mental health doโs & donโts. แฅซแญก
mental health advocacy & awareness has come such a long, long way and weโre all so lucky to live in a world where mental health is finally starting to matter to everyone! i have struggled with my mental health for a good majority of my life. iโve experienced the worst depressive episodes, iโve gone through inpatient & outpatient programs, and iโve been in therapy for almost 7 years, so iโm very familiar with what itโs like to struggle mentally and emotionally. itโs nowhere near easy to deal and work through depression, anxiety, bipolar, ptsd, or any other mental illness thatโs out there, but letโs take a moment to talk about what we should and shouldnโt do to maintain a good and healthy mental and emotional mindset so that dealing with our mental health can be even the slightest bit easier!
เญจเง โ mental health DOโs
DO perform small self care tasks!
drinking water, taking a shower, brushing your teeth, making your bed, getting out of bed, going for a walk, taking a nap, reading your favorite book, rewatching a comfort show/movie; these are all wonderful, and simple, self care activities you can do!
doing small, every day things for yourself can help release dopamine which a lot of us mentally ill angels may be lacking! no matter how mundane a task may seem, the smallest accomplishments can make the biggest difference. always remember that!
DO write out how youโre feeling!
i talk about journaling a lot here on my blog, i even post journaling prompts in my tumblr community! so youโre gonna hear me say this again and again: journaling and writing out your thoughts and feelings can make a real difference!
it helps you organize your thoughts or even help you release pent up emotions. keeping everything bottled in is never a good thing, you have to allow yourself to release your emotions, and journaling is a very healthy option for doing so!
iโm a huge advocate for therapy. like i said in the beginning, iโve been in therapy for almost seven years! and it was one of the best things that i could have done for myself! so, if youโre able to, i highly recommend finding a therapist.
but, i know there are people out there who might not be able to afford a therapist or who may not even have the means to find one, so reach out to loved ones. you can find a wonderful support system amongst your friends and family. they are in your life to love you, care for you, and support you in any way they can, so donโt hesitate to reach out to a loved one if youโre ever struggling!
you can even find support through coworkers, bosses, or teachers! if youโre in high school or even college, donโt shy away from reaching out to school counselors!
as i said before, keeping things bottled up has the potential of making your situation more difficult, so please reach out to someone and never be afraid to ask for help. there is someone out there who will take the time to listen to you and even offer a helping hand!
DO spend some time outside!
there have been studies that have proved that at least 10 minutes of sunlight while being outside can help improve your mental health! my therapist actually went over this with me and she โprescribedโ me to spend at least 10 minutes outside at the start of my day. i honestly thought it was kind of silly, but itโs genuinely made a huge difference for me!
i used to spend a lot of my days cooped up in my room with my curtains closed and all the lights off, and it only ever made me feel worse. i was tired all the time, i never had the energy to even get out of bed, and i just felt awful all the time. but just spending some time out in my backyard for a few minutes in the morning and actually opening up my curtains during the day has really helped boost my mood!
thereโs also really affordable sunlight lamps out there that you can find! natural sunlight doesnโt always come as easy, but artificial sunlight lamps have actually been proven to provide the same effect! think of investing in one especially as the colder season starts to come near!
เญจเง โ mental health DONโTs
DONโT spend all day scrolling through your phone!
it really can be that damn phone, you guys! scrolling endlessly on social media can be so detrimental to your mental health. think about it, youโre spending hours upon hours looking at different peopleโs posts and it leads you to start feeling poorly about yourself and your life. thatโs red flag number one: youโre bound to start comparing yourself to strangers on the internet! thatโs not something you should submit yourself to, especially when youโre struggling inside.
donโt hesitate to unplug for a while. take a break from social media. put your phone on do not disturb. let yourself do something that you know will make you happy instead of stare at your phone screen for hours!
this would be the perfect time to start implementing new hobbies into your life! thereโs tons out there for you to try, so i suggest creating a small list of new hobbies youโve been wanting to try or that peak your interest and give them a go!
DONโT isolate yourself!
self-isolation was one of the biggest warning signs for me when i was in the trenches when it came to my mental health. iโm gonna continue to be upfront and honest with you guys, sometimes i still find myself doing this. did that ever make me feel better? of course not, because i was alone and i had nothing else but my own negative thoughts.
i understand people may need time alone, and i completely get that! iโm one of those people, but you have to make sure you know the difference between self-isolating and having some alone time.
self-isolation is completely not talking to anyone, not going outside, never leaving your room, consistently ignoring notifications from your loved ones, and purposely keeping yourself alone because you think โi donโt deserve to be around anyoneโ.
having some alone time is taking a break from your phone, doing something that makes you happy by yourself, and enjoying the company of yourself. thatโs the biggest difference, spending time alone is enjoying that time alone.
when you isolate yourself from others, itโs not you doing that because you enjoy it, you know deep down itโs because your brain is playing tricks on you and telling you that you donโt deserve to be around others. and that is far from the truth.
DONโT interact with negativity!
this goes back to social media, and media in general. do not spend your time watching sad videos or interacting with content that makes you feel worse. and the same thing goes for people!
never spend time with people who put you down, who make you feel bad about yourself, who feed into those negative thoughts, who influence you into doing something youโll know youโll regret, and who donโt take your mental health seriously.
a lot of things and people have bad energy, so if you find yourself somehow attached to those things, let them go right now. if those things or people are not doing you any good, let them go.
DONโT deny that anythingโs wrong!
be honest with yourself! itโs okay to acknowledge the fact that you arenโt okay! and be honest with your loved ones!
if youโre lying about how youโre doing, how is anyone going to be able to help you when you need it? how are you going to be able to help yourself when you need it? youโre allowed to speak up when things get hard! never shy away from being honest about what youโre going through.
what you have going on is valid. your mental health struggles are valid. how you feel is always valid.
and it is 1000% okay to admit that thereโs something going on in your life, and you can start by admitting that to yourself. donโt keep yourself in denial. acknowledge your problem and seek help. itโs perfectly okay to ask for help!
allowing yourself to be vulnerable and asking for help is actually a huge sign of strength, not weakness. it takes a lot to go to someone and ask for help, so donโt ever let yourself think that thatโs something that makes you โweakโ.
i want the biggest take away from this for you guys is that you know and remember that your mental health is just as important as all other aspects of your overall health. i always say, โyou canโt do your best if you arenโt at your best.โ
be kind to yourself, be patient with yourself, and show yourself some grace. if you feel like you canโt reach out to anyone with what youโre going through, at least be that supportive person and an advocate for yourself. i know there are days, weeks, or even months where it all feels so much easier said than done, but i know that you know that you donโt want to feel miserable every single second of your life, so take the time to be there for yourself!
you deserve kindness and healing, especially from yourself.
with lots of love, faustina ๐ท
