Taking Care of Your Mental Health

As we all know, last year was difficult and this year is continuing the same pattern by throwing not only a curve ball, but also a fast knuckle ball. Sometimes life gets so discombobulated, I just need to scream! Our mental health is certainly affected by our surroundings and if you are not taking care of yourself, it can also affect you physically.

What helps me take care of my mental health is my faith. Faith has always been the source of my strength; it has helped me all my life. Matter of fact, I don’t know what I would I do without it. I must admit that my faith gets shaky at times, but I’ve managed to hold on to it. I credit my faith for keeping me grounded and giving me some solace for my mental health.

Often, people prefer not to talk about mental health especially when it is affecting you personally. Mental health is sometimes looked upon as a weakness. If we’re being honest, everyone has dealt with a form of mental health in one way or another. Depression, anxiety, personality, eating and substance abuse disorders are all forms of mental health issues. These issues shouldn’t be looked upon to make a person feel inferior; instead, we should treat each person with respect.

In the past, when a person was diagnosed with any mental health issue, he or she was either locked away from society or had to endure inhumane painful treatment. Thankfully, it’s not that way anymore because laws were put into place to protect individuals and help wipe away the stigma associated with mental illness.

It’s helping that some famous people have been speaking to this issue and sharing their own personal stories. Recently, gold medal Olympian Simone Biles stood up championing for her own mental health by having the courage to admit something was wrong and sitting out a few competitions to take care of herself. Other celebrities who have opened up about their struggles with mental illness include Michael Phelps. Naomi Osaka, Taraji P. Henson, Wayne Brady and Prince Harry; all are champions for the cause.

Luckily, like everything else in life, the quicker you realize something’s wrong, the quicker you can get help. There are many organizations that deal with mental health issues and next month you are invited to Goodwill Easter Seals Miami Valley’s (GESMV) We Are Mental Wellness Event. This is a virtual event and features writer and mental health activist, Gabe Howard. Click link for more details.

https://app.mobilecause.com/e/XitLvQ?vid=l0f3m

One thing you can count on is, life will continue to be uncertain, and things will not always be easy. You need to have resources in place to help deal with your mental health, especially when things are not as you want them to be.

Do what you need to do to take care of your mental health and don’t be ashamed to get help. There are people and places willing to help. So, take advantage of those resources and be the person you were meant to be.