Something I wanted to write about today was about mental health because a lot of people don’t realize the importance of keeping their mental health in check. Your mental health affects every aspect of your life and how you view yourself so it’s incredibly important to prioritize it and be mindful of how you’re feeling. Being strong doesn’t mean avoiding your problems, but rather facing them and changing what you don’t like.

This semester I took a closer look at my mental health and I didn’t like where I was at, so I decided to make some changes.

1. I realized my worth all over again:

It’s easy to lose sight of yourself when you spend so much time on other people, activities, and academics. It's important to remind yourself that you are in fact a priority so do what you need to feel better about yourself again. For me, this meant cutting people who made me feel bad about myself out of my life for good. It was scary but now I wouldn’t trade that for anything. I also learned to say no when I genuinely didn’t want to go someplace or see someone.

2. I started spending time alone:

I realized (this year especially) that sometimes the healthiest thing you can do is spend time alone and away from people. This allows you to remove yourself from unhealthy environments and people. I also just stopped telling everyone what was going on in my life and became a little more low-key with whom I shared my thoughts with. This honestly cleared up (most) unnecessary drama.

3. I learned (and am still learning) to not be extreme:

An extreme reaction just amplifies the negative feelings you already have and it doesn’t really resolve anything. If you don’t like someone, it doesn’t mean you have to burn their pictures or delete them your life or even curse them out. Just box up those memories and don't’ touch it. It also applies to many other aspects of your life. Did you have a bad day at work? You don’t yell and quit, you take a deep breath and keep going. Do you have consistent bad days at work where people don’t respect you but you continue to work? No, any extreme isn’t good!

4. I gave myself a routine:

I sleep on time. (try to) Wake up on time. Go workout. Eat. And then start my day. It allows me to have a plan when it comes to life and it prepares me for the day that I have ahead of me. It just makes me feel more organized and put together.

5. I spent time with my family more:

I know this may not apply to everyone, but family is a constant source of support for me and I just feel so much better whenever I'm around them. Whenever I feel overwhelmed or down, I’ll just call someone up and they’ll tell me I’ll be ok and for some reason, I just believe that coming from my family.

It’s not selfish to put yourself first. It takes strength to admit that you’re not happy and that there’s a need for change. It's important to realize this and then take the necessary steps following to feel better. Understand that by addressing what makes you feel bad is the first step to feeling better.