World Mental Health Day

It’s fairly clear that the resilience that we often associate with LGBTQ people isn’t foolproof. We can all have dark moments. If your support networks miss the signals, it’s easy to become a statistic – another queer person who didn’t make it.

Studies demonstrate that queer people experience higher levels of anxiety, stress, depression, and suicidal feelings than heterosexual people. Rates of drug and alcohol misuse have also been found to be higher.

Poor levels of mental health among gay and bisexual people have often been linked to experiences of homophobic discrimination and bullying. For some, other factors such as age, religion or ethnicity can further complicate mental distress.

LGBTQ people are incredibly resilient and, in general, we’re pretty good at presenting a positive image to the world. However, regardless of what our Instagram may be telling you, the reality may be much darker, and much more complex.

Make sure that you regularly check-in with your queer friends. Don’t assume that they’re doing great just because that’s what their social media status updates suggest. They may not even realise that they’re at risk of falling apart.

Coping mechanisms

If you’re struggling to navigate your way through the minefield of anxiety that is induced by every-day life, you’ve got to keep trying different strategies and coping mechanisms until you find something that works for you.

Here's some suggestions.

Get active

Physical activity can help to release tension in your body and also boost your mood through the endorphins released - that's on top of the general health and wellbeing benefits you get from exercise. Hit the gym, do some yoga, or even just go for a walk.

Be mindful

Take a bit of time out, find a quiet place, and do some breathing. There's apps that can help with some guided meditation and breathing exercises, but even just pausing and counting to 20 while breathing deeply can help calm your mind and bring things back into focus.

Make connections

Isolation can contribute to a mental health spiral. Talk to someone - anyone. It could be as simple as sending a DM to someone that you know and asking how they're doing. A conversation can really help ground you.

Write it down

Journaling is a classic therapy technique but there is value in it. Simply writing out what you're feeling can help articulate what's worrying you and enable you to start figuring out what would help you to move forward.

Touch grass

When people tell you to go outside and touch some grass, it feels a bit dismissive but there's actually some science behind it. Spending time in nature helps our bodies to regulate stress. We're animals - we need sunlight and fresh air. Put your phone down and go and sit in the park for a bit.

Create something

Channeling your feelings into something creative can be really useful. Paint something, or cook something, or make-up an interpretive dance.

Stroke it out

Masturbation has all sorts of benefits and it's a particularly good way to relieve stress and help your mind and body relax.

Find community

Humans are inherently social creatures. Sure, other people can be annoying but if we're cut off from interaction with others we go a bit stir-crazy. Find something that brings you into contact with people who share similar interests - it could be a book club, a walking group, or people that are really into board games. Spending time with others is good for us.