Mindshift May

“There is hope, even when your brain tells you there isn’t.”

John Green

Give Yourself Permission

The internet defines mental health as “a person’s condition with regard to their psychological and emotional well-being”.  Your mental health starts with how you define your well-being and work to improve it from there.  There is always room for improvement but some aspects of our mental health may take priority over others.

Being comfortable with expressing unease, or setting a boundary, talking with a physician or mental health professional, visiting a forum on Reddit or other online communities to chat with others who may be going through some of the same things you, are somethings we can do to improve our mental health daily.

It’s not always about having a long, drawn-out discussion. Sometimes it is as simple as stating that you are uncomfortable at that moment. Of course, there are more sophisticated ways of stating this, but the important part is we become comfortable with showing others our boundaries no matter how small they are. Setting boundaries includes setting them within ourselves.

Mental illness affects people of all ages, genders and races. According to University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences Mental Health Statistics in 2024:

• Anxiety disorders are the most common form of mental illness.

• Women are more likely than men to experience depression.

• 17% of adolescents 12-17 experienced a major depressive episode.

• Those who identify as American Indian or Alaska Native have the highest instances of mental illness within one group.

• 33.5% of adults with a mental illness also have a substance use disorder.

• Almost 4x as many men commit suicide as women.

Time to Reflect

Here are a few writing prompts to help explore your feelings.

• If your anxiety could speak, what would it say? How would you respond?

• Describe a time you felt truly at peace. What were you doing?

• What are three things you did well this week?

With all the overload of information out there, it can be difficult to block out the “noise”. Improving one’s well-being is not a sprint, it is a marathon and should not be something that is over whelming. Improve little by little, day by day. Give yourself permission to rest, reach to someone if you need a sounding board, sing your favorite song out loud, do extensive research on mental illness and mental disorders or what you feel is best to improve your well-being.

Find a therapist, resources and community partners and acumenmindset.com.

Sources

115+ Writing Exercises for Emotional Exploration - Brilliantio

45 Mental Health Writing Prompts For Self-Reflection - Ottos Journal

30 Best Journaling Prompts for Improving Mental Health

Mental Health Statistics [2024] | USAHS

How can I improve my mental health on my own?

Mental Health Month Action Guide | Mental Health America