Atinycupofpositivitea is a Tumblr Blog about Mental Health and Positivity. Made in 2018 for personal use, it gained popularity during the pandemic and it is now counting over 6k followers. The content is made by Lizzy, an Italian content creator with a passion for languages, fitness and well-being. Linguist by day and blogger by night, what really drives her is the desire to help people struggling with mental health and give them the tools to deal with those issues in a healthy and safe way. The blog is also a proud ally of the LGBTQIA+ community, Feminism, the Black Lives Matter movement and Human Rights, including disability rights and all minorities rights.
We’ve said it since we were all young, but think before you speak. In any kind of interaction, it’s so important to use perspective. Taking a moment to try to understand what another may be thinking can change everything.
When I was in high school I had an English teacher who taught us this valuable lesson on perspective that I still hold close. It wasn’t part of our curriculum, she just wanted to share a small story from earlier that day. She had gotten into an argument with a coworker which ended up getting pretty heated. It was a situation that probably didn’t need to happen, but it turned out the coworker was dealing with some serious problems outside of work that day. The two of them talked things through afterward and all was well, but it was surprising how much can be hiding behind one person on any given day. She tried to emphasize to my class, how important it is to empathize with others and their emotions. Before saying anything or making any kind of decision, take a moment to think in their shoes. Think about what else may be happening in their life to create this response. This insight could make a huge difference for another who may be struggling. I’ve tried my best to incorporate this into my own interactions in hopes of preventing unnecessary conflicts or possibly help others.
I believe I hit one of my lowest points during the Fall of 2020, there was a cumulation of difficulties I faced piled together to really test if I was up to the challenge. Before explaining, I need to address that I have since risen up to a place where I’m proud of who I am, that everything below didn’t stop me.
It was the start of my third year of university, everything was converted to online learning due to the quarantine and honestly, I hated my program. After graduating high school I feel like I chose my major on a whim and went for the difficulty, assuming that if I made it through that degree it would lead somewhere. When I tried to think of my future I couldn’t see any career I wanted with this and I felt stuck. The expectations of others as well as my own kept me from making any change, that and the fear of change itself. I won’t go into much detail, but I was struggling to deal with the breakup of a long-term relationship at the time as well. It made the semester feel so much different at a moment where I was already having difficulty. As if that wasn’t enough, I was also attempting to keep up streaming on Twitch too! Balancing school and streaming can be a nightmare, but it was one of the things keeping me going and I knew I had to continue on Twitch.
I lost most motivation to try in my classes, I wasn’t sleeping, streams were getting cancelled, and I felt alone. I tried to take everything on by myself and the weight of it could have crushed me. One of the hardest things to do was to make the decision to seek help, admitting I wasn’t okay on my own and letting someone in. As difficult as it was, that is where the healing began. I opened up to my family about my struggles, we got in touch with a therapist which ended up being wonderful. I talked to my friends with who I had been distant and it was a reminder of how incorrect I was to ever feel alone in the first place.
After speaking with a guidance counsellor, the best course of action was to drop the classes I was in and take time off from school for the following semester. I didn’t even know it was an option until that discussion! I’d be able to use the Winter of 2021 to reflect on what new major I may want to go into. I felt free. I could spend time on what I wanted to do without an ounce of guilt, so I put it all into Twitch. I treated it as if it were a full-time job and committed to something I knew made me happy. Through this, I was able to find myself again. I became a part of a community full of so much love and compassion. I learned I have the capabilities to help others, even if all I’m doing is being a goof on a screen for others to watch. The experiences I’ve had on Twitch have lead me down a new path, one where I look forward to the road ahead. This Fall 2021 I’ll be starting up a new program at my university in which I can actually see my end goal. It all turned around. It all got better. If the Ryrden from a year ago today could see me now, I know he’d be so proud.
I found my own independence, I found where my passions lie, and I found a new me who’s ready to take on the world and experience the most of it each day at a time.
Handling stress or upsetting situations can be tricky. To be entirely honest it’s something I still struggle to manage, however, I’ve improved over time and developed some coping strategies when I feel things are getting out of hand. When I become stressed, my automatic response is a self-destructive one. I think of anything I’ve done wrong leading up to that point, why it would be my own fault, why the situation even occurred in the first place. These thoughts don’t help anything, the primary goal, when placed in any situation, should be to look for a solution, not dwell on how you got there! So to deal with my stress, I have to find ways to quiet my thinking!
I figured out that music is the perfect escape for me. I’ve learned taking a step back, popping in my headphones, and just listening for a bit can make such a large impact. If you feel upset in the midst of a situation, you’re prone to making poor decisions, which in return could make it worse. Taking a moment to pause, breathe, and exist without that stress can provide the clarity needed to handle it when it matters most.
My other strategy involves going outside and focusing on one of my senses, usually sound. If I need to fully remove myself from a situation, this works very well for me. If possible, I try to find somewhere in the sunlight and take a seat. With my eyes closed, I pinpoint every little detail I can hear. Birds, the breeze, a car in the distance, anything. After a few minutes, my breathing slows down and I’ve become so focused on the sounds there’s not a single negative thought in my head. By using distraction, an upsetting situation can be dealt with in a positive mindset!
My name is Ryrden or Ry for short, but most folks know me as ShinyRyGaming! I took a small break from school but I will be going into my fourth year of university this Fall 2021 as a Psychology major. In my time off, I’ve dedicated my days to being a full-time content creator on Twitch. I’m also Canadian! I started streaming back in May of 2020 in the midst of quarantine, but it ended up becoming so much more than I expected it to be. Now I stream 5 out of 7 days a week, spending hours upon hours with some of the greatest individuals I’ve ever met, most of which I’ve only ever talked with through a chat. I’m honoured to be where I am, to have a community of absolutely incredible people that always have my back. I may just be playing video games for others to watch, but this community has become my second family. They’ve had an impact on me that’s honestly difficult to describe with words alone. It’s safe to say I wouldn’t be who I am today without everything that’s happened on Twitch.
I do my best to try and create a welcoming, safe, and positive environment for all. My primary goal when this all began was to create a distraction from the chaos of the outside world. To provide an escape from all the harsh negativity spiralling around us. To my surprise, it worked. Together we founded this new home where we can relax and be ourselves. Not only that, but we’ve put the power of our positivity to the test too. Our first ever charity stream ended up raising over $5200 USD for The Trevor Project as a way to celebrate one whole year of streaming! It all still baffles me that this is my life now, it’s so surreal. I love what I do, but it wouldn’t be possible without this fantastic community, and thus I will always be grateful.
My name is Ryrden, but most people call me Ry! I’ve been a university student for about 4 years, originally studying Nanoscience as my major. I spend most of my time streaming on Twitch and spending time with my community. I recently took a semester off this past Winter to focus on my Twitch career and to also reflect on the direction of my education. After a lot of consideration, I’ve since switched into a Psychology program for this Fall! I have my sights set on a future career centered around helping others in need, most likely in the realm of mental health or counselling.
Projekt ROBIN 