Although things are changing, some amount of stigma remains whenever we bring up mental health as a subject. A lot of this has to do with people not really knowing what mental health really means and how it should apply to them.
Even for people who aren’t openly dismissive of it, they may have a tendency to dismiss their own mental health issues as something that’s not a big deal, even as they struggle with it.
Mental health is, essentially, the state in which your mind currently processes the world. The more you have positive thoughts and the more able you are to overcome negative thoughts and emotions as they crop up are tell-tale signs of good mental health. Good mental health is your mind (and you) being strong and resilient against pressures you may face. This could, and often does, affect many areas of your life, from your career to your personal relationships.
We’ve often touched on the subject of stress as a major contributor to declining mental health. Stress can come from many sources, from work, home life being less than optimal, financial strain, or from relationship struggles and expectations. Stress exists to tell us something needs to be addressed, and we haven’t yet addressed those issues adequately. It tells us something, but at the same time, prolonged exposure to stress can cause a lot of damage to your mental health.
People who are under prolonged stressed have a tendency to become dependent on substances like alcohol, or nicotine. They may develop other habits like gambling, as a means to cope with their stress. Their mental health has deteriorated enough for them to be susceptible to making poor choices that could very well end up seeing them addicted or outright harming themselves.
But what does it actually mean to take care of your mental health?
It means taking the time to address your issues, whatever they may be. It means giving yourself time to consider what’s happening in your life, what’s been going on with you, and how you’re managing (or not) these things.
It means being kind enough to yourself to say you need to take a step back to think things through, and maybe take a step back so you can rest or get some space to think more clearly.
It means, after having thought about things, you take some action to ensure you’re able to get some balance in your life. Make sure you’re getting enough rest, you’ve got some hobbies and interests to build on your free time, and that you’re taking steps to resolve some of your issues, even if they are small steps.
This idea that we should suffer for our career and success, and we should suffer in order to find happiness, can only bring misery. People we build good, strong relationships with will still love us if we’re not suffering for our success. We should be kind enough to ourselves to know when to put things down and admit we need a rest, some time away to recharge and find some perspective.
Take your mental health seriously, as your mental health is key to your sense of well-being, and happiness.
Join us at College of Allied Educators to learn more about yourself, what motivates you, and how you can find happiness, meaning, and success in work, love, and life.
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