Monthly Mental Health Check-In
Hello everyone! I wanted to take time today to check in with myself and how I have been feeling these past few weeks. I think it is important to check in with what I have going on in my life and how it has affected my mental health.
As I have said before I am back at work full time while also trying to keep up with posting on my blog and social media consistently. This is not always the easiest thing to balance even with planning in advance. What I don’t plan for is how tired or exhausted I feel after I get off work. This leads to laying on the couch until it is bedtime and then feeling anxious that I didn’t work on my planned blog work. Some days I cry because I feel overwhelmed by the work I want to accomplish with the little amount of time I have. Wow, we just went there… but it’s the truth. This is something that I am constantly talking about with my therapist. And a very important thing she brings up is that I am able to stop and acknowledge these emotions and work to overcome them. Here is what I have learned when I am coming across these emotions:
Step one is figuring out where you are physically noticing these feelings. I hold a lot of anxiety and anger in my head and chest. My head feels heavy and filled with negative thoughts and I feel pressure on my chest as though someone is standing on it.
Step two is figuring out the root cause as to why I might be feeling this way. Talking through these scenarios out loud to myself helps so much as it is limiting the power it has over me. As I am speaking them into existence I am starting to let go of the negativity. Rendering it powerless.
Step three is deep breathing and telling myself it is okay to feel this way. Another constant piece of advice my therapist gives me is coming back to my breath and bringing myself back to earth. With each breath I take I can feel my body relax and become lighter.
Step four is the solution. To me, this is the most important part of my whole process. I firmly believe in moving forward and not letting negativity run my day or my life. Is this easier said than done? Absolutely. It took me a long time to get to the mindset I have today and am still finding myself in situations where it is hard to move forward. Nonetheless, I still try to figure out a solution because if I just ignore these feelings they will continue to boil to the top and then something may happen that I regret. Always try to find a solution. Sometimes it happens in the moment, sometimes it takes a week. There are no rules or timeline when it comes to how you process your feelings.
Once I have figured out my solutions, I come to terms with the feelings and let them go in order to move forward. When I finally have a clearer head, I love surrounding myself with things that are inspiring and make me happy. It can mean reading inspiring affirmations, confidence content from Serena Kerrigan, listening to motivating podcasts, talking to loved ones, or going on a girl’s trip!
Earlier this month my high school friends and I went to New Buffalo Michigan. We stayed in an Air BNB house and spent the whole time talking, laughing, eating, playing games, and having plenty of wine and cocktails. This was a much-needed reset with everything I have been feeling. Surrounding yourself with the people that love you is one of the best ways to overcome negativity in any situation. They will always be there for me to talk me up, help me realize all that I have accomplished, and just be a shoulder to lean or cry on when I need it.
No matter how much negativity I may feel at times, I know that I have a great support system with my family, my relationship with Kollin, and my friends.
Comment below on what works for you! I hope all of you are doing well. If you are not then I am here to tell you that you are strong, and you can overcome anything!
