Hopes and breams

Havunen Minttu on mun lemppari Ääniloiri

Miku is wearing etelä-pohjanmaa Finnish national dress and the art is inspired old packaging of Finnish Oat brand called Elovena.

October 10 is World Mental Health Day, so let’s talk about how we can end the stigma surrounding mental health 🌱

🗨 TALK🗨

Start a dialogue about your own experiences 💖 Mental Health is still stigmatized and that can make it difficult to talk about openly, but the more we talk, the more we help to normalize the discussion. But it’s not just about helping the world see Mental Health differently, but about your perception too; talking about your problems can help you work through them, and see them in a more realistic light, and it helps the people around you understand your needs.

Challenge incorrect information 💖 If you see someone spreading incorrect information about mental health, be brave and step in. Remind people that mental illnesses are disorders of the brain, and are usually due to chemical imbalances, in the same way that disorders of other organs might be due to a vitamin deficiency, or the body not being able to produce the right amount of hormones.

Ask others about their experiences 💖 Encourage others to talk about their own mental health issues, if they feel comfortable doing so.  

💭 LISTEN💭

Provide a judgement-free environment 💖 Sometimes people just need to vent, rather than have a discussion, and as well-meaning as you might be you need to respect that. Ask if they’d like to discuss their issues or if they’d just like to vent and be given a sympathetic shoulder to lean on. Mental Illness can make us hyper sensitive to perceived criticism, and feel unable to open up. Create a judgement-free environment by giving them your full attention, and by allowing people to talk at their own pace, without interruption.

Ask what they need, don’t assume 💖 What we need and what someone else needs might be two different things, so ask and listen to what someone says when they talk about their needs. It might be tempting to think “they’re just being lazy” or “if I give them a push they’ll get there eventually”, but respecting their wishes is not just about whether or not they know best. Ask them if they need their boundaries pushed, or if today is a good day to try. There will be days where they are more open to pushing their boundaries. If you force them too early you may deter them from trying again, and it may hurt their trust in you.  

💬 CHECK💬

Check in 💖 Now’s a good time to check up on the people around you. Don’t just say hello, ask how they are feeling; specifically how they feel mental-health wise. It becomes a habit to say “I’m fine”, even when you’re not, and mental illness makes it harder to be forthcoming with how we feel. Give them the option to say “well, now that you mention it…” instead of the usual small talk.

Check up 💖 Have you been ignoring your own mental health needs? Procrastinating on getting proper professional help? Now’s a good time to make an appointment with your GP for a check up!

Jos tuntuu että tarvitset lepoa esimerkiksi uupumuksen takia kesken opintojen, hae ihmeessä sairaslomaa! Opiskelijat on oikeutettuja sairauspäivärahaan!

Alle kaksi kuukautta kestävän sairauden aikana voit nostaa joko sairauspäivärahaa tai opintotukea. Jos on tarvetta kaksi kuukautta pidemmälle sairaslomalle, voit säästää opintotukikuukausia nostamalla sairauspäivärahaa.

Vaikka opintotukikuukaudet olisivat loppuneet eli et saa enää opintotukea, voit silti saada sairauspäivärahaa!

Ota huomioon, että tarvitset sitä varten lääkärintodistuksen, eli oikeasti kannattaa kääntyä ammattilaisen puoleen jos tuntuu ettei voimat enää riitä tai olet pidempään kipeänä.

Sairausloma voi myös pidentää opintolainavähennykseen tai opintolainahyvitykseen oikeuttavaa tutkinnon suorittamisaikaa, jos olet saanut sairauspäivärahaa tai täyden työkyvyttömyyden perusteella maksettavaa eläkettä tai korvausta.

Sairauspäivärahakaudella saa myös edistää opintoja enintään noin 40% normaalista kokopäivätoimisesta opiskelusta, eli voit edistää opintojasi jonkin verran ilman, että opintotukikuukausia kuluu hukkaan.

en ota tähän muuten kantaa paitsi et nauroin helvetisti tolle vastaukselle 

Not included:

River (in possession of her very own brain cell)

Those messenger screen names that haven’t logged on in ages, some before detailed profiles were a thing on those services.

Those emails that are long since abandoned, some with domains that no longer exist.

Those online friends you knew years ago and who then helped shaped you in some way, who you just can’t FIND anymore.

Those people who once were, and hopefully still exist IRL, that seem to have no known internet life anymore.

And those who have actually passed on, and their online lives are now a memorial to them.