Mind Yourself: Vocabulary for Mental Health
Talking about how you feel is an important part of looking after your mental health, says the UK-based Mental Health Foundation. So here are some useful phrases for explaining how you feel when things feel like they are getting to be "too much" — meaning too difficult.
Unfortunately, stress and sadness are normal parts of life. But they can leave you feeling like you're "at the end of your rope," or no longer able to deal with a problem or situation.
Both "out of sorts," or "not quite yourself" are ways of saying you are a little unhappy and not feeling like usual. But if you're feeling very sad, you can say you are "down in the mouth." This phrase comes from the way the corners of our mouths go down when we're sad.
If your life is very busy and you're under a lot of stress, you might feel "frazzled." This describes the feeling of being stressed, worried and tired all at once.
Too much stress can leave you feeling like "a bundle of nerves," or very worried.
You may also find yourself becoming "high-strung," which means nervous but also easily upset. This phrase comes from the fact that something that is high-strung — like a guitar string — is easy to break.
However, talking to friends or family about what's "on your mind," or what you're worried about, can really "lift a weight off your shoulders." That means giving you a feeling of relief.
1. What do you do to make yourself feel better when you're down in the mouth?
2. Who's the first person you talk to when you have a problem? Why?
3. Are most of the people you know comfortable talking about their mental health?
4. What do you do to relax when you're feeling stressed?
5. Do you think everyday life is more stressful today than it was fifty years ago?
6. What do you imagine are the main causes of stress for people where you live?
7. Which of your friends or family would you say has the most relaxing job?
8. Do you ever have to work long hours? Have you experienced burnout before?