Workshop Summary #1 Essays - Psychiatry, Psychology, RTT

Workshop Summary #1 Under Pressure and Overwhelmed October 3, 2017 - 1:10-2:25pm This workshop began with us colouring on colouring pages, as it represented giving our minds a break from tasks that required a lot of thinking. Mindless tasks can give our minds the rest it needs to continue on tasks that require much more thought and effort. We then listed different characteristics we associated with anxiety. A few of the things I mentioned were heightened stress over everyday tasks, the inability to concentrate because of overwhelming mental lists of things that have to get done, insomnia, irritability, forgetting to eat or eating too much, and fear, apprehension and/or worry. The instructor mentioned how stress can influence our own bodies in physical sickness. I knew this already, as when I have gotten stressed I usually get some kind of cold. Anxiety has been a struggle of mine for a long time, and it does require being more diligent in self-care and checking in with myself on how I am doing. She touched on panic disorder, and panic attacks, and this was very relatable for me as I have experience these before. I wasn't sure if that was what I was going through at the time but this really helped me to pinpoint what was and wasn't a panic attack. It was very helpful that she not only told us the causes and the signs of anxiety, but also brought to light the different methods in helping ourselves with it, including self-help at home with relaxation techniques, or what free services trinity offers on campus. I really respect that they are making education on anxiety more prevalent, because as the instructor pointed out, over 80 percent of the mental illness they deal with on a daily basis at the wellness center is anxiety. It is also one of the most common disorders that goes untreated. She walked through a few of these breathing and stretching exercises, and personally these do not do much for me. I feel like I would be wasting my time a little bit if I took half an hour every morning to breathe from my diaphragm and clenching every muscle for 7 seconds. I really understand that this would be a very productive start to some people's days, but for me personally it does loosen me up, but mentally I feel no different. That being said, if I forced myself to do breathing exercises every morning, I don't disagree that eventually I may see some improvement in my mental life. I think something that stood out to me and that I know I need to take more seriously, is taking time in the week for myself and for resting. I have found that I am so focused on school and spending time with friends on Sunday, that I am not taking a healthy amount of time for myself. This would be time for playing music, watching a movie by myself, reading for pleasure, taking a bath and many other things that bring me joy. I always make the excuse "I don't have time", but if I measured how much time I spend on social media, I would see there is more than enough time to take care of myself throughout the week.