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Category: Anxiety

Looking forward to the end of lockdown

Posted on by Eve Donnelly

If someone told you last Christmas about an impending global pandemic, where people were encouraged to stay at home you would have thought it was science fiction. 

Faced with challenging times, we can look for different options to help. Sometimes it’s good to work out what we need in the moment and at that time for support. Other times it can be good to plan for things to look forward to, or work out what’s important to us for the future.

We asked some of our young volunteers around Ireland about what they were looking forward to and wanted to share some of these with you.

Family and friends

Unsurprisingly, a lot of our volunteers mention friends and family.

I’m looking forward to spending time with my family and friends after lockdown. Aisling O’ (18) Meath

Seeing my friends and going shopping. Amina Abdallgany (17) Meath

I am excited to see and spend time with my friends and family. Annemarie Driver (20) Meath

Going back to work, seeing my family and friends. Emily (18) Donegal

Seeing my friends. Daragh Nerney

Being able to go see my granny, friends and extended family members. Ruth O’Dea, Clare/Galway

Hugging my nieces and seeing my family and friends. Visiting my boyfriend whom I haven’t seen in over 4 months. Keith Judge (24) Dublin

Seeing my nana and giving her a hug. I saw her everyday after work and I miss that. Nicola (19) Dublin

I cannot wait to see my friends and family when this is all over! My godson was born the first week of lockdown so I am yet to meet him! This young volunteer has chosen to be anonymous.

Spending time with my friends. Yvonne (24) Limerick

I’m most looking forward to giving all my family and friends and big hug and spending time with them again. Mark (22) Dublin

When do I need to get help for my mental health?

Posted on by Eve Donnelly

There are lots of ways to think about and describe mental health. We all have mental health and when we face various challenges it can be impacted.

We can start to find things difficult and may wonder what to do next. There are many different types of support out there to help us look after mental health. There is no ‘one size fits all’ approach.

Getting support

Not everyone who experiences challenges with their mental health will need to access a service for support. If something is causing you to feel stressed, talk to a good friend, family member or a trusted adult. This can be enough to get you through.

Being anxious in social situations

Posted on by Eve Donnelly

Sometimes, being around people can be nerve-racking. Many of us experience anxiety in social situations.

Having to speak in public, or walking into a room of people you don’t know, or performing in front of a class can make the most confident person feel anxious.

Feeling very self-conscious in social situations is more common than you think. Many young people who come to Jigsaw tell us they can find being around classmates, strangers or even friends quite difficult. If this sounds familiar to you, know that it doesn’t have to be that way.

Here we’ll explore why you might feel that way and what you can do about it. In this article you will find:

 

How to start a difficult conversation

Posted on by Eve Donnelly

If a young person in your life seems to be having a tough time, trust your instinct something isn’t right.

There are plenty of signs to look out for that are good to know. If you want to start a difficult conversation but don’t know where to begin, you are not alone.

Many young people have missed out on a number of opportunities and milestones since the pandemic started. And there can be no question this can impact on everyone’s mood in the family unit.

When a young person is feeling down, stressed out or experiencing anxiety, they may become closed off or defensive. They can find it hard to talk about what is going on. In response to the pandemic and restrictions, they may not know or understand emotions they’re experiencing.

Some things can be challenging to communicate. However, whether able to open up or not, a young person will likely appreciate being offered the opportunity to talk. They will benefit from knowing someone is there to support them when they are ready to accept help.

Choose your time to start a conversation

Finding the right time is important to consider. You need an adequate amount of time available so neither of you feels pressure to reach a quick conclusion. It’s wise to choose a time when you are both free without something to rush off to.

The young person may have a deadline for homework or is distracted by a football game. In this case, it is unlikely they will want to talk. Remember, your priorities may not be the same.

A convenient time to talk may crop up naturally when you are both relaxed and doing something together. However, it may not be that easy to start a tough conversation.

You might have to deliberately make the time. Don’t try to be a mind reader on this. Let the young person know you’d like to spend some time with them and ask when suits them.

Anxiety and young people

Posted on by Eve Donnelly

Anxiety is an uncomfortable feeling of fear or stress. It’s quite a common feeling we all experience at some stage.

Many young people accessing Jigsaw face-to-face services report feelings of anxiety as one of the things going on for them.

In this article, you will find:

How to tell when a young person is struggling

Posted on by Eve Donnelly

At Jigsaw, we know early intervention can make a huge difference to a young person’s mental health. Offering support early on can prevent a young person’s mood from deteriorating and possibly avert a crisis.

To act early, you need to know what to look out for. And how to tell if someone is beginning to struggle with their mental health.

Recognising signs

We have all had those moments where we recognise a young person not quite seeming themselves.

It might be something they say or do, or something they fail to do, that lets us know they may be struggling with their mental health. We all have our off days. It is important to acknowledge and to talk about this.

However, there are some changes in how a young person is acting, thinking or feeling that can be first signs they are struggling.

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