How To Help And Improve Your Own Mental Health
Mental health is one of the least discussed areas of health; it is a taboo subject and this is probably due to how the brain works and the image of people who suffer from mental illness. This is not how you should even think about your own mental health, it is a difficult subject to talk about and there isn’t enough being done to highlight taking care of how you feel and what is going through your mind.
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My Experiences Of Mental Health
If you have read anything I have written before on the subject of mental health, you will have some understanding of where I am coming from; I am not an expert or medically trained in this area. However, I do suffer from my own mental health issues and I want to share the struggles that I have and to show others to talk about how they feel.
I, too, didn’t want to talk about my own feelings in the past and it created more problems in the long run because I bottled them up. I thought that people would judge me, they might even take away my family and that thought terrified me to the point where I wouldn’t talk. I knew how to fake that image of control, put on that false smile while inside I was crying and hurting.
Eventually, life took its toll and I had to admit how I was feeling but in all honesty, I had kept it to myself for probably close to twenty years. When you pretend that life is ok you don’t really live, you exist and that isn’t the same as living. I told people what was happening and was hoping for support and, for the most part, my family helped, but I did have some poor advice ‘to pull yourself together to stop wallowing in self-pity and to just do things and get on with life and living’. Others told me that there was light at the end of the tunnel and in some ways I hoped that I would wake-up and life would change, but mental health issues don’t heal overnight, they take time.
You have to let those emotions go, the thoughts and those feelings that you bottled up need releasing and this allows you to work through those thoughts and feelings, putting them into perspective.
I thought that being better I would just feel normal, but the truth is you do change, going back to how you were is not getting better, you have to move forward, you might even need to make changes. There are ups and downs on the road to recovery but when you start to feel good then you know you are on the right path to the new you.
How To Improve Your Own Mental Health
They way to improve your own mental health is to acknowledge that it exists, without this, it is hard to improve anything. I was very determined that my happiness was something that I had to make happen and not just let it be, happiness is a sign of contentment and I was seeking something that was inside of me.
I am the first person to admit that I’m addicted to food, the bad stuff that is full of sugar giving me that good feeling inside. However, when I eat this bad food it doesn’t make me feel good, it doesn’t want me to exercise or to do things that I need to. I feel awful when I eat this food and that has helped me feel worse about myself.
When I eat a healthy diet and drink enough water to keep me hydrated I feel better, I am able to do the things that make me feel good including exercise and it has a positive impact on my mood, too and it makes me feel happy and good.
- So acknowledge that your mental health exists and is important
- Eat a healthy diet
- Drink water
- Exercise
- Seek help when you need to
It is important that if you are not feeling in control of your mental health, then you seek help, they might prescribe tablets or want you to talk to a professional but that is OK, there is nothing wrong with that and you shouldn’t feel any shame in improving your mental health.
Therefore, it is important to put your health and your mental health as a top priority, without looking after yourself you can’t look after others or live a fulfilling life, which is your intended purpose for living if you don’t take care of your own health first.
What do you do to improve your own mental health?
If you are looking for more articles on this topic head over to the landing page where you will find links to other posts on depression.
I wrote another article that I think will help you, Why Your Depression Is Not Easy.
From my own struggles with depression and bipolar, I know you are exactly right. Admitting you need help is the first step. Don’t feel shame. People don’t feel shame for needing insulin. I can’t wait till the stigma of mental health is gone.
Melinda
It is so true what you say and I to can’t wait till the stigma of mental health is gone! Thanks for visiting 🙂