You’ve just been put through the ringer. You’ve had a heart attack or finished a round of chemotherapy or had an aortic aneurysm repair or any other such serious health condition. For many, this kind of physical trauma can take a serious toll on mental health. It may send you into a tailspin of depression and anxiety.

Why Does a Serious Physical Illness Affect Mental Health?

Serious physical illness can affect your mental health indirectly or directly.

Indirect Effects

Serious illness may bring loss. Maybe you are temporarily unable to work at a job you had or maybe you are permanently and completely disabled. This brings with it a loss of income and loss of social interaction; possibly even loss of self-image. This can cause emotions of grief, depression and anger.

Serious illness may take away your hobbies; the things you enjoy most in your life. You may find yourself struggling to find happiness.

Also, because you are unable to participate in the activities you used to, you may find yourself excluded from events and get-togethers. Loneliness and isolation can significantly increase depression and anxiety.

Direct Effects

There are many serious illnesses that affect the mind directly. Illness can change levels of neurotransmitters and hormones. Dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine are just a few of the chemicals that can cause major changes in mental health once these levels shift.

Illness may cause a major, traumatic disruption in your life. Often, these serious illnesses come without warning, and we are very little prepared for this, if at all. The change in a life may be very difficult to recover from mentally.

How to Bounce Back and Regain Your Mental Health

The First Step Is Acceptance

The only constant in life is change. Acceptance is difficult and can be painful. You must take an honest, realistic look at how and if your serious illness has changed your physical capabilities.

Are these changes permanent? You must identify what you cannot change so that you may accept it and focus on what you can control. It is what it is. Being practical and objective about your situation will greatly improve your ability to regain mental health.

Reach Out to People

Take inventory of the people that are important in your life, the people that bring you joy. Make sure you reach out to them and keep the relationships strong. Conversely, if you find there are toxic individuals in your life that are deteriorating your mental health, make sure to remove these relationships.

See if there is any way you may be helpful to other people. I know the illness may be limiting you in many ways. But, if you can find any way to help others, this may be invigorating for your soul. It does not have to be any grand scale volunteer work, although if you are able and want to do that, that is great.

Your contribution may be as simple as calling a friend weekly as a good listener and providing them with a few compliments and gratitude for their being in your life.

In addition to helping people, make sure you accept help as well. If someone wants to be there for you in your time of need, do not shut them out. It is not noble to refuse help from people who really want to do something for you. Social interaction is very important for mental health.

If you are low on people to reach out to, join a group or two. There are senior centers and lots of specific interest groups that you can find on the internet with a bit of searching. The community center and churches are other great places to meet people.

Self-Care

You cannot regain your mental health without self-care. This means, at a minimum, getting exercise and proper nutrition, along with adequate sleep. Optimize your physical health in order to optimize your mental health.

Now let’s discuss self-care for the mind. Relaxation is key. Yet, relaxing may be difficult for some. There is an art to clearing the mind and feeling at peace. Take some classes on meditation or use some of the meditation apps or YouTube videos. It may take some time to get used to if you have never meditated before.

You may also find other ways for self-care or mindfulness. Some people are able to really relax and absorb themselves in a number of hobbies or activities. Journaling does wonders for some at bringing mental peace. Another technique is taking mental vacations. You can’t find the resources or time to lay out on the beach in Hawaii for fifteen minutes to an hour.

Or can you? All you need to do is close your eyes and take your mental vacation. Relax and hear the sounds of the ocean as you picture the waves rhythmically coming in. You can even schedule your mental vacations on your calendar and take as little or as much time as you like on them.

Another way to optimize mindfulness is to be more efficient with the things you already enjoy. Make sure you are in the moment and derive the most pleasure you can from your things and experiences. Don’t just stop and smell the roses.

Stop and thoroughly enjoy the aroma of the roses while you feel the soft breeze on your face and touch the soft petals and wonder at the beauty of this creation. The food you love will taste better when you are focused on enjoying it and not thinking about the next thing on your to do list.

Find Purpose

To put it quite simply, purpose is a reason for doing something. It does not need to be grandiose or filled with importance. It is just why you are doing what you are doing.

You may be resting because you are tired. That IS purpose. You look out the window at the trees rustling because it makes you feel calm. Find what makes you happy and do it and you will be filled with purpose.

Here are some examples of things that have given people a sense of purpose after a serious illness. But, again, purpose is a very personal thing, and you will need to be honest with yourself as to what you want that to be for you.

