![]() It allows me to sit in my body in ways that I never could before. They have allowed me to appreciate who I am becoming even on bad days,” she says, adding, “What I normally do is I say four things that I like about myself in the mirror during the morning hours or the night hours, sometimes both. “I am a big believer in daily affirmations. Keah Brown, a Black bisexual author, explains that adding daily affirmations to her life over the last several years has radically changed her life. ![]() It’s helpful just to have someone that supports you.” 4. ![]() But don’t give up if you find someone that you’re not really vibing with. “The unfortunate fact is that heterosexism and homophobia have been ingrained into facts and mental health systems. Zelaika Hepworth Clarke, a sexologist who specializes in human sexualities, gender and relational diversity, says. “There are a lot of great people that can support you live your best life, heal wounds, overcome atrocities, and get you into alignment,” Dr. Find help from a professionalĬonnecting with someone who understands your specific identity within the LGBTQ+ community can do wonders for your mental health, whether you’re in a crisis or simply trying to figure life out. “It is good to stay informed, but you cannot make the world a better place if you are too depressed to function,” Ace says. But carving out time for a new, offline hobby is one way to avoid it. Doomscrolling, or constantly being online to keep up with the news and the world, can amplify pre-existing anxiety or depression. It’s true that social media can help us find community but it’s also important to log off and set boundaries around screen time. Being able to call someone I first met online ‘family’ is one of the best experiences I’ve ever had.”įacebook, Discord, as well as Twitter, are home to groups like Transgender World, Everyone is Gay, Black Lesbians, and LGBTQ+ Hangout that exist specifically for creating community with other queer and trans people. “This is also how I’ve felt about being trans and queer. “For those with ADHD or other neurodivergence, a lot of us have felt that we were lazy or just not good enough until we realized others experienced the same things,” they say. Use social media to find community but remember to take breaks from being onlineīefore she started using Twitter, Ace, a disabled trans person, felt a lack of community. One grounding technique you can use in these moments is picking a color and naming everything in your environment with that color this is useful because it provides a neutral, non-judgmental way to connect back to the present moment, rather than worrying about the past or future. In order to heal, we have to sit with and confront our emotions and feelings. Toxic positivity, or suppressing your emotions in favor of being positive, can lead to more stress, according to a 2011 study from the University of Texas at Austin. ![]() Let yourself feel as negative as you need to feel while reminding yourself that these negative emotions aren’t permanent, When you process your feelings, you learn how to handle difficult emotions, make better decisions, and form deeper connections with others. Allow yourself to feel whatever it is you’re feeling Below are our recommendations for how self care (nurturing your well-being) and community care (supporting the people around you) can rejuvenate and support ourselves and others. In difficult times, we rely on our communities to remind us that many of the challenges we face, we take on together. Even though the LGBTQ+ community faces more adversities than the general population-especially mental health conditions and illnesses-we strive to celebrate all identities and take care of one another. Tending to our mental health is particularly pertinent for those of us riding out the COVID-19 pandemic in unsupportive or isolated environments where we might lack access to identity-based resources. As LGBTQ+ people, the discrimination we face in our daily lives and against our community (i.e., anti-LGBTQ+ legislation like Arkansas’s House Bill 1570) affects our psychological well-being.
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