Mental health; talking to yourself

“Healing isn’t about changing who you are, it’s about changing your relationship to who you are. A fundamental part of that, is honoring how you feel.” -Suzanne Heyn
 
Have you ever been challenged to look at yourself in the mirror everyday, and say something nice to yourself, or about yourself? Have you tried it, but always felt silly or embarrassed? If you have then I’m right there with you. It can be really difficult sometimes to talk kindly to yourself. And it’s really difficult when you already aren’t so nice to yourself. But being positive with yourself is actually really important, even if you aren’t speaking out loud.
 
A personal practice I do to remind myself of my worth, my potential, and my overall positivity is to write on my dorm mirror with Expo markers. I find a quote, lyric, or sentence that I like, and I write it down in big letters so I can see it everyday. These become silent reminders that I keep in mind throughout the day. 


If you’ve ever been in a sport, and struggled with a specific skill, you might have heard that you can’t be negative about conquering that desired skill. And that is absolutely true. If you tell yourself something enough, your brain will begin to believe those exact words. That’s why the practice of telling yourself positive things is so important. If the brain believes something it’s told enough, why would you want anything other than confidence and positive reinforcement flowing through you? Mental health is integral to living a healthy, balanced life.


Dr. Glen Xiong, says “emotional and mental health is important because it’s a vital part of your life and impacts your thoughts, behaviors and emotions. Being healthy emotionally can promote productivity and effectiveness in activities like work, school or caregiving.” He explains that this idea is important because it takes part in the health of your relationships, and allows you to adapt to changes in your life and cope with adversity. “Small things like exercising, eating a balanced and healthy meals, opening up to other people in your life, taking a break when you need to, remembering something you are grateful for and getting a good night’s sleep, can be helpful in boosting your emotional and mental health.”
When you’re in a good mental place, you’re happy. And if you’re happy, it’s because you recognized something positive happening in your life. Even if you didn’t say it out loud, or have that direct connection, somewhere in your brain, there was a recognition of something good going on in life, and with you. And those are things you should want to keep around. Talking to yourself doesn’t have to be weird or difficult, even silent reminders of positivity, praise, and wellness, can improve your mental health. If your mental health is happy, your body is happy. Mental health connects your emotional, and physical health too. Your mental health improves the rest of you, it should be priority. So talk to yourself! Give yourself the credit you deserve.
 
Positive mental health allows people to:

• - Realize their full potential
• - Cope with the stresses of life
• - Work productively
• - Make meaningful contributions to their communities

Ways to maintain positive mental health include:

• - Getting professional help if you need it
• - Connecting with others
• - Staying positive
• - Getting physically active
• - Helping others
• - Getting enough sleep
• - Developing coping skills

---