of what that is and is living their own complex life. Therefore, on a case-by-case basis, people should be taught to take a step back sometimes, contemplate what they are doing, analyse it, be open-minded, seek help from (qualified) people and ask for feedback and advice, and then make up their minds themselves whether what they are doing is healthy or not.

As @zeadtalost said in the comments: “Man’s gotta know his limitations”. But then I would like to add to it that ‘man’ should not be fool enough never to test what they believe to be their limitations. Because what you say is true. Often limitations are in the mind, and overcoming them is what will make people more confident and capable! So please keep doing what you are doing. I doubt you find this a concrete answer, but I am pretty sure the book by Seth Godin will help you lots! Also, by the length of your ask I can tell you are very dedicated and a compassionate tutor, and it’s your caring attitude that will give your students the best chance of succeeding!

[free--therapy]

How to Support Someone with Depression

These tips can go both ways when it comes to supporting someone you know who is dealing with depression or even how to support yourself while going through it. Oftentimes it's easier for us to care and support other people instead of ourselves, so if we're able to do so for others, we can implement the same strategies towards ourselves.

Recognize and realize that depression is an illness. Just like any other sickness, whether it's a cold or flu, a broken arm, or battling cancer, a person cannot simply get over it right away. And just like any other sickness, these things happen over the span of longer periods of time, which means that it'll take some time for things to be reversed or healed. It's easy to assume that someone has "no reason" to be sad or depressed, but there are so many factors involved that we may not realize just by looking from the outside. Respect and honor this person by believing them when they tell you since it takes a lot of courage to share when one is struggling.

Make a point to reach out to them. It's so easy for those struggling with depression to want to reach out to others first because being in that mindset makes them want to be completely isolated from everyone around them. While we can't expect them to want to be excited or eager to be around them, letting them know that they have someone to talk to or who supports them can go a long way when their mind is telling them, no one cares about me. It's better for them to have the option of being helped or having an ear that will listen. Make sure to also check in with them on a regular basis. A lot of people suffering from depression likely feel that people will abandon them, so being consistent can remind them that they're not as alone as they think.

Lend your ear to them and just listen. We don't have to feel like we need to fix this person or feel the need to convince them that the way they're feeling is wrong, even if we may disagree with them. It helps tremendously to a person dealing with depression to be able to feel safe sharing their innermost vulnerable feelings and thoughts with someone who will just listen and no judge them for it.

We can also be supportive by encouraging healthy habits with ease and compassion. We can encourage implementing healthier habits like exercising or fun activities by offering to do them with our loved one so they don't feel alone. Sometimes they may not even know how to start doing them or even how to do the activity, so it helps to have someone else to do them with to keep them accountable.

It's okay to encourage seeking professional help. We can suggest things that can help to improve their mood and encourage them to seek professional help since most of the time we're unequipped ourselves. Don't feel bad if the idea is rejected either since it takes a lot of courage and resources to get someone to seek that kind of help. The fact that they are seeking us out is a great step towards them making moves towards their recovery. If they don't know where or how to start, we can offer to help them find the right professional for them. Therapy or counselling can go a long way and some professionals may even recommend medication that can help them get on the right track.

Connect them with a social support system. In addition to professional help, our loved one can benefit from other sources of support like community organizations, religious groups, or mental health support groups. It's vital to build up a system of support when we're going through recovery since being in a depressive mindset will easily make them discouraged and not stay the course. It really helps others to not feel alone and feel supported when going through something they strongly believe they're alone in feeling. The more people we can relate to about similar issues, the better they can feel.

Take any mention of suicide seriously. Symptoms of depression include intense sadness, despair, and thoughts of suicide. If you feel like your loved one may be in danger, don't hesitate to call 911 or bring them to the nearest Emergency Room to get the help they need. It's okay to feel inadequate when dealing with a loved one in crisis, but there are professionals who are well equipped to deal with these feelings right away that are worth consulting. There are also suicide hotlines in every country to call when these feelings arise as well.

Make time for your own self-care. Supporting someone going through depression can also take a toll on ourselves, especially when we're dealing with something we are likely unfamiliar with. While we want to neglect ourselves to take care of others, we have to remember to take care of ourselves too. We cannot pour from an empty cup, so we have to make sure we find ways to manage our own habits to make sure we can continue to support our loved ones. We should make sure we're taking time to make sure we're still eating properly, getting enough sleep, reducing stress by relaxing, and exercising. We don't have to feel guilty for not being able to attend to their needs 24/7. We need a break too.

We are not responsible for curing or fixing our loved one. Our love and support will always be considered valuable, but ultimately we can't make them better. It's unfair to ourselves to take responsibility for another person’s depression, or their recovery. At the end of the day, recovery is a personal journey that one has to take on their own and it doesn't matter how badly we want them to get better, that journey is their own to take and overcome.