Is Your Mental Health Game Strong?
By Genevieve Cunningham
When we put health and fitness first, it's easy to tell. Others may notice your bigger muscles, leaner waist, or general healthier appearance. When you exercise regularly and watch your diet, people are going to notice! But when you make positive changes to your mental health routine, it's a lot harder to see. People can't see your thoughts or feelings, so it's more difficult to notice a difference externally. Because of this, we're often left to our own devices and it can be incredibly difficult to determine whether we have a strong mental health game or our routine needs a little work. If you need help judging and improving your mental health routine, take a look at these questions to ask yourself today.
Do You Put Yourself First?
Often times, we're taught that putting ourselves first is selfish. This is especially true if you're a spouse or a parent. But the truth is that putting yourself first sometimes is necessary. Of course you have to think of others. Of course you have to sometimes put yourself on the back-burner. But when it comes to mental health, you have to come first. If you're making regular time for your own needs, keep going! If you're not, it's time to put yourself in the mix and make yourself a priority right now.
Have You Addressed Your Issues?
Everyone has issues and baggage and unpleasant memories. These things are only an issue if they're causing problems in your life. Is your background preventing you from living your best life? If it is, then you need to address these issues head-on. And the best way to do this is through therapy. Once you've been taught how to work through these issues, you can make steps to move forward in life with better mental health intact.
Do You Ignore Mental Health Advice?
For some people, the struggle is simply believing that mental health matters. Are you actually following basic mental health advice? Or are you ignoring it all and hoping for the best? Even if you don't want to set up regular meetings with the therapist, you need to do the basics. You need to take days off and unravel your stress. You need a good group of friends. You need to stop ignoring problems when they arise. If you are guilty of these, change your ways to improve your mental health.
If you don't already have a strong mental health game, you can still turn it all around. Use these questions as self-reflection. Answer honestly. Make a plan accordingly. With some small changes and some self-discipline, you can maintain good mental health today and long into the future.
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Fort Collins, Colo.
