DISCLAIMER: I am not a doctor. I am not a therapist. I’m simply a writer who came up with an idea to write about mental health in a generic, non-harmful way. Please seek professional advice if needed.
P.S. I do, however, pray for my readers, so consider yourself included!
*************************************************************************************
Why is it when I do a simple search for a picture, GIF, icon, emoji, or whatever to depict “mental health”, the universe (aka, the internet) immediately bombards me with negative, depressing images?
That in itself, will bring your mental health crashing down and I object!
Mental health is an all-inclusive package. You take the good with the not-so-good. I refuse to say ‘bad’ because even the negative can be beneficial. It’s all in the attitude.
DON’T get me wrong! I’m not saying your mental health is solely based on your attitude. There are proven biological issues associated with some mental health disorders.
So let’s take an inventory of what makes you happy and what makes you sad. Remember that both affect your attitude and your mental health.
Take a sheet of paper (or use the PDF I’ve attached) and write down the things that come to your mind when you think about what makes you happy and sad. Don’t hesitate, don’t think about it for more than two seconds, just write it down.
Taking inventory is a good way for me, personally, to understand myself better. To find the things that trigger a smile and things that trigger a frown. Reading the inventory list over and over and over can help me determine if these things can be controlled, influenced, or flat-out changed.
If thinking about beautiful flowers makes me smile, I can control this by buying some to put on my table, planting my favorites in a garden, or just watching YouTube videos of flowers bending with the breeze.
When I think about family or friends who have passed on, I look at pictures and remember the good times I spent with them. Times like family reunions, dinners at our favorite restaurant, or perhaps a mud fight with a sibling. Memories like these can influence an attitude in a big way, either way.
Now, when something makes me sad and I have the ability to flat-out change it – I will. You want an example?… Okay. A person I loved and respected told me, “If only you’d lose weight, someone might love you.” Mic drop.
I didn’t go into immediate depression, start a fad diet, dash to the gym, or even cry.
My change? I stopped associating with them. Why, you ask? I love me. I love me the way I am. Who I am. Where I am. Yada… Yada… Yada… And again, as the theme goes throughout my posts – if you can’t accept me and love me the way I am, it’s your problem. Not mine.
I’m not perfect.
But I still love you.
And so does God.
HRG Copywriting 