World Mental Health Day
Today is World Mental Health Day and although it’s great to have days dedicated to bringing more awareness to a subject or specific issue, for many I’m sure when it comes to mental health, this is very much a daily issue they are managing and finding ways to cope with their state of being.
For me as a highly sensitive person and not ever being able to get to the root cause of my struggles until last year, I’ve suffered a lot with my mental health over the years. Many times, I’ve wondered am I depressed, where I would find myself in total overwhelm and numbing out in feelings of despair. So often feeling misunderstood, but not being able to communicate and speak up fully for myself. Not trusting myself.
It can be very hard to know what we need or to acknowledge all the buried emotions inside of us. We so desperately want people to see us and understand us, but do we see and understand ourselves? Do we realise where we continue to abandon ourselves every day?
The last 18 months has taken its toll on everyone. For me, I found this year’s lockdown particularly isolating and challenging. Although I have many beautiful friends that I would have regular zooms with, I desperately wanted a hug! I think we’ve all realised the value of true connection that we may have previously taken for granted.
There are many tools in the box that can assist us when we’re struggling. For me, nature is a must. Getting out for walks in nature is so beneficial to assist with our mental well-being. The grounding, the fresh air, the exercise, just bringing awareness to the beauty that surrounds us with each of the seasons. The sounds of the birds, the sunshine, definitely brings me a sense of gratitude and calm.
Meditation and connecting in with your heart. This can seem challenging at times. For me when I have a busy mind, I like a guided meditation so I can focus more on following a voice. If my mind does wander, it’s easier to come back to the sound of a voice as a prompt.
The breath. We take for granted that we are breathing by the mere fact we are alive, but we don’t realise how shallow our breathing has become when we are stressed and in survival mode. There are many different breathing techniques available to assist with this and it’s finding one that works for you. Just bringing awareness to your breathing throughout the day and starting to notice if your breathing is shallow or whether you are taking good full breaths into your tummy is a good start with consistency.
Exercises to reset the vagus nerve is another great way to calm the nervous system back to a parasympathetic state. There are many resources on YouTube you can follow for this.
Here’s a couple of examples:
Putting on your favourite tune and dancing is a great way to lift your mood and shift the energy through your body. You might not feel like it, but it can really help if you give it a try!
High Five yourself in the mirror (check out Mel Robbins new book, The High Five Habit). Looking at yourself in the mirror may be something you find hard to do if you’re very critical of the person looking back at you, but with practice and persistence it will help to lift you and allow you to support yourself.
Whatever tools you use that work for you, the most important thing you can do is to fully acknowledge yourself. Acknowledge exactly where you are at, acknowledge exactly how you are feeling. Tell yourself that YOU see you, YOU feel you, YOU hear you. You might not feel it but start telling yourself that YOU love you.
When you’re feeling low, you may desperately want to feel that support from friends or family to have someone to just hear you and hold space for you. Being vulnerable and reaching out can feel scary and not everyone can. It’s not always possible to speak to family and friends when you need them depending on your situation, as life gets in the way. It’s important to start learning how to give yourself the comfort you need. Give yourself a hug, give yourself a high five, SEE yourself. Are you doing the things that you know will soothe you and bring you joy, or are you hiding away?
From my own experience, I know how important it is to start that deeper relationship with yourself. Get to know what is truly going on within you. What is the real pain and struggle you’re feeling? When did it really start? Journalling is also a great way to access and process thoughts and feelings.
However dark things may seem, there is always a way back to light, but the only way out, is in. To start seeing and to start feeling.
If you’d like to talk, or see how I can help you, I’m offering 25% off a single ‘I Love You, Me’ coaching session starting today until the end of October 21.
