3 things you can do for your mental health.

The first blog of the year...

 

 

It is a new year oh yes it is! 

It is time to start again. To restart, to refresh, to reapply ourselves to bettering ourselves. 

This month I would like us to look deeply into the mind. I am not an expert I am just somebody who is trying to help myself not slip into the same cycles repeatedly.

Without further ado, I think we can begin.

 

Let's dive into it. Mental health? Mental health awareness? Mental health tips. 

As I said- I am no expert. I am merely a victim of the many traumatizing events this life throws at us trying my best to keep sane. Moreover, I want everyone around me to be sane as well. It is a group therapy type of thing, you know?

 

Sometimes we get overwhelmed. It's ok to admit when you are. We need to keep things balanced and give ourselves some time. Living shouldn't always be hard. Keeping yourself in check is actually as easy as one, two, and three...

 

 

1. Open up about your feelings!

Humans are impressionable creatures. We sometimes more than often seek out other people’s opinions just to feel heard and seen. 

Others may see it as a bad thing. I see it as a good thing. 

I am one such creature on this earth and the nature of my character means I will blurt out random feelings I am feeling in that moment. I do not know how exactly to explain it. I am not looking for an answer, or a solution, or advice, or pity, I just want you to know how I feel. 

 

Opening up about your feelings can help in so many ways. Firstly, it is a form of release for you. Bottling up emotions never helped anyone. It could lead to stress and anxiety.

 

Opening up lets the people around you know what is going on in your life and it could bring people closer to you. People say I am easy to approach and easy to talk with. I like to think it is because half the time I am letting people know how I feel about certain topics making it easier for them to know what and what not to say.

 

Opening up gives you validation. Uh-huh, I know what you are thinking. 

"I don't need my feelings validated by anyone" 

Darling, yes you do. Everyone wants to feel that he or she matters. They want to be heard and seen, and they want their feelings to be understood and accepted. Validation helps a person feel cared for and supported.

 

If you can't talk to someone else talk to God.

 Many strong-willed Christians will argue with me and say God should be your first point of contact. I will let you decide which feels more relevant to your situation. 

 

Regardless, God is the one ear you will lay your problem on that will not judge, or laugh, or ridicule or mock. He is a very quiet listener. Half the time you wonder if he is listening. I am here to tell you that he always is. 

 

Opening up to God is also a great way to give you a solution. The late evangelist Myles Monroe once said in a sermon that prayer is a way of allowing God to step into our lives and act.

According to him, sin caused a barrier between God and us. The only thing that can penetrate this barrier is prayer. It is as if we are giving God permission to change our lives.

 

So, if you are ever feeling down and can't shake the feeling pick up your phone and call that one person you're thinking of right now or switch it off and get down on bended knees.

 

 

2. Take the weekend off to do things you enjoy.

I was in a boarding school for 5 years of my life. Each term was 3 months long like every other secondary school in Zambia except we had little or no contact with anything outside the school. We could not have our phones or any of that.

 

I am not sure if this was the reason for my lack of attachment to my phone, or maybe it was because my phone was usually either damaged or stolen. 

 

Whatever the reason, I am grateful because it taught me how refreshing it is to disconnect. I would take the weekend off social media and use the time to catch up on my favorite YouTube videos and the books on my tbr. At first, my friends would worry and call to check on me. With time, everyone adjusted and knew that if it was not important they could wait for me to reply Monday morning.

 

This not only changed me but it also created boundaries with the people around me. Creating healthy boundaries is an amazing way to promote your self-care. It is literally a whole topic of its own and if this blog gets enough views, I might venture onto that path.

 

Anyway, back to the subject of the weekend. Most people go to church over the weekend. Disconnecting from social media and the rest of the world can give you a sense of peace and can put you in the right mindset to properly worship your God.

 

So the next time you are feeling overwhelmed, take a breath, take a nap, take a weekend off, and clear your head.

 

3. Remember; do not be too hard on yourself.

I am going to tell you a secret about myself. Something I have never openly shared with anyone ever. I am an over achiever. I know, you are thinking "yeah Lushomo, we saw how you reacted to the 40% in English." No guys it is deeper than that.

 When I got into grade 7, 2016, I was certain I was going to get amazing grades all the time. I had missed the first week of classes because our school had a strict policy about school fees. In addition, every 2 weeks we had fortnightly tests.

I got a 70% in the test and guys I cried. Real sorrow drained out of me as I continually repeated in my head "These are not my results, these are not my results, these are not my results".

 

Looking back at this memory actually breaks my heart. It was because of that mentality that even until this date if I do not do something right I feel really upset or disappointed even though it was not my fault. Sometimes I even starve myself of things I like. Telling myself, ’I don't deserve it'. 

 

In as much as it pushes me to be the best, it can cause low self-esteem issues in the end. You need to be balanced. You cannot always get it right. You are human and it is ok to fumble.

 

That being said, procrastinators, under achievers, the "I'll do it later" people. I am not writing slogans for you.

 

Everyone else who is trying to be the best that you can be, remember that anything you set your mind to do, you can. My mother always said, "You can do it, only, you can do it better".

And anytime I feel overwhelmed I think to myself, God did not bring me this far to see me fall!

 

You can use little affirmations to help you reassure yourself. If you are in a habit of being hard on yourself, like me let us promise each other to work it and do better this year.

 

 

 

In conclusion…

 

I spoke deeply about how important our minds are and how necessary it is to ensure that we keep our minds safe.

These are only a few vague tips. For more details check out my previous blog MINDFULNESS: MY STORY. For more content like this follow my Instagram page @b.e.c.o.m.i.n.g_h.e.r and for more help @zcas_mentalhealthgroup.

 

Thank you for reading, have a blessed 2024!

-Lu-