• Take up a new hobby or hobbies.
• Volunteer.
• Set some sort of goal and work towards it.
• Take some classes and acquire a skill.
• Become your own or your family or friends’ historian by making photo albums or scrapbooks.

Here are some ways to facilitate the joy in purpose. Celebrate your small wins. Set small, attainable, realistic goals and revel in all of your achievements. Use visualization to look forward to the goals and things you want to do.

Take the time to reflect on your daily high points and make sure you make time for that each following day. Read inspiring stories and find photos and sayings of things that motivate you and put them up where you can see them.

Let’s make sure you address and remain aware of the pitfalls that seem to rob you of purpose. One such pitfall is discouragement. What if you do not meet your goal and it seemed to be a pretty small, attainable goal? Plan for setbacks. In fact, expect them. Expect failure as a form of learning even if that learning experience is that you need to readdress and find another goal or purpose.

Set aside worry time. If you find that you have trouble doing the things you want to do because you are constantly worrying about what might happen, carve out maybe even a full half an hour of worry time each day. Set your alarm clock from start to finish for worry time and this is the only time you will allow yourself to worry all day.

When you are doing something and fear sneaks in your mind, tell yourself that this is not worry time and save the thought for later. So, what happens at worry time? Let it all out! Worry as much as you want. Get all worked up in dread if you feel like it, but once worry time is over, all other worries need to be tabled until tomorrow’s worry time.

Live in Daily Gratitude

Gratitude is an essential element of mental health. You cannot function in constant negativity. Practice healthy, positive, grateful self-talk. You will always be your greatest advocate and your own best friend. So, talk to yourself like you would your best friend.

Remain kind, always. Many people find writing more effective when experiencing inner gratitude. Writing gratitude letters and/or keeping a gratitude journal is wonderful for mental health. But, whether you write it down, say it, pray it or simply think it; be grateful.

 I do want to be clear that this is a helpful list for regaining mental health after a serious mental illness. This is not treatment for clinical depression or anxiety. If you think you may be clinically depressed or anxious, please seek medical help through a physician and trained counselor. If you are suicidal, call for help immediately at:

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline – 1-800-273-8255

If you simply would like to learn how to bounce back mentally after a serious physical illness, follow these guidelines and I suspect you will find much happiness and peace.

Have you experienced a serious illness? Did you or are you having difficulty regaining your mental health after a serious illness? How did you cope with the mental effects of having a serious illness? Do you have any advice for others in a similar situation?

Whether it’s for menopausal symptoms or decreasing the risk of UTIs and incontinence, hormone replacement therapy can be a solution for many issues women experience throughout their life. With that said, women interested should have a deep understanding of the types of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) available as well as the many benefits and potential risks associated.

Typically, women begin hormone replacement therapy in their early 50s when their menopausal symptoms take off and they no longer experience their period for at least a year. This process begins when a woman’s ovaries decrease the production of estrogen, testosterone, and progesterone, three key hormones that affect your brain, bone, heart, urinary, and vaginal health.

However, there is no set age when women can start exploring hormone replacement therapy options. Some women begin therapy 10 years before they officially start menopause, often as a result of perimenopause symptoms.

Women who experience perimenopause in their late 30s and early 40s will begin to see changes to their bodies including mood swings, cognitive recall issues, hot flashes, and genital changes, also known as genitourinary symptoms of menopause. 

Benefits of HRT

Hormone replacement therapy has many benefits including the following:

• Relieves hot flashes and night sweats
• Lowers chances of dementia
• Decreases pain with penetration
• Decreases the risk of UTIs
• Improves pelvic floor prolapse
• Decreases stress and urinary incontinence
• Increases sexual satisfaction and improving arousal by increasing nerve sensitivity 

Different Types of HRT

Hormone replacement therapy can be systemic and/or localized therapy. Systemic therapy sends hormones into your bloodstream, traveling all the way from your head to toe, except for the genitals. HRT is often used by women who are experiencing moderate to severe hot flashes from menopause, are looking to prevent bone loss or fractures and are experiencing perimenopause or have an estrogen deficiency.

With this type of therapy, women can apply hormone cream on their skin, through a topical patch, or orally. In addition, they will need to use a form of localized hormone therapy that they can apply on their vagina.

