Mental Health

Our mental well-being is essential for all the other pillars to be functioning well. They are all inter-connected but the brain is the driving force to feeding our emotional, spiritual, physiological and physical needs. When we try to brush off negative feelings they just get tucked away in our body, and when they are suppressed, they can wreck havoc on our overall health. Emotions share legitimate biochemical links with your digestive, endocrine, immune, and nervous system. Increased cortisol levels often result and can greatly impact health. Everybody has experienced angst, fear, anxiety, nervousness, anger, and worry. These feelings are universal and should be expected at certain times. It is when these types of feelings become a stronghold in your life that they begin to feel debilitating and distort your perspective. It also effects the way you internalize the world around you. This is probably the most pressing and critical issue for so many people that can be easily pushed aside and suppressed. Most people want to appear that they have it all together and are “fine” when they are truly not. Being vulnerable can feel risky and the thought of being rejected or misunderstood keeps many people from opening up.There are several things you can do to release the tension and experience things that bring a “peaceful, easy, feeling” like The Eagles would say. Simple things like taking a walk, listening to soothing music, a bath, journaling, gardening, meditation with prayer and breath work, reading a good book, etc can really help regulate the mind and body. Of course, working out is a great release as well. If these things only seem to scratch the surface and you find you are experiencing chronic anxiety, depression, fear, etc, then a deeper intervention may be necessary. One of the most responsible and impactful things you can do for yourself is seek professional support. A therapist can help you get to the root of your problems and help you understand and work through your emotions. When the brain is under distress, it becomes distorted, and sometimes even damaged as a result of trauma, stress, substance abuse, or a debilitating illness such as bipolar, anxiety, or depression. Even a head injury can cause inadvertent mental health issues. This affects decision making, perception, and motivation. Simply being aware of how your feeling and acknowledging it is empowering.Be kind to yourself, patiently navigating through the process with intention, but have grace for yourself the way you would have it for another person you love. Loving ourselves is what encourages us to remain brave in the battle of strengthening our mental health for the better!