If you've ever been in the hospital recovering from a surgery, you know the health care providers will ask you to "rate" your pain on a scale of one to ten, so they can administer pain relief if you need it. But assessing mental-health distress doesn't have a simple scale, because mental health isn't as straightforward as physical pain.

Almost all parents worry about the health and safety of their newborn children. In fact, we're evolutionarily programmed to scan our environments for any potential threat to the little life we are now charged with preserving. You might worry that your child will stop breathing in the night. That a car might leap onto the footpath and mow down you and your stroller. Or, even, that you could do something to harm your new baby, like drown her during those awkward newborn sponge baths.

Take a deep breath... hold it... breathe out... now wait a sec before breathing in again. Bookmark QuietKit's box breathing for a follow-along animation to help you do this any time you need it.

The numbers and icons displayed on our device's screens are meant to be useful; they tell us how much battery is left, how many unread messages we have, and when we need to update something. But more often than not, this data just nags us, constantly poking us like a toddler who wants their mother's attention. It doesn't have to be that way.

iOS/Android: The urge to self-harm, the Calm Harm app tells us, is like a wave. It's strongest at the beginning, but if you ride the wave, it will soon be over. Apps are no substitute for a good therapist, but people who struggle with these moments of crisis say the right app really helps.

From its title, The Gifts of Imperfection sounds like a book for perfectionists. And it is, but also so much more. The titular gifts are courage, compassion and connection. If you're ready for some deep digging on the way to having more of those qualities in your life, read on.

If you're an anxious flyer, here's one way to calm your nerves as your flight begins: count to 100.

When I hear from adults who live with anxiety, many say that the only thing that helps is not trying to get rid of the anxiety completely, but learning to accept that it's going to hang around, maybe forever. They begin to see it as just a thing, neither good nor bad. On a recent episode of The Hilarious World of Depression podcast, one guest said she deals with her anxiety by naming it "Steve" and then imagining Steve as this dumb friend who shows up once in a while. So whenever her anxiety acts out, she can say, "Oh, Steve. Cut it out."

Anxiety in adolescents is on the rise, reports the New York Times: It is now the most common reason university students request counselling services, and numerous surveys indicate that kids in high school and university are feeling overburdened and overwhelmed. Hospital admissions for suicide attempts in the US have doubled in the last decade, and Times describes in-patient facilities for severely anxious teens.

We spend almost half of our waking hours at work (how's that for a depressing thought?) so if your workplace is stressful, or if it's full of bullies and harassers, your mental health can suffer. For World Mental Health Day, the World Health Organisation put this together so your employer knows how they can and why they should keep you mentally healthy.

The human body is marvellous. If you know how to harness its built-in superpowers, you can do so much more than you are right now. Use these small tricks to become a more efficient worker.

Dealing with anxiety or depression is challenging enough as it is, but trying to be productive at the same time can feel downright impossible, like swimming against a current. There are some small productivity hacks that can help.

If you get panicked by crowds, you might not even know it. You might just tense up or get angry. (I got snippy at the farmers market for years before I noticed the pattern.) And certain crowded spots, like Times Square or an emptying stadium, can freak anyone out. As Dr Liz Lasky says in Time Out New York, it helps to have a safety plan.

If you're desperate for distraction or want to get your friend's kid something that they will love but their parents might hate, an on-trend fidget toy is the way to go. While it's disputed whether or not they actually help to reduce anxiety or increase focus, fidgeting is a common human activity, and with some pocket-friendly fidget toys, you'll find yourself a distraction whether you've got your phone or not.

With a heated global political climate and the threat of nuclear war seeming to loom over our heads, it's hard not to be stressed right now. But you don't have to sit there and stare at your news feed in agony.

Over the past few years, there has been a marked increase in the number of Australian women undergoing cosmetic genital surgery in a quest for "normal" vaginas. But what exactly is normal? Despite what porn would have you believe, vaginal appearance is just as diverse as any other body part. GPs need to discourage women from undergoing unnecessary and painful procedures stemming from genital-related anxiety. In short, your junk is fine the way it is -- embrace it.

At a park I often go to, a gaggle of other mothers and their kids set up camp near some trees, as I do with my kids. Recently I've gotten to know a few of them slightly -- well enough to say hello, swap info about babysitters, chat about our jobs and so on.

Turbulence can range from annoying to downright frightening, and you don't have to be an anxious flyer to get worked up by it. It's hard to avoid turbulence when flying, but you can control how you handle it.

If you have phone phobia, you're not alone. (I'm a recovering member of the club myself.) If the situation in this country is making you anxious, calling your local MP is both a step toward a solution, and a way to give yourself a small amount of control over something. But you have to be able to actually make the call.