mental health awareness

Top 10 Things Getting Me Through the Pandemic

September 30, 2020September 30, 2020by Meg // A Geeky Gal25 Comments

I can’t believe it’s been over 6 months since I started working from home and self isolating. So much has happened in those six months like getting a big job promotion and my husband and I buying our first home, and yet I’m still only leaving the house for necessities and the very rare special occasion restaurant meal. My mental health has rode the waves (and roller-coasters), ebbed and flowed during the past six months.

Lately, my mental health has been pretty crap, and it makes sense as my entire every day routine was ripped away: we had a house guest for longer than planned, most of my means of escape were eventually packed away, the entire home buying process was stressful… I could go on, but I won’t. Let’s move on to the entire purpose of this post: things that have actually been getting me through the past 6 months of self isolation, working from home, and the daily stresses that come with the ongoing pandemic.

*This post contains affiliate & brand rep links; actions you take from the hyperlinks within this blog post may yield commissions for ageekygal.com which never add to your cost if you choose to make a purchase, but make it possible for me to maintain this site. ♥

Continue reading →

K-Confessions, Mental Health in the Geek Community

10 Healing BTS Song Lyrics

June 24, 2020June 9, 2020by Meg // A Geeky Gal9 Comments

Most K-Pop isn’t open about mental health, mental illness, or personal struggles, and that’s where BTS is different. One of the biggest reasons I love BTS is their incredible lyrics that touch on aspects of mental health and mental illness. Their music videos speak volumes even with a language barrier. Their canon Webtoon, The Most Beautiful Moment in Life Pt.0: Save Me, dives into the mental health of their alter egos as well and lends a hand to their narrative of healing, loving yourself, and moving forward.

Today I wanted to share some of my favorite lyrics from BTS’s songs that have been healing for me. Whether I was deep in depression on these days or just needing a little reminder that I’m going to be okay, BTS was able to touch my heart, and I hope that some of these songs and lyrics can help you as well.

Continue reading “10 Healing BTS Song Lyrics” →

Mental Health in the Geek Community

6 Ways I’m Coping with Self Isolation

April 15, 2020April 7, 2020by Meg // A Geeky Gal14 Comments

This post was requested by Michael as a part of the Patreon benefits of being a Hardcore Geek. You can request blog posts and YouTube videos by becoming a Hardcore Geek too! Check out my Patreon page for more information.

Most, if not all, of our lives have been turned upside down the past few weeks. I will be honest with y’all: I haven’t been dealing with the lock down all that well. It’s been a difficult three weeks, as I’m sure it has been for everyone else. I’ve been avoiding talking about the COVID19 pandemic, the lock down, and working from home on the blog. I’ve scattered a few thoughts in some recent YouTube videos, but I haven’t really sat with all of these changes and dealt with where my head and heart are until the weekend of April 4-5th.

Continue reading “6 Ways I’m Coping with Self Isolation” →

Mental Health in the Geek Community

When Escapism Isn’t a Good Thing: 8 Ways to Make Escapism Healthy

March 18, 2020March 18, 2020by Meg // A Geeky Gal9 Comments

I want to begin by saying escapism itself isn’t unhealthy. It’s actually completely normal, and we all do it. It helps us from burning out more quickly than we would without it. It allows us to come back to an initially overwhelming problem with a better attitude about it. Escapism can allow us to reconnect with ourselves and things we care about as well like games, comics, and TV shows.

So when does escapism become a “bad” thing? If you find yourself ignoring or avoiding issues in your life, then you are on teetering on the edge of escapism becoming unhealthy. You are using your hobbies, interests, and creative outlets as a way to not deal with whatever issues are going on in your life in that moment. Escapism is meant to be temporary. When is becomes a constant part of your life, escapism is no longer considered an escape.

Last year, I was inspired by Erin from Girly Geek Blog’s article on denial to write about my experience with escapism and how it isn’t always good for our mental health. People use escapism every day though books, music, television, games, comics, fandoms, etc. to distract ourselves from the stress and hardships of every day life. It’s a way to relax after a long day. It’s a way to escape into something else for just a little while. The real trick is how to come back after escaping for so long.

Continue reading “When Escapism Isn’t a Good Thing: 8 Ways to Make Escapism Healthy” →

Mental Health in the Geek Community

Breaking Out of the Box (of Politeness)

March 4, 2020February 3, 2020by Meg // A Geeky Gal16 Comments

Every once in a while, I say something kind of funny or something pretty deep. It’s not often, but it happens. During a conversation the other day when I turned to one of my favorite CMP’s (Communications Major People) for some advice concerning a co-worker’s wife, I said this gem:

I’m trapped in a box of politeness and am afraid to hurt anyone’s feelings.

Wow. If the way I approached people was summed up in a single sentence, this would be it. I have a strong desire to be “liked.” It kills my vibe when someone is upset with me, and I constantly think about what I could have done to make them not mad. This goes for dealing with people in public too, like Pesky Salesperson at Mid-Range Store.

Continue reading “Breaking Out of the Box (of Politeness)” →