When applied to the vulvovaginal tissues, the majority of the hormone is absorbed by the local receptors leaving very little in the system which is why it’s important for women to use both in order to receive optimal treatment.

Localized genital hormone replacement therapy only affects a specific or localized part of the body and is typically applied inside the vagina in either a ring, cream or vaginal tablet/suppository form. Unlike systemic hormone replacement therapy, this is designed to treat the vaginal area and not raise systemic hormones.

This form of therapy is recommended for women who are experiencing what’s known as vaginal atrophy; the thinning, drying and inflammation of the vaginal walls. Women often start to notice these changes when experiencing perimenopause, the natural transition period into menopause.

If beginning therapy late, therapy becomes more problem-focused rather than preventative. In this case, the therapy will often need to be more aggressive. If the genitals are already thinning and you have already gone through many hormonal changes, it can take 3-4 months or longer to really see changes unfold and the rebuilding of your structures.

When beginning localized genital therapy, a burning or itching sensation can be normal and a sign that your vagina is healing and should subside after a couple of uses. 

There are many different forms of localized genital HRT that are recommended based on a woman’s dexterity and preference. One popular type of HRT is in cream form, specifically, estrace cream which has estradiol properties that treat vaginal dryness, burning and itching. In addition to creams, women can receive HRT in the form of a ring.

For example, an Estring, similar to a contraceptive ring. There are also ovules women can insert into the vagina that will release hormones as they’re absorbed – Imvexxy and Intrarosa are popular brands. 

Safety of HRT

Short-term systemic hormone replacement therapy is known to be safe for most women going through menopause. However, it’s recommended that you speak with your healthcare provider to see if another hormone replacement option is best for you based on your specific medical history.

It’s also important to note that it is possible to start too late with estrogen replacement therapy and women should avoid this type of HRT 10 years after beginning menopause. HRT is not recommended for women who have: 

• History of cardiovascular issues: heart attack or stroke and/or increased risk for vascular disease
• Unexplained vaginal bleeding
• Active or past breast cancer
• Fibrocystic breast disease
• Active liver disease
• Endometrial cancer
• Gallbladder disease
• High risk for blood clots or a history of blood clots

Deciding If HRT Is Right for You 

Hormone replacement therapy can be the solution to a range of health issues and is most popularly known for its benefits in menopausal women. While it may not be for everyone, it’s important to consider risk factors such as age, the length of time since menopausal symptoms began and medical history. There’s no question that HRT yields great benefits. That is why discussing options with your healthcare provider will help determine if it’s right for you.

What was your menopause like? Are you going through it now? How many UTIs do you remember experiencing in the past couple of years? Was HRT part of your therapy at any time? What did you notice in terms of effects and efficacy?

After getting home from a long day of work, the last thing you want to do is remove your makeup and wash your face. It can sometimes become a monotonous task that almost feels like a burden. But it doesn’t have to feel that way, especially when you can skip a few steps and use just one item to scrub off your makeup and double cleanse. Let us bring you in on a secret to saving time, energy, and money when you’re tired AF and can’t be bothered to walk through your entire skincare routine: Youth To The People’s new Superberry Dream Cleansing Balm.

This multifunctional formula quickly removes layers of makeup and sunscreen from your skin, without stripping it dry. Because while it is an effective makeup remover, it also functions as a cleansing balm and can remove excess oils and impurities. This is probably why shoppers call it a “game changer.”

“My skin has felt more vibrant, soft, and youthful in the mornings, and I cannot recommend this product enough!” wrote one reviewer.

RELATED: This Cleansing Balm Literally ‘Melts’ Makeup Off Your Face—& TikTok Can’t Get Enough Of It

We’ll explain how it wields such powers, but just know that this velvety, whipped balm is here to help your skin in more than one way. It consists of only the best ingredients, as well as the most divine fruity aroma.

If you’ve ever wondered about what a cleansing balm might feel like and do for your complexion, the Superberry Dream Cleansing Balm is a great place to start (and stay). Keep reading for a breakdown of its ingredients and how to use it. 

Our mission at STYLECASTER is to bring style to the people, and we only feature products we think you’ll love as much as we do. Please note that if you purchase something by clicking on a link within this story, we may receive a small commission of the sale.

Courtesy of Youth To The People.

This cleansing balm works like magic by gently taking off all your makeup while still providing a bunch of skin benefits. A blend of moringa, jojoba, and sunflower seed oils melts away your makeup and sunscreen, but they’re also packed with omegas, antioxidants, and vitamins, so they won’t strip your skin of moisture. They also level your oil production and smooth your complexion. 

