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May is Mental Health Awareness Month. As he thought about what to write to promote mental health and Resilience, there was no shortage of topics to consider: We live in turbulent times with much uncertainty about our personal future and the future of the world around us. So I decided to write something that would encourage people to take care of themselves and think about what mental health is like for them. After all, we struggle with different challenges depending on our circumstances, our relationships, and our desires. We are all fighting different battles at different times in our lives.
However, there are ways we can take care of our mental health that we share in common. Doing these things will help you stay focused on staying mentally healthy, strong, and resilient.
1. Identify what is under your control and what you can change.
Many of us tend to focus on what is difficult, what we cannot change, and what is holding us back. This can quickly become discouraging. We can get stuck in the trenches of despair when we focus on what is not possible and why we cannot do certain things.
On the contrary, identifying what we can control makes us feel empowered. We begin to believe in ourselves and realize that there are things we can do to improve our lives, have better relationships, and take care of our needs.
2. Keep cynical thoughts to a minimum.
While sarcasm can certainly have a place as a means of coping with life’s disappointments, too much sarcasm humor it can lead to a cynical attitude as our default. So we can get stuck believing that things will never change and that the world is out to get us. That doesn’t lead to a optimistic point of view or the resilience we need to stay grounded and focused on living our best life. Catch yourself in cynical mode and remind yourself that it is not useful as a daily coping tool.
3. Identify the people in your life who don’t belong there.
There are some people who treat us badly, bring us down emotionally, and sometimes even convince us that we cannot achieve our goal. goals or be our best. Focusing on what these people say and do and letting them get the best of us until we reach a point where we get stuck can be toxic to our mental health. It is our responsibility to identify bad relationships and then let go and move on, not dwell on what they have done.
At the end of the day, it is up to us to make our own decisions and create our own paths. Those who love us and accept us for who we are will follow us and offer their support and encouragement.
4. Surround yourself with like-minded people who are doing their best to live a good life.
Everyone is influenced by the people in their lives. Our friends, family, coworkers, and significant others affect our view of the world. Behavior patterns and moods can be contagious, whether they are positive or negative.
Prioritize time with people who make you feel good and encourage your dreams. Spending too much time with people who are critical or who constantly question your choices and motives can lower your self-confidence and make you question your decisions. Being surrounded by people who are optimistic, responsible and who take action to achieve their own goals is inspiring. Their behavior will encourage them to be proactive, and they can support each other in living a good life and taking care of themselves.
5. Self defense.
As we walk through life, we will have varying degrees of social support and encouragement from others. There may be times when we don’t have as much support, and that’s when we have to be our best advocates. Recognize if you are being treated cruelly or unfairly, and be positive in making your concerns or needs known.
Sometimes other people are not aware of how they are affecting us and their negative influence is unintentional. So we don’t want to make assumptions about others until we talk to them about what’s going on. In the same way, if we feel that the way they treat us is creating difficulties for us or has affected our quality of life, we have to communicate so that they can be heard and understood. Sometimes self-defense is as simple as making a request or wish known to others.
6. Empathize with the feelings and perspectives of others.
Although it is important to take care of yourself and focus on your goals and dreams, your life is not separate from the needs and wants of others. Having healthy relationships is essential for good mental health. It is difficult to have good relationships and friendships when we are not. empathic to the struggles of others. We must make our needs known, but we must also show others that we care about them and want to understand them. This translates into having a close network of social and emotional support where everyone can cheer each other on and celebrate each other’s victories.
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Doing the things listed above will not create the perfect life. But following these steps will help you get off to a good start in building resilience and positive mental health.
