“May is mental health awareness month, but as many of us know, mental health is a daily battle.
I wanted to share some things which help me!
- Add a couple of drops of essential oil to your palms, rub your hands together, then cup your hand around your nose and inhale. Sometimes just catching your breath can be hard, but adding a scent can help your mind focus on wanting more of the smell and therefore taking a deeper breath.
- Blast music which represents how you feel and dance/move to it, notice how your choice of music may change as you move and start to stir stagnant energy up and out. Try to end your dance party with something uplifting, or even a meditation.
- Take your shoes off and go for a walk, it doesn’t even have to be that far, just focus on each and every step (maybe even stop to lay down in the grass). This is a grounding exercise.
- Find a body of water and take a swim. Submerging the body in cold wanter or a hot spring can work wonders to reset the mind and awaken your body!
- Paint/draw how you feel, without any expectations for the outcome, then, if you’re feeling up to it, burn the paper or tear it up.
- If you find yourself prone to self-harm, try to find positive pain, such as exercising. Things which may ‘hurt,’ but ultimately benefit us.
I cannot stress enough the importance of communications; through communication we can discover our struggles are NOT isolated, we can foster understanding by resonating with others, and we can listen to advice or ways to manage whatever we are going through.
And don’t shy away from letting yourself be held up by others, you deserve to be supported.
I love you, and you’re still here despite every challenge you’ve had to overcome. I’m proud of your resilience!”
This story was submitted to Love What Matters by Nicole Evans. You can follow her journey on Instagram. Submit your own story here, and be sure to subscribe to our free email newsletter for our best stories, and YouTube for our best videos.
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