Happy Mental Health Awareness Month! In this post, I will guide you through mental health tips and tricks while sharing my thoughts and feelings about mental well-being. From breaking the stigma to learning how to cope with difficult emotions, I've got you covered.
Mental health is a rather new and sensitive topic for most people and that makes people who are experiencing mental health problems even harder to talk about it. People are afraid to speak up because of the stigmas surrounding it and being labelled as 'mentally ill'. They are forced to be silenced because people who haven't experienced it think they are 'different'. But the truth is, Everyone Has Mental Health. People who have struggled with mental health are often labelled because they are brave enough to be able to speak about what they are feeling, and yet, the world around them starts to ignore it.
Table of contents:
#2: Let's talk about it
#3: To regain control of your life
#1 Don't worry, emotions can be your friend too!
Even though we are always expected to reply 'I'm fine' after a certain question, it doesn't mean that you always have to feel that way. Whenever I feel stressed, I always force the word OK to come out of my mouth to avoid questions or concerns from other people because that's rather daunting. But I soon came to realise that being OK and feeling OK is a different thing. However, you don't necessarily have to tell everyone what you're actually feeling internally, but just recognise that you're not OK. It's fine because everyone has those down-in-the-dumps days, those worrying days and those angry days. By feeling not OK, you're allowing yourself to have a deeper connection with your emotions. When we often feel mixed emotions, is because our body is trying to tell us something. Maybe your body is overworked and you're experiencing burnout or are overall very stressed. By listening to our body and emotions, it can tell us things that we ourselves may not even realise.
Some of the ways that we can let our emotions be heard are to express them in various ways. One of the ways I find really useful is writing them down. I don't mean writing an entire essay or a story, it could just be a few bullet points. For example, if I feel particularly angry that day, I use a red marker and write down everything thing I am angry about then tear the paper in pieces and throw it away. It helps me express my feelings rather than feeling angry the rest of the day. Other things you could do to express them are maybe drawing them out, listening to relatable songs or just doing something you love. However, if you don't feel like doing that, that's fine too, I found this website called 'Scream into the Void' which is a website that allows you to type your feelings and when you're done, it can send your feelings into the outer space: https://screamintothevoid.com/
#2 Let's talk about it
You might have heard about 'breaking the stigma' relating to the topic of mental health very often. In other words, it means that it is great to recognise that we humans have more alike than different. But it is easier said than done because not all people have to same views of mental health. That's why it is important to gain more knowledge and spread awareness of mental health. It's hard because everyone has been guilty of viewing mental health as a 'bad' thing until we experience it. Yes, it is hard to be in someone else's shoes but making society even harder for people who are experiencing mental will not be a pleasant experience for them. We should never be ashamed of talking about our mental health because it is how we can cope with what we are experiencing. We should normalise mental health and not treat people differently because they are experiencing a difficult time in life right now. All they want is for people to support them and be there for them.
If you would like to learn more about mental health, and well-being or have a support group when you feel like you are experiencing something difficult in life, feel free to join my safe community on Discord. There will be resources and a section called 'safe-house' in my community where we can support each other during difficult times and where your voice will be heard. You can join by clicking the link below or scanning the QR code on the banner below.
Discord community link: https://discord.gg/jqukbXK8S7
#3 To regain control of your life
There's a saying that says ' No one can help you but yourself', which I think is 50% true. But life is not that simple because humans are very complex and not only do we need ourselves but also the people around us. We must make sure there is enough balance in our life so we are able to overcome our fears. Sometimes asking for advice or help on something you're struggling with will help, but other times it requires both your effort and other people's. To be honest, I used to be a rather nervous person and liked to stay in my comfort zone. I didn't like talking to people or expressing my feelings because I thought it made me 'weak'. But the truth is, when I started to talk to people and got out of my comfort zone, I learnt so much more about myself and got to experience so much more of life (although I still have a lot more to experience).
Sometimes, stepping out of your comfort zone is not easy at all. You don't have to do everything you are afraid of, you can take baby steps. It's kind of like how you would treat a long-term goal. You may not be successful the first time you do something you fear. You may not even be successful the next 5 times, but the most important thing is that you tried. You tried doing something you feared which is already a way to success. Give yourself more credit, forgive and accept yourself because you are only human, you can only do so much. So never give up on trying and having control over your life because sometimes the best things are already beside you, all you have to do is try to reach it with your hands.
In conclusion, sometimes it's hard to face difficult times in life. But, it's ok because life still has a lot to offer. Hard times will always be here, but it is how we break through them and face our fears. And to that here's a quote :
' It is not people who experience mental health who has problems, it's how the world views and treats people who have them'
~4everslay
Thank you for reading this month's blog and I hope you enjoyed it. If you liked it, be sure to subscribe to my monthly newsletter and join the SLAY community on Discord! Hope you guys have a lovely day and see you next time!