7 Tips for Your Mental Health Journey
Taking care of your mental health can sometimes feel like a full-time job. I’ve said that to myself in frustration so many times. Like WHY do I have to do all of this extra stuff just to get to a baseline level of functioning? It’s unfair and sometimes that bothers me more than I’d like to admit. There are days when it’ll feel like you’re unraveling years of stuff you didn’t even realize you’d built up. It’s like you’ve been knitting with tangled yarn for ages, and now you’re finally sorting it out. And five years later you’re still untangling knots. That’s the mental health journey in a nutshell.
If you’re here, you’re probably ready to start making mental health a priority in your life. So, let’s talk about some real, relatable ways to begin your journey that don’t feel too overwhelming.
Relevant Products: The Mental Health Bundle, My Anxiety Workbook, Self-Care for Bad Mental Health Days
Start With Small Changes
You don’t need to overhaul your whole life in a day. Fun fact: When I was 23(ish) and was trying not to be a depressed mess, I kept track of how many ‘happy’ days I was having. Anything less than an unhappy day was a failure. I didn’t know that it didn’t work like that. It’s about the small stuff that leads to the big stuff because you’re giving yourself something to build on.
The biggest and best change is learning healthy ways to cope with your emotions. It’s baby steps at first but you’ll feel so much better.
Make Self-Care a Daily Thing
We’ve all heard it before: get outside, move your body, eat healthy. And, that used to make me soooooo angry because if it was easy to do those things then I would. Depression and anxiety can drain your energy, making things like a short walk or cooking feel impossible. But when you start doing small acts of self-care, you’re refilling your mental and physical tanks. It’s not always glamorous, but it works. So focus on the big picture of self-care and as you start to feel better mentally, it becomes easier to focus on the physical.
Don’t Go It Alone
It took me forever to get on meds. It wasn’t something I was necessarily ashamed of. The biggest hurdle was that I had major anxiety around appointments – all appointments – and I couldn’t make myself do it. Eventually telehealth became an option and that was a gamechanger for me.
There’s nothing wrong with getting help – whether that help is therapy, meds, a support group, or the many many online resources that are out there and available.
Be Kind to Yourself
We’re all our own worst critics. When you’re unraveling old habits and making changes, it’s easy to get frustrated and think, “I should be further along by now.” But you’re doing the work, and that’s what matters. So cut yourself some slack and celebrate the small wins along the way.
Talk to yourself the way you’d talk to a friend. If you wouldn’t call your friend a failure for taking things slow, don’t do it to yourself.
Set Boundaries
Part of mental health is knowing your limits and sticking to them. Maybe you’re used to people-pleasing or taking on too much, but saying no and setting boundaries is one of the best gifts you can give yourself. It helps protect your energy and keep you from burning out.
Depression and anxiety did a number on my interpersonal relationships. There can be a LOT of shame around that and the urge to overcompensate is stroooong. But at the end of the day, we have to save some effort/energy/love for ourselves too.
Your Mental Health Journey is Unique
Something that worked great for someone else on their mental health journey might not work for you. Or something that worked for you at one time might stop working for you. Here’s something my doctor told me that really stuck: as we age, changes in our brain chemistry can actually make mental health issues worse (we were specifically talking about anxiety). So, no matter how hard we’re working, sometimes our body is just wired differently than it was a few years ago. And that’s normal.
It doesn’t mean you’re not working hard enough. Sometimes we have to change tactics and while that sucks (especially when we’ve got a routine down) it doesn’t mean that you’re doing everything wrong. You just haven’t found what works right for you right now.
Celebrate Every Little Win
Every step forward in your mental health journey is progress. Whether you finally made that therapy appointment, took a 10-minute walk, or just made it through a tough day, celebrate it. Mental health isn’t about perfection. It’s about showing up for yourself, even when it’s hard. And since you’re here and you’re reading this – chances are you’re doing your best.
