layan's blog

welcome to my blog!!

[layanqadan]

hiii - could you check out my blog please - give me some tips and pointers :)

Hi! I had a look at your blog and I think it’s looking great already! I love the color and design you went for - simplistic yet eye catching. I’d recommend posting every two weeks, as it gives you time to think of a topic, but not too long so as to prevent your page from having up-to-date posts. I hope this helps :)

[layanqadan]

i want to start a mental health page - how should i start one up?

I’d say firstly think about what type of MH content you’re going to put, e.g personal experience, advice, etc. Next, I’d think about which platform the page will be on (Tumblr, IG, Twitter, etc). I think at the end of the day, you should post what you love because if you’re manifesting your true passion, your work is likely to be of excellent quality :)

[layanqadan]

thank you guys so much for the support! much much love <3

[layanqadan]

Change

Hey guys! Before I begin, I would just like to point out that I now have a blog on Instagram with a similar concept to this one on Tumblr. I recommend you follow it, as I am very active there and it has something new in regards to mental health on a very regular basis! It also has a sort of connection with my blog here on Tumblr, since updates for this blog are usually put up there, which gives you all the more reason to check it out! Here’s its link: https://www.instagram.com/layansblog/ . My username is @layansblog if you’d just like to search it up on Instagram.

Anyways, back to today’s blog post! I decided to write about the topic of “change”. Change is defined as the act of choosing a path different from the one you are currently on, and its effects can be positive, negative or even both. Over time, accepting change is something that everyone should be able to do since it is one of the best ways of moving on and growing in our lives. However, it is possible to limit the negative implications that can be caused by change. Without stating examples, one can look at the rational way that something can happen as a result of the upcoming change, and gradually act in a way that can allow the change to happen, but with the least possible damage. Needful of mentioning, change isn’t always bad. Change can be actually good and has the potential to have a positive impact on our lives most of the time. Even if an unpleasant event took place in one’s life, it can be used as a learning experience, which can help further better upcoming situations in life. Many will say that certain changes in their lives were what caused them to experience the happiness they can finally have, and that doesn’t always mean the change that happened was good. It could’ve started out as substantial, but grown into something extraordinary. You never know until you look back and see how the change has impacted your life and where it’s gotten you. The moral of this blog post is to show that change is something that shouldn’t be feared of because you never know how it’ll change your life and chances are that change can enhance your life, so the need to worry is almost nonexistent. In addition, keep in mind that there is always light at the end of the tunnel. This topic goes back to that quote, because even if the changes don’t turn out as great as you’d like them to be, there will always be something that will make you happy once more, and you will no longer suffer through the pain of “unsuccessful change”.

“We are all capable of change and growth; we just need to know where to begin” - Blaine Lee Pardoe

[layanqadan]

Society

Hi guys! I am so sorry for being inactive. Today’s blog post is dedicated to society. You would have noticed that most of my blog posts revolve around psychology, but some also include how we are expected to be in order to be accepted by society. The truth is, we live in a world with more than half a dozen billion people, with more than half a dozen billion different personalities; meaning that it is intensely difficult to satisfy everyone. Nonetheless, society has come up with expectations on how everyone is meant to be, regardless of their personal beliefs and values, which can be viewed as rather faulty, since it completely blocks any uniqueness and character in our world. If you really think about it, life would be extremely boring if everyone stuck to social protocol. Expressing oneself is crucial in the development of our world because without it, there would be nothing new to help make the world itself newer. When thinking about significant figures in our lives like Coco Chanel and Albert Einstein, it is very obvious that the impact they have made in our world is massive and revolutionary. This also shows us that in order to improve society, it doesn’t have to be from one aspect. Like shown above, Coco Chanel helped evolve the norm of female wear, whereas Albert Einstein developed some of the most well-known physics theories that helped develop our world from countless perspectives. Both people made a significant impact on this Earth to many many people. My point is, never be afraid to show the world who you are, because development can make your most unimaginable dreams come to life!  

