I am 18 years old and have a younger sister. I am getting less tolerant and get easily triggered. I tend to ruminate. Some ideas keep getting repeated in my head — even though I distract myself and read good things. Often, I get confused. I think of some people and situations that demotivate me. I don’t like taking help because I think I can do it all. I neglect what I used to be interested in doing. Can you suggest how to cope with this inability to focus? I am also not getting proper sleep. Please advise ~ Anonymous

02 Jun, 2021 | 14:15

It seems like your body and mind are responding to things not being okay. Tune into that message and ask yourself “What does it mean that I am feeling this way?” What do you think you might be needing? I could suggest ideas to help with sleep and focus, however the larger picture might be about the things affecting your overall wellness and addressing those. It’s okay to ask for help — it’s not a sign of weakness. Rather, I see it as a sign that you value yourself and you want to create some changes in your life to feel better. Look up ‘sleep hygiene’ for the sleep related difficulties and try the Pomodoro technique for focus. However, feeling triggered, ruminating and neglecting what one is interested in can be indications of something more. I would encourage consulting a mental health professional for this.