Another group of ingredients, superberry extracts, are enriched with lots of antioxidants to protect your skin from damage. These magical maqui, acai, and goji berries join forces with oil-soluble hyaluronic acid to deliver hydration deep into your skin. 

The formula has a ton of natural ingredients that cleanse and moisturize your complexion, without leaving it feeling greasy. It’s also gentle enough for those with sensitive skin and is safe to use around the eyes.

Using it is simple, too. With dry hands, rub the balm onto your dry skin. You’ll notice the texture will feel more like an oil. Then, splash some water onto your hands and keep massaging the product into your skin as it transforms into a milky cleanser. You can use this balm on its own or as part of your double cleanse.

Several reviewers, like this one, had never used a cleansing balm before, but said that this formula turned them into believers. “This is going to save me so much money on face wash, as I was double or triple cleansing to get all my makeup off,” they wrote. “I highly recommend, and will be purchasing again!” 

You’ve got nothing to lose and everything to gain from this multifunctional cleansing balm. So, why not give it a chance?

After getting home from a long day of work, the last thing you want to do is remove your makeup and wash your face. It can sometimes become a monotonous task that almost feels like a burden. But it doesn’t have to feel that way, especially when you can skip a few steps and use just one item to scrub off your makeup and double cleanse. Let us bring you in on a secret to saving time, energy, and money when you’re tired AF and can’t be bothered to walk through your entire skincare routine: Youth To The People’s new Superberry Dream Cleansing Balm.

This multifunctional formula quickly removes layers of makeup and sunscreen from your skin, without stripping it dry. Because while it is an effective makeup remover, it also functions as a cleansing balm and can remove excess oils and impurities. This is probably why shoppers call it a “game changer.”

“My skin has felt more vibrant, soft, and youthful in the mornings, and I cannot recommend this product enough!” wrote one reviewer.

RELATED: This Cleansing Balm Literally ‘Melts’ Makeup Off Your Face—& TikTok Can’t Get Enough Of It

We’ll explain how it wields such powers, but just know that this velvety, whipped balm is here to help your skin in more than one way. It consists of only the best ingredients, as well as the most divine fruity aroma.

If you’ve ever wondered about what a cleansing balm might feel like and do for your complexion, the Superberry Dream Cleansing Balm is a great place to start (and stay). Keep reading for a breakdown of its ingredients and how to use it. 

Our mission at STYLECASTER is to bring style to the people, and we only feature products we think you’ll love as much as we do. Please note that if you purchase something by clicking on a link within this story, we may receive a small commission of the sale.

Courtesy of Youth To The People.

This cleansing balm works like magic by gently taking off all your makeup while still providing a bunch of skin benefits. A blend of moringa, jojoba, and sunflower seed oils melts away your makeup and sunscreen, but they’re also packed with omegas, antioxidants, and vitamins, so they won’t strip your skin of moisture. They also level your oil production and smooth your complexion. 

Another group of ingredients, superberry extracts, are enriched with lots of antioxidants to protect your skin from damage. These magical maqui, acai, and goji berries join forces with oil-soluble hyaluronic acid to deliver hydration deep into your skin. 

The formula has a ton of natural ingredients that cleanse and moisturize your complexion, without leaving it feeling greasy. It’s also gentle enough for those with sensitive skin and is safe to use around the eyes.

Using it is simple, too. With dry hands, rub the balm onto your dry skin. You’ll notice the texture will feel more like an oil. Then, splash some water onto your hands and keep massaging the product into your skin as it transforms into a milky cleanser. You can use this balm on its own or as part of your double cleanse.

Several reviewers, like this one, had never used a cleansing balm before, but said that this formula turned them into believers. “This is going to save me so much money on face wash, as I was double or triple cleansing to get all my makeup off,” they wrote. “I highly recommend, and will be purchasing again!” 

You’ve got nothing to lose and everything to gain from this multifunctional cleansing balm. So, why not give it a chance?

I still remember viewing the first season of Stranger Things in 2016. I was babysitting a guinea pig named Mindy and we crushed all 8 episodes in a few nights. I was hooked. As you are, am I right?

After all, season three of Stranger Things is Netflix’s most-watched original series ever, with more than 40 million accounts tuning in…

No?

