By Ratidzo Makombe
Mental health is a massive topic at the moment and while there is so much advice out there on how to be more positive, how to stop your habits and quick fixes for your mindset, people are failing to realize that you can only recover when you understand that healing is not linear. The journey to mental wellness can be full of ups and downs. Good days, triggers, flashbacks and moments of joy.
Life in itself is full of ups and downs. When we add mental health to the mix, those lows can feel extraordinarily painful and crushing. We’re working so hard to move forwards, towards good health, and those setbacks can really dent our hope and confidence. We might find ourselves in a spiral of ‘well I’ve tried so hard and things are still going backwards so everything is hopeless and I’ll never get better so there’s no point in trying any more’. It can be very easy to get into this spiral and it very hard to get out of it again. Hitting a blip doesn’t mean that everything is hopeless and it certainly doesn’t mean that all of our hard work is for nothing. When it all feels a little much, take some time out to hunker down and up the self-care. It can feel counterintuitive but energy, hope and motivation aren’t in limitless supply, we often need to stop, to take stock and top-up.
Taking a self-care approach to your mental wellness includes reminding yourself that the path to mental wellness is not linear. Some days will be good and some will be bad. However, keep working on it and trust me you are getting better at managing your mental wellness. It might not feel like it but you are. Activity looking for resources such as counselling with Christian Counselling Center in Harare or making use of an application like Calm does make a difference. Exercising is also an avenue that helps to ease your mind and be one with your body and spirit. There are so many ways to assist your mental wellness and you need to find one that works for you in the season you are in. Because what worked yesterday might not work today and that those are the challenges we face but we should never stop trying to love ourselves and to be kind to our minds.
”Healing takes time, and asking for help is a courageous step.” Mariska Hargita
As you reflect on your mental health, keep in mind that you are not alone on your mental wellness journey. It takes strength and courage to walk your path each day. Remember, take one day at a time.
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