[layanqadan]

Mental Health

Hey guys! It’s been a little over a month, but I have a lot of good content coming soon, I promise! If you’ve been reading my blog posts, you’d realize that I write about mental health a lot. This blog post is solely dedicated to mental health since I believe that it is not acknowledged as much as it should be. The state of being mentally healthy is to be psychologically free of any mental illness. Many people will be able to conclude with the idea that achieving that mindset is extremely difficult, but once it is reached, a massive milestone in your life has been accomplished. Mental health can be broken down into many pieces. The most recognized aspects of mental health are the diseases or difficulties that people may experience like stress, anxiety and depression. These all stem from the same place which is the mind. Our mind, as humans, is capable of many things that we are yet to discover. But one thing we have already established is the fact that mental pain is worse than physical pain. Many will argue against this, but my strong debate is that physical pain can be stitched up or bandaged. It may leave a scar but it eventually stops hurting. In other words, physical pain can be dealt with almost automatically in most cases. On the other hand, mental pain cannot be bandaged or stitched as quickly as a physical wound; rather, it happens metaphorically and is way harder. Our mind has a harder time letting go of something that hurt us psychologically, than if it physically hurt us. Mental health is also not acknowledged as much as it should be worldwide. Many fail to recognize the damage one can experience for being hurt mentally, and they are expected to independently and individually deal with these issues. With the continuous development of our era, more help has been provided to those who suffer from mental health disorders. Professions like psychologists and psychiatrists aid those people. Unfortunately, this is not accessible to everyone, and some people don’t even realize they suffer from a mental health disorder until they’re too deep in. But here’s where you need to stop and think; you are NEVER too deep in. As soon as you find out that you are suffering from a psychological disorder, talk to someone about it. Theoretical and experimental data prove that by doing that, one’s mental health can improve tremendously. And remember, you are NOT alone. 

I really hope this helped you in some way and I look forward to new content very soon!

“Mental health is less dramatic than physical pain, but it is more common and also more hard to bear. The frequent attempt to conceal mental pain increases the burden: it is easier to say “My tooth is aching” than to say “My heart is broken”.” - C.S. Lewis 

[layanqadan]

Anxiety

Anxiety is defined as something humankind feel in times of worry, anger and stress. Some people have more anxiety than others; very similar to the fact that it is easier to deal with in situations of some but more difficult for others. Anxiety usually grows within someone when stress overpowers them and they feel like they are trapped. It can be described as a dark tunnel with the light miles away. It is also very important to add that not everybody goes through anxiety. It is most common with teenagers since they are just starting to physically and mentally develop. Anxiety can also be a result of some trauma one has experienced in life, like betrayal or hate. People tend to avoid coming to terms with the fact that they go through anxiety and sweep it under the rug, and by the time they notice, they’ve already gone deep down into the path. Anxiety can lead people into having countless hours of intense stress or irrational thoughts and fears. It is all part of the normal cycle of anxiety. What people tend to ignore is that there is a light at the end of this tunnel, just like there is for every other tunnel in life. When people don’t accept that fact, they find it harder to free themselves of the dark time. Inserting the idea in your head that you will survive this and that you are strong enough to handle yourself helps lessen your anxiety over time until it is gone. In relation to anxiety caused by previous trauma in one’s life, it can be more difficult to walk past, since the person is bottled up with a fear of the event to repeat itself once again. However, through the right mindset and better choice of actions, this too can be solved. Overall, anxiety is totally normal to undergo, but just know that you are not alone in this and you will find your way to the end when the time comes, and you will thank God for the anxiety you’ve had, because it’s transformed you into a stronger person who is ready to face life in the best of ways.

“When you’re feeling anxious, remember that you’re still you. You are not your anxiety” - Deanne Repich

[layanqadan]

Honesty

Honesty is defined as the sharing of the truth without faking any part of it. To be honest is to withdraw from all lies, and solely stick to the pure truth. There are many areas to be discussed within this topic, but I’m going to lightly touch on the parts that I find are the most important. First of all, honesty has its levels and degrees. You can be honest with someone only to the extent that it will benefit them. In other words, honesty does not mean that you go up to someone and spill out everything that is in your head. Instead, you are polite and only say nice things. However, sometimes, honesty requires you to say the truth to someone. It may not always be affirmative, but sometimes, people need to know what they need to know. In addition to that, it is crucial for you to understand that you do not only need to be honest to others; but you must be honest with yourself as well. Honesty with others has been discussed above, but honesty with yourself is a term that people tend to neglect since it doesn’t really make sense. But, what it really means is that you listen to your instincts. When you feel upset, you acknowledge that fact. You don’t deny the fact that you are upset, instead, you look deeper into the issue. You try to see the root of it and how you can solve it. Furthermore, something that many do not realise is that honesty helps you gain trust with one another. Think of it this way: when you lie to someone and they finally find out, do you think they will ever trust you? No, right? Contrarily, if you actually tell them the truth, it may strengthen their trust and respect for you, since they know that everything you say is genuine and true. As you can see, honesty is a really big topic, and it has a major role in today’s society. Just remember that it is something that is valued and appreciated by many everywhere you go. 

