May is Mental Health Awareness Month. It is also a month where we acknowledge “No Sock Day” “Nurse’s Week” and “Memorial Day”, just to name a few. May always reminds me that summer is right around the corner. I look forward to the greenery, blossom of the flowers and trees. However, I am extremely proud of how far we have come regarding mental health. There are a lot of people having conversations about depression, anxiety, stress, panic attacks, medication management, therapy, treatment etc. It’s a good thing to hear because once we acknowledge it, it provokes others to do something about it.
Talking about mental health is not easy, I mean look how long it took for people to become comfortable discussing mental health. The traumas that people face, the issues that are encounter in homes are all pre requisite for treatment. And no, you do not have to have a crisis to see someone, as a matter of fact it’s good to see someone early on to learn how to cope whenever issues arise. When we can recognize what triggers us, we can figure out ways to work on ourselves.
For the month of May I want you to start loving yourself again. That’s right…I you read it. LOVE YOURSELF. This past year has been rough, and it still is. Some people are going places and traveling while others are still at home playing it safe. Vaccines are being administered to a lot of people and the world honestly can be a scary place right now. Social injustice is still a thing…and police brutality has seem to heighten for some reason. In this country many of us sit on edge not knowing what’s going to happen next. That alone is triggering, but please understand you are not alone and you do not have to go through this journey by yourself.
Talking about mental health can be challenging for some. We may not know how to approach a loved one that we believe should receive some kind of help. I get it, you don’t want to offend anyone and sometimes if you are the one that needs help, you don’t want people to feel awkward. Mental health has come a long way… and I do mean that, but we still have some who are not on board so and the resources are still limited.
How To Show Love To Yourself
Sometimes we have to be intentional about loving ourselves. That helps us mentally which can allow us to feel confident and do the things we need to do with less distractions. Anytime we are distracted we are not moving towards our purpose. And well I can tell you now, that’s not a good thing.
Affirmations: Read them out loud and say them to yourself in the mirror. You can start by using one a day, saying it out loud throughout the day and being intentional on how often you say it to yourself.
Spend time with yourself: You are a dope person and its time you know about it. Do things with yourself like going out, people watching, and staying in tune with your likes and dislikes. If you live near a grocery story, take a walk next time if you are just picking up something light for example two or three things from the store. Be in tuned with your thoughts and how often you are thinking about the same thing. Also spend time doing things and being mindful of it. Appreciate the now and how you are feeling, sit in that and if it causes you to smile you have the right people in your life, if not…well you’ll have to make some changes.
Support systems: Learn who you can count on with your thoughts. Not just someone who is going to tell you want you want to hear, but what you need to know. Someone who can check up on you with no judgement because we can typically judge ourselves into negative thoughts.
Having these things are critical because they all help you, especially when it comes to going through a tough time. If you were like me a few years ago, this information was like gibberish to me. Having insight on what I need to do is great, but having resources are better. To learn more or get additional insight download any of our digital magazines, or check out our soft cover magazines. This will allow you to obtain content, learn about additional support, and meet some cool people that created the content. It’s a win win, and honestly a game changer.
But before I go, how do you show love to yourself? I would love to engage in a conversation with you so we can help others learn about self-love.