KRISTEN BELL SPEAKS OUT ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH ON SOCIAL MEDIA
When people have mental health issues, many times they’ll go on social media for advice and inspiration. For many who are suffering and need to get help, it’s usually a good first step. For others, social media is a forum to confess and speak out. The fact that a number of celebrities, like Kristen Bell, are speaking out about their own personal mental health struggles is inspiring others to get help as well. Sharing Your Story Through Instagram Story As Health reports, Kristen Bell, star of The Good Place and Veronica Mars, was recently asked through Instagram Story what she does for her mental health. “What are your most useful coping mechanisms for anxiety?,” one user asked. Bell replied, “Getting outside, naming 10 things I love for every 1 thing I don’t, hugging my girls, my husband and my dog, doing something calm and nice for a friend, cooking, gardening and meditating.” “I Struggle…” Then one fan asked Bell, “What helped you get through mental illness? I struggle with depression and anxiety.” Bell, who has been very open about her own mental health struggles via social media, replied, “Always keep trying. Don’t give in. Talk to friends, [a] a therapist, take CBD [hemp oil] or a medication, get outdoors, work out, write down lists of positive things.” Combating the “Negative Memories” Another user asked, “How do you handle the hard days?” Bell responded, “Negative memories stick in your brain more than positive ones. It takes 10 positives to neutralize 1 negative. When I’m down, I try to think of 10 positive things. I make my kids do it too. When they complain, I say, ‘OK! Now name 10 things you love!” What I’d Tell My Younger Self Previously Bell participated in a mental health campaign called What I’d Tell My Younger Self. A number of celebrities have participated in this campaign including Russell Brand and Mayim Bialik. In her video, Bell talked about anxiety, depression, and the importance of a healthy self-image in the age of social media. Bell said, “I have suffered from anxiety and/or depression since I was 18. What I would say to my younger self is don’t be fooled by this game of perfection that humans play. Because Instagram and magazines and TV shows, they strive for a certain aesthetic, everything looks so beautiful, and people seem like they don’t have problems, but everyone’s human. Everyone has problems. Everyone feels yucky on the inside sometimes.” Simple Solutions to Stronger Mental Health A lot of Bell’s advice may sound simple, but a lot of times the answers to our personal happiness can be simple like this. It’s reminiscent of Dorothy tapping her shoes at the end of The Wizard of Oz, and realizing she had the power within herself all along. Even in a modern age with global social media, many times the simplest solutions can be the best, like writing down ten positive things in your life. If it works for Kirsten Bell, it can work for many others as well. KEYWORDS: MENTAL HEALTH, SOCIAL MEDIA
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