Keeping my mental health in good condition allows me to handle my emotions and stress appropriately. It took me years before I found the courage to improve myself. It may not be an easy journey but I’ve been trying my best not to feel pressured and to just trust my own pace.
Here are six things that helped me improve my mental health:
1. Self-awareness.
Why am I constantly sad? What makes me feel discouraged? What can I do to make myself better? I ask myself these questions, reflect on my experiences, and embrace my progress no matter how big or small.
2. Time management and self-control.
I remind myself that it’s okay to take a break sometimes. I may get tired of doing school or work, but proper rest will answer that, or what I call as ” system refresh.” And yes, less screen time helps too!
3. Manage social connections.
From watching Tiktok videos, I realized that if I can’t cut off my toxic friends, maybe I can categorize them. I try to understand where I feel comfortable with them and where we fit in. I know that everyone is built differently, and we all have a different way of thinking, but if we look at where people are coming from, we would probably understand why people behave a certain way.
I have recently discovered the advantages of setting boundaries even to my closest friends. I know I just can’t settle for people who constantly drain my energy, so a healthy boundary will surely help.
4. Declutter.
Clean space, clean mind my friend.
5. I educate myself.
In my healing phase, I constantly look forward to improving the quality of my life. I know that I don’t have a long attention span to binge-watch series or movies, but I considered committing to a routine that would help me feel empowered. And that is to feed myself with new information by reading and watching videos or articles that help me with my development; it may be reading about politics, social issues, mental health, and whatnot.
6. Prioritize gratitude.
I used to be the person who was obsessed with positive thinking and running away from my problems instead of solving them. Then, I realized that I should allow myself to feel normal emotions to avoid hitting my boiling point when troubles come. But I have programmed myself to accept that problems are inevitable and that they just come and go. So when I get too upset over something, I try my best to think of the lessons from the issue. And I would constantly remind myself to be grateful for any experience that I have encountered and will encounter in the future for my peace of mind.
We know that everything is easier said than done but take time to reflect, invest in yourself, accept that there will be stopovers along the journey, and always trust your own pace. I am rooting for you!
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*Images screengrabbed from F.R.I.E.N.D.S.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Chloe Cuizon is a spontaneous 22-year-old communication student at AUF. She considers herself adventurous because she’s a curious person who gets interested in random activities every now and then. Chloe is into self-improvement, self-care, ted talks, naps, animals, fashion, beauty, coffee, brunch, and business. As she says, she’s just here to live life.
