I sat down to write today. After two hours on my computer, I only have a few bits and pieces of material in my mind. I’ll do my best to address them. Then I can say that I did something productive today.

Solitude vs Isolation–

Solitude. I love solitude. The majority of my creative work comes in solitude. I need alone time to function properly. I benefit from spending time alone with my thoughts. Solitude can be wonderful.

Isolation. I think of isolation as solitude gone too far. Increased negative thinking is often the reason why I choose to isolate myself from others. I can feel isolated even when I am spending time with other people. To me, isolation means spending too much time alone in my dark thoughts. Isolation can be deadly.

Isolation is an unnecessary evil. I am surrounded by people who would be willing to listen and help me when things are not going well. The urge to isolate is driven by the negative thoughts and feelings inside my head. Even with these urges, isolation is still a choice. There is nothing forcing me to isolate. To some extent it is a behaviour that I have learned over time. This behaviour can also be unlearned, and I must continuously work to improve in this area. Essentially this means improving my communication skills.

Spirituality while dealing with mental health problems-

This was suggested as a blog topic from a friend of mine. Spirituality was a prominent subject in her recovery group. They talked about the benefits of believing in a power higher than yourself.

My own faith has been my rock during the last 5 years. I doubt that I would still be here today without God watching over me. My own strength would not have gotten me this far.

Thoughts on social media’s effects and spending more time in real life-

Another friend of mine suggested this topic. I spend a lot of time on social media. As do a lot of you guys I expect. Social media is the most effective way that I have of sharing the work that I do. But to be honest, most of my time on social media is spent mindlessly scrolling down my screen.

When I am able to step back into real life, I immediately notice the positive benefits. Face to face conversations and physical activity are two of the most beneficial things in my world, neither of which I get while in the online world. We all need to remember to focus on the world around us, not the world contained in our phones and computers.

Last words-

I just want to stress the importance that we all talk about our mental health. And that we keep the discussion going. Words break barriers. Reach out if you think someone is struggling. And if you are struggling, reach out. There are people and resources available to help you. Keep chipping away.