Many people have gone through life without learning how to build life skills. There are several reasons for this. One reason is underfunded schools and busy parents who have neither the time nor funding to provide life-skills education. Others may have been mistreated or neglected and had nobody they could trust to teach them these skills. Sometimes people just slip through the cracks, never having the chance to practice these skills in a safe environment.
There is hope for those who are struggling, as many mental health care facilities make it a goal to help their clients build life skills. This is done by providing compassionate instruction and a safe, non-judgmental environment. Pathways Wellness Center provides these life skills lessons to our clients. By helping build life skills, our clients learn how to live a healthy, productive life without the need for drugs or other substances.
But learning how to build life skills is just one part of the equation. Learning what life skills are is the first step in learning how to build them.
Life skills are practices and techniques that a person uses to help them live a happy and healthy life. Most of these life skills can be broken down into four categories to better understand them. All of these skills tie into someone's mental health. Learning how to build life skills empowers someone and lets them become more independent. When leaving treatment, someone has to build life skills before they are ready to face the outside world again.
These are skills needed to keep someone's mind and body functioning in the best shape they can be. Examples include eating a proper diet, exercising when needed, building mental resilience, staying clean, utilizing coping skills, and staying safe.
These are skills involving the thinking process and help us stay mentally stimulated. Examples of such skills include building creativity, making healthy decisions, managing your time properly, learning flexible thinking, and problem-solving.
These are skills that help us exist in our own space comfortably. Examples of these skills include washing dishes and clothes, keeping a clean home, learning how to make basic repairs, and cooking.
These are skills that help us interact with those around us. Examples of these skills include conflict resolution, communication skills, developing empathy, becoming self-aware, developing mental maturity, handling criticism, and learning how to cooperate.
Many times people develop a mental health disorder or illness because of a lack of life skills. This is not someone's fault, as many of these skills are simply not taught or require situational learning to understand. Imagine that there is someone who lives in the countryside. They don't have to learn how to cope with large crowds of people or constant noise, so it never is taught to them. When this same person goes to live in the city and now must contend with constant noise and crowds, it can cause someone who doesn't know how to cope with them to feel stressed and anxious. Because they have no time to rest and reflect, the situation just gets worse.
It's a small example, but it's important to not judge someone who has yet to build life skills. We never know the situation they came from and they deserve compassion and understanding. Places like Pathways Wellness Center instead promote a healthy and safe learning environment. That way, their clients can build life skills and practice them in a place where they can be supported and encouraged.
This is especially true when it comes to addiction or substance use disorder (SUD). These conditions often form as a response to pain and trauma. If someone doesn't have the skills to cope with these problems, they may attempt to self-medicate. This is when someone uses a drug or substance without a doctor's oversight to treat a perceived or real symptom. Learning to build the life skills needed to cope with stress and trauma is important in helping someone recover.
Most of the time, someone enters outpatient therapy. This is when someone travels to a mental health care facility for treatment and then goes home when finished. Therapists can help guide their clients to resources that can teach them how to build life skills. In residential treatment, where someone lives in a mental health care facility for a while, they can sometimes get hands-on practice.
When someone builds life skills, it gives them confidence and pride in themselves. This confidence is needed to help clients find their inner strength to complete their treatment. It lets them take back their lives and feel satisfied with their accomplishments.
If you or someone you love is struggling to learn and utilize life skills, it's time to call for help. Not knowing how to keep yourself healthy both physically and mentally can have a detrimental effect on your overall health. The best way to get help is to reach out to your local mental health care facility. No mental health professional would ever judge someone for asking for help, especially when it affects someone's mental health.
All mental health care facilities have contact information on their websites, including phone numbers and email addresses. Some even have web forms and webchat features. Pick which makes you the most comfortable and ask for help. Sometimes it's helpful to first write down what goals you want to accomplish before contacting a mental health professional. This can help keep your thoughts in order and lessen anxiety.
Remember that everyone is deserving of help, compassion, and understanding. If you or a loved one is struggling, don't wait to reach out.
Many of us sometimes go through life wondering when we'll start to feel like an adult. It can be hard to know what to do, especially when you come from a place where learning life skills took a back seat to survival. Here at Pathways Wellness Center in Azusa and Glendora, California, we help our clients build the skills they need to live a happy and healthy life. We employ compassionate staff members who know what it's like to struggle. Here, anyone can expect to receive the support and top-level care they need to succeed. If you or someone you love is struggling, don't wait. Call us today at (888) 771-0966.