Well, if you haven’t stopped by Hawkins yet because you think this is a show about kids for kids (like my girlfriend in Japan, until she stayed up until 3 am to finish the series and was late for work the next day) here are 5 compelling reasons to join the gang:

It’s Set in the 80s

If I go there will be trouble

If I stay it will be double

So you gotta let me know

Should I stay or should I go?

—The Clash

Stranger Things, created and directed by the Duffer brothers, is a love letter to this totally tubular decade. I was in my 20s then, but the world and all the movies it references – ET, Stand By Me, The Neverending Story – still feel so close. The clothing, the lingo, the innocence of kids in middle school fighting supernatural forces is so accurate… you feel like you’re back in a Spielberg film. But it’s not just a Poltergeist subdivision this time, it’s an entire town that has been co-opted by evil, human and otherwise.

Rad!

Everything is so familiar, like the 80s were a few days – not decades! – ago. I’m physically 59 but emotionally and energetically 24. This was my time. Maybe you have equally wonderful memories?

Even if you don’t, it’s a cool trip down nostalgia lane.

Joyce Is Mama Bear Supreme

“Don’t you dare patronize me!”

Full disclosure: the first time I watched season one, Joyce’s constant tears and wailing really irritated me. I kept thinking: Winona girl, dial it WAY back. Honestly, it was distracting.

However, having rewatched the series several times, I barely notice her histrionics, but I am riveted by her unrelenting determination to find her son Will. And she doesn’t give a sh*t about what anyone else thinks.

Without giving up too much of the plot, she follows her instincts as things get more and more fantastical. When presented with “undeniable facts,” she refuses to cave in but instead, blazes with maternal certainty. She KNOWS her son is alive and trapped and she KNOWS only she can rescue him. If you’re not helping her, then get the hell out of her way.

LOVE!

Fingers crossed, I’d be able to Joyce my way through a similar situation… like if Vancouver suddenly developed an alternate universe that was grabbing 31-year-old sons. #dontevengothere

The Kids Can Act!

“Friends don’t lie.”

While I’ve read the entire Harry Potter series 6 or 7 times, I’ve never watched more than a few scenes of the first movie… with mounting horror at the “acting.” I get that they had to match the iconic characters but come on! The performances were so wooden I expected actual splinters to fly out from the screen.

No, thank you. I will not have my reading pleasure ruined by visions of awkward line readings dancing in my head.

But with Stranger Things, there are no children pretending to be actors, there are only young actors, smaller in size but actors nonetheless. Adorable nerds, the range of high school teenager types, a mystery girl… all of them are embodied by professionals. You’re never taken out of the story.

No spoilers here but bonus points for the quirky pairings that form throughout the 3 seasons as easy as “four puffs of the Farrah Fawcett spray…”

You’re Immersed in the Storyline

“We’re talking about the destruction of our world as we know it.”

While I do have the cinematic taste of a preteen boy and have watched all 23 entries in the MCU, you don’t have to be into action or fantasy to become drawn into what’s really happening in Hawkins. There IS scary but for me, it’s nicely removed from the likely into the probably not.

Stranger Things not only establishes a paranormal premise but grounds it in the historically plausible – LSD and mind control experiments in the 60s, anyone?

I love being transported not just into this era but this version of a cursed fictional town in the 80s. The best storytelling is completely believable once you allow yourself the lens of “what if…”

Equality – but Actually the Girls Win

“There’s more to life than stupid boys.”

I LOVE how the female characters carry and advance story lines, kick ass and take names. Joyce will not give up, neither will Nancy or the mystery girl… whose strength is more than just internal. Sorry, I’m trying to give you an idea without ruining any plot points but they are AWESOME.

Not that the boyz are lacking. They’re just not front and center, being the “heroes” and rescuing the helpless girls. I think we’re all pretty much over that lazy POV.

To me, the fact that the Duffer brothers created a world that is soaked with supernatural and government evil is not as impressive as how they wrote their female protagonists throughout the series. #justsaying #kudos

Conclusion

In these times of Netflix binging, Stranger Things is a bona fide repeat contender. Come for the 80s vibe; stay for the writing and the acting.

Compared to what’s really going on in the world right now, Hawkins is a breath of faux scary air.

Have you visited Hawkins yet? What’s stopping you? And if you have, who do you love the most?? What was your most heart-breaking scene? (That’s a pretty easy call to me.) And who is your favourite pairing? (Also a no brainer to me.)