You May Come Back.
On Mental Health Awareness.
It was mental health awareness month last month and I am here to remind you that you don’t have to build a house solely to sort out issues that trigger your anxiety or make you lose sleep.
“Peace of mind is INTANGIBLE WEALTH. Value it. It keeps your mind clear to focus on your goals. Be grateful, accept yourself, listen to music, go outside to enjoy nature, connect with those that love you, commit what you can’t control to God. Then, practice forgiveness nonstop.” — Sam Adeyemi
The first thing you need to know when it comes to your mental health and making choices is that you have the power because you get to choose how you absorb stuff, what you do with them (i.e how you process) and how you react. Peace comes to your doorsteps every morning in the form of choices.
Recently, a friend of mine proper pissed me off. We were having a conversation about something and there was some dissent but I made sure we agreed and disagreed respectfully. I even let him know when there were questions I couldn’t answer unless I did more research. He, however, did not do me the same courtesy; he became rude, disrespectful, dismissive and even went as far as invalidating my work and my person. Out of nowhere. When I called him to order and he refuse to realign, I let him be.
We eventually talked about it, and he said he’d gone back to read the chat and realized that I had actually disagreed respectfully. He admitted that he messed up and could have handled the entire conversation better.
Choices. Reactions. Your response doesn’t have to be reactive.
Here are some easy steps you can take or infuse into your daily life to help you navigate your mental health better:
1. Value yourself: treat yourself with respect, kindness, healthy self-criticism, anything wholesome you can think of. Identify your hobbies and make time to learn new things that can broaden your horizons. Nothing is too simple or too difficult for you to equip yourself with, even German.
2. Take care of your body: allow me to get spiritual here. God loves you enough to give you a body so take care of it. Go where you are valued, protect your space and energy by setting strong boundaries. Did you know that the more magnetic you become, the higher your boundaries should be? Not the other way around. The brighter your light shines, the more people are drawn to you. Eat healthy meals, drink water, exercise frequently as this can help with your mood. Sleep too. It’s really as simple as this.
3. Look around you: make sure you surround yourself with good people. You are only as strong as your weakest connection. A support system is great, but it has to be healthy. Otherwise, it’s deadweight. Hang out, laugh, talk about the latest internet gist, split the bill.
4. Give yourself: I know you were probably expecting to me to say give to yourself but no, I didn’t omit the preposition. Giving bits of yourself can be fulfilling. I make it a point to help someone everyday because it makes me feel so good. Apart from being a great way to meet new people, making someone else happy is the perhaps, best investment. The plan is to sow seeds that will bear lasting fruits, right?
5. Deal with your stress: stress will come, and so will stressors. You have to accept this so that you can be well on your way to establishing a system that works best for you. What are your coping skills? For instance, I clean when I am stressed. Listening to music reduces my stress too. For some people, laughter works, me inclusive. Someone once said I use humor to hide my pain? Hide ke? Well, I’m just laughing because if I don’t laugh, I will cry.
6. Quieten your mind: if you live in a noisy environment, you had better take this seriously. Taking walks and journaling help me to declutter. Taking deep breaths also helps to steady my mind. Mindfulness is key.
7. Set realistic goals: it’s okay to dream big but the thing with this is that you have to be very self-aware to do it successfully. What are you already good at? What will be a waste of your precious time? What would you like to achieve academically or professionally? And when? Even if it’s a weight goal — especially if it’s a weight goal — it has to be realistic.
A realistic goal is something you have made a working plan to achieve. We all know how tricky goals can be especially when the timeline is elapsing and we haven’t achieved said goal. Some part of our self-worth is attached to setting and realizing goals. That sense of accomplishment is unmatched. You can’t afford to over schedule. Your goal, your pace, your clock.
8. No substance abuse: no abuse of anything actually, or anyone.
9. Sometimes, crooked: break up the monotony from time to time. Routines make us efficient, but sometimes, do something differently. Consistency makes us feel safe and secure but there’s a reason some philosophers call it the most overrated human virtue. Take a different jogging route tomorrow and thank me later.
10. Get help when you need it: a pinch of salt here. I am currently at a place where I only take criticisms from people I can take advice from. Don’t let anyone project their issues on you but seek help when you need it. What’s that sound? It’s self-awareness again. You have to know yourself enough. The onus is on you. There are tools and support available for you so avail yourself a full and rewarding life, please. Who knows when next you will be here again. I am rooting for you.
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