Mental Health Chat
Let’s talk mental health, shall we?!
It seems to be a really really really talked-about thing these days, but somehow, it’s still awkward and hard and ignored far too often. It’s not ever going to be a shiny trophy on yourself because I don’t think we ever master it like we can master so many other things, but we can start to care a little more, which is enough if you ask me.
Whoever you are and whatever your life looks like; your mental health is there whether you’re paying any attention to it or not, especially during this time. It’s there and we too often brush by it like it’s our job–because there are a lot of days it may not affect us in the big ways. But there’s a whole lot of little things we can do to take care of it in the small ways that can help tremendously.
& sister, your mental health is worth it.
Face it… We all have bad days and good days and days in-between. They’re all normal, but we deserve as many good days as we can get our hands on, and sometimes it just takes a little bit to get ourselves there.
During this crazy time of uncertainty, change, and transition, loneliness is a frickin turd. It’s creeping in for all of us, and will take down our mental health at the snap of a finger if we’re not careful. It’s okay to feel how you feel, but it’s not okay to sit back and let your feelings take the reigns. YOU are in control of you. Make that true for your mental health, too.
Here are FIVE ways to go get after it & care for your mental health in easy, effective ways:
1. Create a morning routine that will do three things for you: bring you consistency, the feeling of accomplishment, and an excitement for the day. Every day (sometimes it’s right when I wake up, sometimes it’s after my first class), I drink my coffee & relax a bit, make myself a good breakfast (breaky is my fav meal of the day, hands down), and listen to worship music. It’s a good start to the day and gets me focused and ready for what I need to do. We go go go way too often–do something to slow yourself down (whatever works best for you) & find simple stability in your days.
2. Write down your thoughts & become aware of what’s going on in your head. Get your thoughts out of your head. Write them down for only you to see. The other day I was sitting in the library feeling a million different things. I needed to just get them out and figure out how to break them down before they decided to break me down. I flipped the page of my stats homework and began writing. Each sentence was sporadic and didn’t necessarily follow the previous one, but I got it all out and felt like I could understand myself better at that moment. Let it out so you can better take care of yourself & clear your head from the things that don’t matter as much as you might think.
3. Distinguish the things you can control from the things you cannot. If you’re any sort of a control freak (like myself), this one can be rough. The truth of the matter is that there are many things we cannot control in the world, and to spend our time and effort focusing on them is a total waste. Do your best and trust that the rest will fall into place exactly how it is supposed to. Be thankful that not everything is in your hands–it isn’t supposed to be.
4. Set mini-goals, often. You don’t have to conquer the world every single day. Some days you might just need to push through class, do your laundry, and conquer the little things that you can. In your planner or on a post-it note on your mirror, set small steps for yourself to be productive and have successful days. Make your bed, drink more water, wear an outfit that makes you feel good, work ahead, whatever you gotta do… set yourself a target and DO it.
5. Pep talk time. This one is my favorite and has helped me far more than I can put into words. Have a three-person pep talk: the you that you’re feeling like right now, your BEST, most capable version of you, and God. Dig deep and let your best you figure out what needs changing in your world right now. A more positive outlook? Excitement for what you’re doing in life? Getting rid of stress? Whatever it is, talk to yourself about how capable you are of getting to that place, create little steps to actually get there, and pray pray pray. Give it over to God and ask for the strength and help to get to the place that you know you belong.
Let me know if there are any steps that YOU take in caring for your mental health. I hope you take some time today to think about how important you AND your mental health are. I am cheering you on, girlfriends!!!!