“Honesty is the cornerstone of all success, without which confidence and ability to perform shall cease to exist.” - Mary Kay Ash

[layanqadan]

Loyalty

Hey guys! Today, I would like to address a topic that I believe is crucial in one’s humanity and wellness. It is debatable that loyalty is the most important building block of our personality. Many also recognize it as the first law of God (hence the quote above). Some also view loyalty as something interestingly similar to trust. In my opinion, I see them as two completely different qualities; loyalty being superior to trust. The reason behind my belief in this is because it can be considered from a point of view that is insanely difficult to deny. Think of it like this: imagine having someone very trustworthy. You are able to share all your deepest secrets with them, without the fear of them being spread. But, in your time of need, you go to them and you share how you feel in the situation. From that, they will gain knowledge of your struggles, but it is not guaranteed that they will stick by your side and fall in with you when you need them. Diversely, someone loyal has both; your trust AND the guarantee that they WILL stick by YOU in your time of need. When someone is loyal, you can share your secrets with them without the fear of them being spread (like trust - mentioned above). Not only that, but you can count on the fact that they WILL stick by you when you need them. That is why I view loyalty as remarkable and superior, in comparison to trust. Something I’d like to point out though is that it can take you as shortly as a week or as long as decades to find a loyal person for you. Loyalty is a rare trait that only a few can master, but when they do, it’s the best feeling ever! Therefore, I strongly urge you to be self-dependent. No one has time to stop their entire life to wait for one thing to happen. When a loyal person enters your life, you’ll finally see the terrific difference and you will be able to have a certain level dependence on somebody else, which is something us, humankind, tend to prefer having.

“The only true test of loyalty is fidelity in the face of ruins and despair.” - Eric Felten

[layanqadan]

The Power of Social Media

The 21st century today is more or less based online and that is something nobody can deny. The amount of time we spend with people in real life is heaps less to the time we spend with them online (text etc.). We choose to build our social connections online and develop them there as well. But when it comes to actually get to know the person in real life, it can take a major turn and end up in a completely different path. Not only that, but social media takes up so much of our brain space, which has a strong potential to easily break society. Something that has been introduced only recently, is cyberbullying, which is the same as regular bullying, other than the fact that it occurs online. It’s not so easy to avoid such occurrences from happening to you, but it is definitely possible. I’m not trying to say that social media is something that we should all quit using permanently. Instead, I’m suggesting, for your very own benefit, to limit and control your time spent online, in order to preserve brain strength and general happiness and positivity in your lives. Do you see the difference between both sentences? On the contrary, social media allows us to express ourselves in ways that are typically difficult to portray in reality. The fact that we - have our very own Instagram accounts that we get to post our pictures on, update our friends on our daily lives and chat with our loved ones - is amazing because it’s like our own little world that WE are in charge of. It’s kind of surreal, in my opinion! However, as previously mentioned, you should be very careful while on social media for your own wellbeing. Also, focus on building your relationships with others in person, rather than online. You never know the fantastic opportunities you can be missing out on if you don’t communicate in person!

“We don’t have a choice on whether we DO social media, the question is how well we DO it.” - Erik Qualman

[layanqadan]

