Adult Mental Health

Our readers had a lot on their minds last year, from supporting loved ones to staying positive through the ongoing pandemic. Many of our blogs focused on self-care and gratitude, a topic that is as relevant as ever for parents and caregivers and our world’s increasingly burnt-out workforce.

I work with a bunch of people who are very open. They talk about their personal lives and share quite a bit with the rest of the group. I’m very private and I try to keep my personal life and work life separate. As a result, I think they are feeling like I am cold and not interested. How do I handle this? I still value these relationships.

Depression is treatable and you can feel better. Try to take one small step towards feeling better today. Here are some ways to manage and improve symptoms and help those you care about, including yourself.

Our President and CEO Dr. Michelle K. Murray joined KSTP's Minnesota Live to talk about how families can keep it simple in the new year by setting small, specific, and intentional goals.

I’ve always been a little nervous around people, but I’m 37 years old and I feel like I should have grown out of this problem. When I need to introduce myself or speak in a group, I get anxious, and my face turns bright red. I don’t understand it. It’s not rational and it really bugs me. What can I do?

Grief isn’t just about death – it is a loss of relationships, activities, traditions, routines, and ways of life. As you think about how your life has changed over the past 22 months, there is no doubt in my mind that you have witnessed or experienced a loss that you can grieve. While our losses may look and feel different, I encourage you to walk through the stages of grief, so that you can experience the relief and appreciation that acceptance can bring.

I started a new job 18 months ago. Our team works remotely and that’s new for me. In the past, I’ve always gone into an office. I am really struggling to build relationships with my co-workers without having that in-person interaction. Since I started, I have felt disconnected and it’s bothering me. I have never felt that way about my work or my coworkers. What do I do to make this better?

Are the holidays bringing emotional “gifts” to you like they are to me? Feeling responsible for others’ happiness? Trying to create a perfect holiday? Let’s see if we can unwrap some of those gifts and let them move through us, perhaps off into the ether. We might find that some of them aren’t ours to keep after all.

The holidays are really tough for me. I live far away from my family and this will be the second year in a row I am not able to make it back to see them. I can feel myself starting to push away from my family just to protect myself from feeling left out. I’m sad and I seem to cry at the drop of a hat. What do I do?

The holidays tend to get people in the spirit of giving. You might be preparing a list of gifts to give, scheduling time to host or attend dinner parties, or arranging travel itineraries to see your loved ones. It is common to go out of your way during the holiday season to show family, loved ones, friends, and co-workers that you care about them. Gift giving and holiday festivities should be fun and joyful. But if you feel yourself getting overly stressed, take a step back and prioritize the most meaningful pieces of your holiday — one of those being your own wellbeing.