Not Another ‘Fix your Mental Health’ Clickbait
Before I Go in, let me open with one major MAJOR pet peeve these days.
Every stone you turn, everyone EVERYONE is out there with their guns in rescuing people from their mental health struggles.
Please don’t get me wrong, I am a big mental health advocate and if there was one thing that I could eliminate from the world would surely be the mental struggles so many of us cope with.
So what I am NOT okay with is the persistence everyone has these days to jump in the mental health pool as if they are missing out on something? As if mental health is a ‘new trend’ you have to tag in? As if demeaning every little struggle, bump or challenge will somehow spark your rankings.
Please stop that.
It’s not cute and certainly, it’s not healthy. When we all jump in to desperately try and address an issue, unfortunately in most cases, the ‘fixation’ often turns towards an obsession, and before you know the essence of the problem is gone
And once the negligence seeps in, a dysfunction arises.
And then what follows is the irreversible damage that in some extreme cases turns into a disorder.
You see, none of us are spared from mental struggles. We all have to pay our fair share of struggles in the face of losing a job, or a loved one, or facing some other life stressors.
Some episodes of life are inevitable. They are out of our control and there is hardly anything that we can do about it.
However, if we turn our focus towards life events that we can control, the curveballs of our lives will become better to handle.
So coming from someone who genuinely cares about mental health problems, here are a few takeaways that can help you cope better.
Having an internal monologue
I remember walking for hours on my small balcony just because I was indulged in self-talk. I would often talk to myself about how to do the right thing. At that point, it only felt natural. Later down the road, I understood how I was reprogramming my subconscious functioning by setting certain beliefs.
I was forming certain beliefs about myself and the good positive self-talk was helping me form my worldview and how I was to deal with myself in the upcoming adult years. I know this might be a bit too much to understand. But here is a small exercise I learned from a TED talk
Observe all the negative thoughts you get about yourself. Make a list of it. Now reverse the bad words or adjectives to good positive ones. Good! Now take the good altered sentences and say them out loud to yourself. You just don’t have to say them out loud you have to attach emotion with them too.
For example, reminding yourself such as ‘I feel good today’ try to think of a memory that made you feel good or imagine a situation that will help you feel good. You can also try rubbing a soft cloth between your fingers just to experience the emotion.
Building a relationship with yourself before everything else
Nothing is easier in this world than letting yourself go. When we first start struggling with our demons, often we start with ourselves. And as easy as it seems, it is also one of the first detrimental things that we do to ourselves. Having a healthy relationship with oneself is where we can hold space for ourselves, forgive our self and cherish ourselves. Taking care of oneself can look like this;
- Preparing a healthy nutritious meal for yourself
- Treating yourself with small wins
- Keeping yourself hydrated
- Exercising helps in decreasing depression, improving your mood, and helping with anxiety
- Spending time with your loved ones
- Getting enough sleep
- Having a good healthy company
Look Around
Just look around.
Let your mind take in everything around you. The bright colors, the clear sky, and everything in between. Consciously make an effort to take care of yourself every day, to be aware of your surroundings, to be grateful to live another day. To be able to change the course of your life every day.
What this does is help you with your mindset. It quiets your mind. It helps with settling down the chaos. Often in the vastness of our worries, we forget about our surroundings. Look around for life.
Try to look outside your worries. Understand that stresses are a part of life. You have to deal with each of your stress in one way or another. It is better to develop good coping skills.
Take up a Small Responsibility
Taking up responsibility often makes you feel more empowered in life. You feel more relevant. Once you take upon certain tasks, you create more meaning in life.
Developing a routine helps in breaking the monotony of your life. Starts with baby steps. Try your favorite hobby and make a small responsibility out of that habit.
Above All…
Get the help, the support, and the cheers that you deserve. Seeking help is always a sign of strength. People who get appropriate care can live a better full filing life.
