I have had a bad long journey with my mental health. And when I thought about it the other day, I couldn’t believe it’s already been 18 years since I first felt like that anxious teenager, scared and completely stuck in my head.
It’s safe to say I’ve learned a few things along the way, and in this post, I’d like to talk about some of the things I’ve made a real effort to do this year, 2024, to improve my mental health.
The reason for this is that I want to share practical things that have made a difference in my life and that can be applied every day.
I paused before reacting
One of the best things I’ve done for my mental health this year has been slowing down. To be more specific, I made a commitment to stop before reacting to something I didn’t like.
One of the things I’ve noticed this year is how we as a society are becoming more and more discerning. Whether it is because of the political division we are experiencing or because of the nature of social media and the culture of outrage.
Take a moment to search the internet for 5 minutes and you will see what I mean. Everyone is pissed off about something.
Most of the things they react to aren’t even real. They react to silly articles written by artificial intelligence or fake social media posts designed to get us emotional and argumentative.
And it works, really, really well.
I moved away from this resentment culture and spent more time being aware of how it was affecting my mental health as it was clear that this culture was a big negative.
It sucks and uses up a lot of my energy and distracts me from what is really important in my life.
Lesson: most of what you read and watch is argumentative nonsense. Turn off the noise to find more inner peace.
I looked at the positives in everything
One of the things that helped improve my mental health this year was looking at the positives in everything. I learned that no matter how bad something is, there is always something positive to take from it. There is always a lesson that can help you.
Don’t get me wrong, sometimes the positives are very hard to spot. And that’s okay. Sometimes it takes a while to see them.
But I really think it’s always there.
For example, cockroaches recently invaded my house. It was a bit scary and made me feel a bit sick. And as you may know, getting rid of them can be an uphill battle. And it sure was for me.
But even when I felt completely exhausted and defeated, I decided to look on the bright side of the situation. And yes, it was very hard to find one, but I did…eventually.
On the bright side, my space has never been cleaner!
Lesson: Things we think are bad will always happen, but you always have the power to pick out the positive so the bad side doesn’t overwhelm you. Try to find gratitude for all situations.
I stopped taking things personally
For a long time, I’ve been thinking about my mental well-being and how it can be heavily connected to my ego and sense of self. When we think of the ego, we sometimes think of arrogance and selfishness. But on the other end of the spectrum, I think it has to do with our fear and the worries we have about ourselves.
When I was a very anxious teenager, it felt like everything was happening to me. I was scared and labeled myself as “anxious”.
I realized that I took everything on my shoulders too heavily. For a long time I took everything very personally.
But I didn’t have to take personally everything that happened to me or what was said to me. Things just happen and people say things they don’t mean through emotion.
Lesson: when you stop taking things to heart, they wash off your back. You don’t keep them unnecessarily and you can move on quickly.
I spent more time doing what I love
One thing that really has a positive impact on my mental health is spending time doing what I love. In the past, I spent more time worrying and feeling sorry for myself than focusing on things that make me feel great.
For example, this year I spent more time.
- with my family
- exercise in many different ways
- I write about the things I love
- learning to cook new recipes
Spending time doing what you love (provided it’s healthy stuff) is the perfect antidote to sitting and overthinking. It makes you feel like you’re spending your time wisely. And this is very good for your mental health.
It’s a simple tip but it’s extremely practical.
Lesson: Act it is much better for you than you think. Start doing and moving in some way. It calms the mind and gives you momentum.
I started saying “yes” more.
I’m a big believer in setting boundaries that protect your mental health, but this year I experimented with saying “yes” more and it’s really had a positive impact on my mental well-being. I’ve always been perfectly happy with my own company, but I decided to step out of my comfort zone for once.
I started by saying yes to invitations that turned out to be super fun occasions. It made me wonder how many fun moments I’ve missed out on in the past because I said “No” or “Sorry, I’m a little tired.” Even when I felt lethargic, I pushed myself to go out and see friends and family and I was never disappointed.
And saying more “yes” also applies to sporting events. For example, I started playing soccer every week. Every week I feel tired after work and come up with a million excuses as to why I can’t go but they are never good enough.
I’m just lying to myself.
Once I get out and move my body, I feel absolutely amazing.
Lesson: don’t close yourself off. Get out and talk to people, move your body when you can and you’ll feel a lot better inside.
Wrapping it all up
I have made great progress with my mental health in the last 12 months. And there is still much that can be done. And that’s okay. You never completely change your mental health. If I have learned anything on this journey it is that you will have good days and bad days. But if you want to have more good days than bad, you need to be patient and compassionate with yourself.
Sean C is a writer, passionate about improving oneself by maintaining healthy habits and doing things that make life more meaningful.
