Mental Health Day 2021

Happy World Mental Health Day! Mental Health is something everyone deals with. It isn't easy but knowing you're not alone and knowing what you need to do to best support your mental health can make a huge positive impact on your mental health! Here is a little about what helps me and maybe what might help you too!

I use to think I was the "odd duck" by feeling like I was on a constant rollercoaster of feeling up and down. I would be the happiest girl one day and then two days later all I would want to do is cry. I didn't know why and thought something was wrong with me and didn't want to bother anyone when I was feeling down. It turns out reaching out for support and for validation of my feelings helps me feel better! I also learned that when reaching out it is important to not be negative and to explain how you are feeling with purpose instead of putting the blame on something or someone or acting like things will not get better. It is important to pick specific people in your life to reach out to! After finding my few people that are okay with me reaching out for support, I have been able to better handle the ups and downs of life. I know exactly who to go to when I feel to need to reach out for support! This person or people don't even have to be your friends or family. Therapist can be amazing as well to help or even a close coworker!

Reaching out to others can be helpful but the most impactful thing I have done for my mental health is to learn how to manage it. The way I best manage my mental health is through self-care. My self-care can range from baking cookies, going for a run, binging TV shows for a day, or taking a bath. I started doing weekly self-care routines about a year ago and it really has helped me relax more and allows me to handle little obstacles more easily. I don't get anxious about the small things anymore and really focus on doing what is going to make myself happy and not necessarily worrying about what others think. I use to put so much pressure on myself to help others and to please others that I lost the ability to take care of my own self-care. This is another key to handling mental health! At the end of the day, we all only have ourselves and it is important to remember you are your own cheerleader and the only one who can advocate for yourself and your happiness.

Lastly, remember to be proud of how far you've come and what you have been through. We have all faced our own obstacles in life and it is important to remember your feelings during those times are validated and that your life is no worse or better than anyone else. Everyone faces obstacles and handles them differently and reacts differently. That is okay! We are all different and it is important to respect that and respect yourself. I can look back on when I had foot surgery two years ago and how it made me feel depressed. I was "stuck" at the house because I couldn't drive. I kept hitting setbacks such as getting a blood blister on my heel from my cast to not being able to move my foot to a 90-degree angle to be in a walking boot. It was tough and I let it get the best of me. I lost myself during those few months and worked my butt off to be stronger and to not let myself get that "low" again. To do this though I had to learn a lot about myself, how I handle stress, and what I need to do to manage stress in a healthy way. It takes time and to be honest I am still a work in progress and that is OKAY!

I want to leave you with a quote, "If it is something you have no control over, why are you worrying about it? What is worrying about it going to do to help?". I know worrying is natural. We all do it and that is okay! However, try your best to limit your worrying by using this quote and remembering that at the end of the day you only have so much control and there are some things you cannot control. Also remember though that your happiness comes from within. So please put in the work and try things until you find what helps you with your mental health! I hope this post gives you some ideas on things that might help, that you see mental health in a positive way, that you use these reminders to help you on those hard days, and that you are able to find the best way for you to support your mental health! If you need help please reach out and I would be willing to help you find what works for you and to be your person on those hard days! I truly believe these are the keys to successfully handling mental health <3

~Marissa