Ask Yourself: Am I Mentally Healthy?
A self care act a day keeps the doctors away. It is okay to choose you!
As the month of mental health awareness comes to an end, I feel it is necessary to ensure that the attention of this type of struggle never dies down. During this time of Covid-19, there have been so many negative aspects that could consume us. Complaining is so much easier than searching for positivity during a difficult time. However, during this time of quarantine I got a wake-up call that I feel our generation needed. The past couple of years have been so hectic and so fast-paced no one got a chance to breathe. The collective panic attacks that hit two summers ago, along with the multiple therapy sessions and different forms of anxiety are a small portion of the list of hardships we have endured. While those hardships did take a toll on me, they allowed me to learn so much about myself. I was able to finally take time and realise that I was in a deep rut and that it was time to drag myself out of it.
I managed to devout time and effort into exploring myself and fixing my shit. Unfortunately, up until quarantine, not everyone could take time for themselves. Not everyone had the chance to prioritize their well-being because they had so many other things going on in life. This is why I felt the period of quarantine was helpful. It gave many people who could never find a moment to themselves, time. It gave them time to figure out their past, their present, their future. It gave them time to work on themselves, their relationships, and their lives. For those whose struggles increased throughout quarantine, I hope they realized how important it is to prioritize their mental health. It was like the world was put on pause for us to take a step back and realise what aspects of our lives were getting unnecessarily out of our control.
By taking a step back from my obligations and devoting time to myself, I realised that there was a lot more going on under the surface. I realised that the way I was going about my life was unsustainable. I neglected my mental health for so long that it was not until I started to work on it that I realised I hadn’t been myself for a long time. I was finally able to rediscover myself and reconfirm what I wanted in life. I can openly admit that I still have a long ways to go in the work that I need to get done. While that is true, I am still proud to say that I am slowly making progress and that I was able to come to terms with the battle I was fighting.
My current motivation to work on myself and my mental health stems from my ability to acknowledge its significance in my life and the life of others. Questions that continue to drive my efforts towards getting mentally stronger are: How can I be there for other people if I have not been there for myself? How can I be someone’s support system, if I am not strong enough on my own? I do not want to be a hypocrite and preach something that I do not practice. I want to be a living example of how beneficial getting help and working on yourself is.
Mental health is a topic I will always devout my time, energy, and resources to. I want everyone to know that it is okay to choose themselves, it is okay to want to work on yourself, and it is okay to not be okay as long as you do not wallow in your sadness for too long. I want to shatter the taboo nature around mental health. It is important to admit that it is okay to get help, to want help, and to need help. I got myself help, I admitted my battles and I am not ashamed of the struggles I have faced. My support system has been incredible and I want everyone to know that if you ever feel like you are struggling there are always people around you who are either facing the same battles or who want to be there to fight alongside you in yours. I will always be an ally and I am always open to talk and help find the right tools to win this war.
So please always remember to take time to check in with yourself and just make sure that you are keeping yourself more than just afloat. It is as easy as doing one self care act a day. By doing so you will always remember to address your own needs and avoid self-neglect.