Self Esteem and Insecurity

Hey guys! I’m trying to be more active so I have come up with the idea to write about something that every teenager goes through. I feel like everyone has points in their lives where they just don’t feel the best about themselves, in terms of looks, personality, or whatever it may be. But in reality, it is 100% normal to feel that way. In fact, never experiencing that is abnormal for your mental health, since you must go through certain events at certain points in your life. The thing about us, teenagers, is that we tend to compare ourselves to others so much. We don’t see imperfections in anyone, but ourselves. We deny the fact that we are beautiful and perfect, but we easily admit that everyone else is. We neglect the fact that others feel the exact same way we feel. Maybe the person you look at every day and think “oh my God, they’re gorgeous! Look at me, I’m so not”, has the exact same idea in their mind but flipped, as in they think YOU are gorgeous and THEY aren’t. My point is, everyone has their insecurities, which is the next thing I would like to bring your attention to. I assure you that every single person in this world is insecure about at least one thing. The only difference between everyone is how MUCH they allow that insecurity to shape their lives. Some focus on their one insecurity so much, to the point where it becomes impossible for them to view the good in them. Others choose to acknowledge that insecurity, however without allowing it to change the way they think of themselves. By acting on the first option, your self-esteem takes a major leap downwards, and you start back again from zero. You stop thinking of yourself in a good way and your personality may be affected by this, as well. To end this, I cannot express this to you enough that you should try to increase your self-esteem as early as possible, in order to live a happy life, because it really shapes the way you are going to deal with things in life, as well as the opportunities you yourself to have. Thank you.

[layanqadan]

Positivity

Hi guys! I decided to write about something that I hope will help you in life. I want this to be something that people refer to when they need that tiny spark in their lives. Positivity is something that I believe can really change the world for the best and basically turn it all around. Our world is unfortunately surrounded by negativity wherever we go. But, it is up to us if we are going to let it defeat our ultimate aim of positivity in life, or not. There is something called “reframing a situation”. It comes back to the idea of optimism and pessimism. To reframe a situation is to be optimistic about it and see the good in it, over the bad. This is the first step to positivity, and it really helps you mentally and it generally helps you view the world in a better way. Next, you must surround yourself with people who make YOU happy. People who you can COUNT on. People who you TRUST. People you VALUE and LOVE. I promise you that that makes the biggest difference in your life, because not only does it allow you to be positive, but it also increases your self-esteem to exceedingly high levels; thus improving your mental health. I also believe that social media can be the cause of a big chunk of the negativity in our lives. Social media allows people to get to you and it also just takes up so much of your mind space. The negativity on social media astounds me and really does make me think of how the world would be better in countless ways without it. Cutting yourself off social media just makes your mind feel cleaner and your mental health simply better, and many will admit those facts to you. I would just like to conclude by saying that you should really stop and think. There are many ways in which you can make your life heaps better, and it is never too late. That tiny positive action you choose to act on can make the biggest difference in your life, and you will never regret it!

“Once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, you’ll start having positive results” - Willie Nelson

[layanqadan]

Betrayal

Hey guys! I am aware that it has been ages since my last blog post, but school came in the way. Anyways, today’s blog post is about betrayal. By definition, betrayal is when you are disloyal to someone and you break their trust. In my opinion, betrayal is the worst thing that can be done in life, because history tells us that people are scarred for life after it. Betrayal also makes people feel vulnerable and easily broken, because they don’t know where to place their trust anymore. Many people seem to abandon the idea of betrayal but the idea itself is something that cannot be neglected because it causes so much stress to people to the point where they may feel isolated since they have no one to trust and feel good with. Today, almost all media releases like songs, movies and TV shows have betrayal. Songs like Heartless by Kanye West and TV shows like The Vampire Diaries emphasize on the fact that betrayal really does ruin everything. Unlike all the other topics I usually discuss, not everyone gets betrayed, but it is the ones who do who really learn that you should always be smart in every situation you are in to avoid such events from taking place.

“It is easier to forgive an enemy than to forgive a friend” - William Blake

[layanqadan]

Hate

Our world is constantly surrounded by hate, and we are the ones causing it and the ones trying to prevent it, which is something to think about. I feel like hate will always come to oneself, whatever they try to do, but it can be controlled to a high extent. Being a teenager in this time and era, I have been hated on, but many will tell you it is nothing compared to what they have experienced, and I agree with them. I feel like it is important to acknowledge that no one lives a completely positive and love-full life; all lives have their ups and their downs. As cliché as that may seem, I can tell you, with experience, that it is 100% true. What bothers me the most is that people are so self-centred nowadays; they only care about themselves. Don’t get me wrong, there are loads of amazing selfless people out there, who keep the positivity flowing. But then again, there are those who just completely neglect the idea that others have their own thoughts and feelings. This is how hate begins. People start it slow and it builds up and up. Once someone starts hating, it not only spreads to others, but it becomes increasingly difficult to get rid of the desire to hate on others. Some people might say it is an “addiction” of theirs. Despite all of this, it is crucial to insert the thought in your head that hate is NOT okay, and it is costing people’s lives on a daily basis. Without the right help, people deal with hate in their own ways which may harm them. In conclusion, it is our job to just spread love and kindness in the world. The more of that in the world, the better it becomes. After all, “we rise by lifting others - Robert Ingersoll”.

