We New Yorkers love to joke about our city. Sit on any subway car or eavesdrop in any Manhattan coffee shop and you will most likely hear someone decrying the country’s largest cities: The subway doesn’t work, the streets are too crowded, the work environment is too cutthroat, the air is too polluted, and the people are jerks.
For all our talk, we love New York City. Many of us wouldn’t dream of living anywhere else. But, with that said, our venting and our jokes spring from some very real stressors and problems. New York City may have more and better of just about everything than any other city in the country can boast (just ask a New Yorker), but it also has more stresses that can damage our mental health.
So while New York City does a lot for us, there is something we should do for ourselves: Go to therapy. If you’re not yet sure that cognitive therapy should be a part of your New York City lifestyle, read on. Here are three big reasons why every New Yorker should consider therapy.
Therapy can help with work stress and work-life balance
Cognitive therapy is about understanding what we’re thinking, why we’re thinking it, and what to do about it. That makes it well-suited for addressing issues in all sorts of situations, from relationships to work.
And speaking of work, New Yorkers do an awful lot of it. New York City is notorious for its long working hours and tough professional scene. This is where the biggest companies and the biggest hotshots are, and New Yorkers tend to respond to the big stage by trying even harder to work more and more.
That’s not always a good thing. If you let your work-life balance get away from you, you could suffer from burnout. That would be an even bigger disaster for your mental health than your current poor work-life balance already is, and it would also make you less productive and hurt your career. So turn to therapy for tips. Achieve work-life balance, consider your career options, and be happier and more productive at work and at home.
Therapy can fight big-city stress
We’re only human and we all need some time alone with nothing but some peace and quiet. The occasional visit to a natural space, and the occasional subway ride without someone bursting in to play guitar in their underpants is something we all desire, but in New York City, these sorts of things can be surprisingly hard to find.
And that makes New York City uniquely stressful. Studies show that stress levels are lower when we’re out in nature — just 20 minutes can calm us right down — so it makes sense that our urban jungle is messing with our minds. That’s why New Yorkers should be especially interested in cognitive therapy and other professional mental health treatments to help alleviate stress.
Therapy is for everyone
Why should New Yorkers consider therapy? Well, the reasons above are good ones, say the experts at Therapy Group of NYC, but there’s a simpler answer: Everyone should consider therapy.
Therapy isn’t just for those with serious mental health issues, explain the experts. Therapy can help virtually anyone, including those with no known mental health disorders. Thinking about your own thoughts and developing strategies for coping with stress and emotions can make you a better partner, a better parent, a better worker, and even, in many ways, a better person. Therapy can make you happier and healthier, and it’s available to you right now — so turn to one of New York City’s superb therapists and take steps to improve and care for your mental health!
