Mental Health Awareness Month: My Strategies for Success

This is the last week of mental health awareness month, but it’s still so important that we continue to create safe spaces for discussion. Too many people stay silent, feeling like they have to take it all on alone.

I wanted to make a point of speaking about this today because even I still have to fight the urge on bad days when my head tries to tell me things like I’m weak for relying on others for help, that I “should” be able to push through it on my own. Every bad day looks different, and the reality is asking for help gets me to the other side much faster and ultimately makes me stronger in the long run.

I want to first make sure that anyone seeing this knows they can always reach out to me if they need an outlet, no matter the time. These are not just words, I truly mean that. If you are still scared or nervous, I wanted to provide some strategies that I’ve collected over time. I have a decent amount because some are more or less effective depending on the day and situation.

First is simply gaining awareness that my thoughts are not okay and I need to instead TALK to myself to change the narrative and create action. General mindfulness practices throughout the day help to cultivate this skill.

My favorite action is my bad day album on my phone. I keep an album of screenshots of meaningful texts, quotes, and images throughout my life that makes me smile every time I look at them. It is not only my favorite but has been the most effective at helping me.

If that doesn’t work, I’ll meditate with a guided meditation. I’ve been using the Calm app and with all the categories you can really find something for anything you’re feeling.

I also like to write. I’ll write what I’m feeling, where they’re coming from, and logically run through worst-case scenarios that come to light once I write everything out.

Another option is to do something to distract me. If it’s daytime I’ll workout, or in the evening I’ll find a good book or a silly movie that always makes me laugh. My personal favorites are Trolls or Elf 🤷🏻‍♀️. If you like actual adult comedy, any Ali Wong video does the trick too.

Finally, of course, at any point in time, I will reach out to a friend.

I hope these are helpful for anyone out there struggling and remember, you’re never alone! 💕