[layanqadan]

Overthinking

Hey guys! I decided to talk about something that is done way too much, which is overthinking situations. I think we can all agree on the fact that overthinking is something that is just useless and harmful for our mental health. However, what really sucks about overthinking is that it is so hard to stay away from, but like everything else, it can be largely minimized. Our generation now overthinks about useless stuff like the way our hair looks or how people think of us. I’m not saying that I don’t do that, because I am 100% guilty of those stuff. I feel like I overthink a lot of situations to the point where my assumptions for the future become not only irrational but just simply dumb. I usually like to turn to certain people when I am overthinking situations, because they have the ability to calm me down and allow me to think things straight. It is also important to be able to stop yourself when you know you are overthinking. That can be hard or easy, depending on how deep into thought you have already went to. Overthinking is a huge weakness of mine and all my friends can tell you that I probably overthink the most out of them. On the contrary, thinking ahead or having some thought to what others think of you (for example) is good for you. Without that, you become a careless person, and that just pulls all your values out. So as discussed, certain levels of thought are necessary to maintain one’s sanity and self as a whole, but it should only reach a certain extent.

[layanqadan]

Friendship and Trust

Hey guys! I am absolutely ecstatic to address this topic to you all because I feel like it is my most knowledgeable topic and I have a lot of experience with it. In my opinion, friendship is one of the biggest effects on our lives. Good friendships shape us into becoming better people, and they make us happy. Friendships inferior to that make us feel unhappy and not the best about ourselves, therefore negatively impacting our mental health and lives in general. Friendship primarily revolves around one thing; trust. Without trust, the friendship doesn’t really work out, and that is something anyone who truly understands friendship can say. In order to gain one’s trust, it requires time. I like to say that trust isn’t given; it is earned. To lose your trust with someone is very difficult because it makes you feel so vulnerable and scared of what could happen. Today, a huge majority of people befriend others for their fame and reputation. I am not trying to criticize that, but friends should be people you care about; people you trust. There are three levels of “friendship”. Firstly, it is the stage where you tolerate someone and you say hi whenever you see them. The second stage is when you are friends with someone. You don’t tell them everything but you are decently close and amiable to each other. Finally, the last stage is “close friends” and some people call it “best friends”. This is the stage where you have almost, if not full, trust with someone. This someone(s) means a lot to you and you feel like your life is somewhat incomplete without them. To lose someone of that level of friendship is the most difficult. I would just like to end this by saying that the best way to have a good friendship with someone(s) is by having a good level of trust. With that, your friendship can go for years and years.

[layanqadan]

Self-Love

Hey guys! Let me just start off by saying that this topic means so much to me, and it’s amazing that I am finally sharing my thoughts and opinions on it to the world! Self-love is something that everyone has, but some people have more and others have less of it. As teenagers in the 21st century, we tend to set self-love aside, because a lot of us see no point in it. This is because our self-esteem decreases as our age increases simultaneously (as mentioned in my previous blog post). When we begin to think of ourselves in such a low way. there are usually two roads we have the option of taking. The first road is trying to change that by finding ways to make our self-esteem go higher. The other road that most teenagers, unfortunately, choose to take is just to keep their self-esteem super low, seeing no point in making it higher. This can affect mental health to a very high level. Depression can be a result of such decisions. All in all, choosing to ignore your mental health and basically neglecting self-love is pretty much terrible for you mentally, physically and psychologically. There are so many ways in which one’s self-love can be stronger. Something as simple as looking at yourself’s reflection in the mirror every morning and saying: “you are beautiful, you are amazing, and you are strong!” can significantly and positively affect your life. Dedicating time to yourself and pampering yourself can also increase your self-love. To conclude, I would just like to press on the fact that self-love is one of the most beautiful parts in life if you give yourself the chance to experience it, and I hope you do.

Once again, I really hope you found this useful. See you soon!