A day we should all pay attention to and stand up for because it affects EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US!
Regardless of who you are, where you live, what you make, the house you live in, the car you drive or how much money is in your bank account.
Mental health affects every single one of us either directly or indirectly and many times both at the same time.
Regardless if its feeling sad, feeling depressed, tired, being challenged with invisible illnesses (in our home PCOS, Hypothyroidism, ADHD, IBS) there are so many ways we are all affected by mental health including: anxiety, mood disorders, psychotic disorders, eating disorders, addictions, personality disorders, obsessive compulsive disorder, post traumatic stress disorder, stress response syndrome, dissociative disorders, factitious disorders, sexual and gender disorders, somatic symptom disorders, tic disorders.
Mental health is also waking up in the morning and not wanting to get out of bed. It can start as something that simple.
Its so much more than just bringing awareness. There are so many campaigns who bring awareness to mental health – lets put that “awareness” aside and I want to speak with you direct. Whoever you are, wherever you are. YOU MATTER. Because regardless of all of these campaigns people are still suffering and dying. People are still suffering in silence. Even those people who claim to be “fine”! Lets bring light to mental health and move some mountains!
In my own experience this is how we can shift mental health…
- Talk! Get your feelings out whether its talking, writing, singing… whatever feels natural to you! When we shine the light onto our own darkness we bring those issues to the surface where they can be dealt with, handled and supported properly!
- Follow your gut. When someone says they are “fine” – they are not. It doesn’t matter who they are. Let the person know you know there is something bothering them and if they cannot talk to you to please reach out to someone. Don’t give up on them… but sometimes it does take tough love.
- Gut health matters! If you’ve ever taken an antibiotic your gut health has been compromised. Compound that over years and possibly not eating healthy or consuming toxins. Our gut health is crucial to our overall health, including our mental health! Pro-biotics are a must as well what I found very effective was a cleanse and restore for my digestive system.
- Include loved ones/family members within mental health care no matter the age of the person in crisis. Many family members and loved ones are hit literally with a brick wall of “privacy and consent” even though the person in dire need thinks they “are fine”. So many more people could be thriving. In my experience this is such a crucial and often missing piece of the mental health puzzle.
- Teach our children to name their feelings and that it’s ok to experience emotions. Educate our children on the importance of talking with someone they trust who not only can support them (emotionally and financially) but also through a time of need to get proper care if required.
- Use healthy clean products. We need to take a stance to STOP allowing toxins and chemicals to be used in our foods and products used in our homes, businesses and schools. I believe this is a very very strong link to why so many more people are suffering today (in combination about thinking they always need to be “busy”). Endocrine disruptors are a very real thing that have a negative impact on our physical and mental health.
- Encourage healthy eating and meal planning with real food and better yet involve kids in the process of selecting recipes and meals! There are so many “convenience” pre-packaged pre-cooked foods out there filled with ingredients that many I cannot even read or pronounce!
- Hydrate! Water is crucial to our mental health. Ditch the sugar filled and energy drinks!
- Quiet the mind! It really is powerful when you take a moment and stop. Allow yourself to be in quiet and slow your mind. Meditation is a valuable asset for all of us no matter age.
- Be active – inside and outside. Physical activity – even just getting outside in the sunshine, for a walk, yoga (my personal fav), running, weights etc.
- Living a de-cluttered organized life. Clutter is suffocating. Less truly is more.
- Real life experience taught in schools. Real life skills such as meal planning, what income taxes are and doing them, cooking, meal planning, budgeting and financial planning… These are real life things that can stress someone and contribute to their anxiety, depression etc.
- Healthy options beyond pharmaceuticals. They are out there and they are extremely effective. Honestly since making a shift within our home over 4 years ago its made a dramatic improvement to our family’s overall health – mentally and physically! We have not used any chemicals/toxins to clean our home in 4 years! For us using essential oils in our home has supported our emotional , physical and mental health – incredibly! They are also used for cooking and cleaning too!!!
- Embrace it! If you struggle with any of the above mental health issues – thats OK! Its a part of who you are and you should embrace it and BE YOU! Attitude is everything and once you are able to get past the stigma that is still prominently out there – you can truly thrive
This is very near and dear to my heart. In my life I have been affected by mental health both directly and indirectly. I’m honestly not sure if either is any easier.
Attitude is everything. When it comes to mental health – OWN IT!
When I truly found I could “own it” was after we experienced a flood in our home, just literally a few months after we completely renovated our basement – every single room. I hit a low. I pulled back from friends, from what I was finding joy in and for a couple months felt completely overwhelmed and defeated. What I learned from that experience was that I could literally feel and see myself sinking – where previously when I struggled with depression I hadn’t been able to. I saw that the changes I had been making and had already made in my life was actually making an impact on my life in a very positive way. I owned that experience. I was honest with people that I struggled – but the difference… I no longer felt ashamed to admit I was struggling. It simply was a fact of life.
However for many people, admitting they are struggling or in a bad time makes them feel like they are less of a person or worry what others will think of them. I get it, I used to be there. Focus on YOU! The REAL YOU… Focus on what YOU need to do to be and feel healthy. Sit back with a pen and paper and write about your ideal life – not your current life – your ideal life. What is out of alignment? There will probably be a lot… but that’s the point – bring it into the light, own it and then move foward to bring positive change.
As Gabby Bernstein says… “what we resist persists…” What are you resisting in your life?
~Love & Light to You~ ❤
Your Life As Art Essentials 