The 4 things I did to improve my mental health

Anxiety can be a real struggle for many of us. It can keep us from living our lives to the fullest and can make even the simplest of tasks seem overwhelming. But it doesn’t have to be that way. I know this because I’ve been there.

I’ve struggled with anxiety and depression for years. But over time, I’ve learned some techniques and strategies that have helped me take charge of my life and improve my mental health. In this blog post, I’ll be sharing the four things I did to improve my mental health.

I worked on my social anxiety

Without realising it my very first step towards improving my mental health was changing how I approached people and the world in general. 

My anxiety made me so afraid of even speaking to people that I found myself completely isolated and very lonely, and while it felt like a comfortable and safe space to be at the time, a part of me recognised that this wasn't healthy. 

I knew that I needed to be able to interact with people if I wanted anything like a normal life. 

I started small, by talking to people I met while running errands. I’d ask them about themselves and strike up a conversation about pretty much anything. To my surprise, people were receptive to me and enjoyed the conversations. I then progressed to attending meetups where I could meet a bunch of lovely people while doing things I enjoyed.

In time, I managed to break free of my social anxiety, and now it’s not something I even have to deal with anymore. By taking small steps and pushing myself outside my comfort zone, I was able to overcome this hurdle.

I silenced the negative self talk

Negative self-talk can be one of the most destructive things we do to ourselves. It can keep us from seeing the world in a positive light and can lead to depression and anxiety. That’s why I made it a priority to silence my negative self-talk. I didn’t deal with any other ‘anxiety issues’ at that point, I just focussed on this one. I found strategies to help me address it and I worked on it like my life depended on it.

After about two or three months, I finally won the battle. My negative self-talk stopped almost completely and it wasn’t a constant ramble in my mind anymore. Dealing with negative self-talk was one of the hardest challenges I faced, but the rewards were well worth it. I found that those thoughts popped up less and less frequently, and my depression started to lift. I started to see the world and my life in a more positive light, and I became more confident in myself too.

I focused on self care

Self-care is essential for good mental health, but it can be hard to know where to start. For me, self care looked like not burning myself out when I took on a new goal or challenge, being kind to myself when I made a mistake or stumbled, and taking care of my health too. 

I think we tend to overthink self care, we look at social media and want to add all these fancy new habits into our lives thinking it will solve everything. But because those habits aren't true to us and don't resonate with what we really need, it becomes really difficult to stick with them.

Self care habits need to feel true to you. When they are true to what you believe in, what you need and what you love doing you’ll automatically find the motivation needed to stick with them lng enough to see positive changes in your life. 

To find my personal self-care sweet spot, I had to dig really deep and be honest with myself. I found things in my daily routine, and things in my patterned thoughts, that were harming me, and I addressed them. I broke those habits by replacing them with better ones like eating better, allowing myself to rest when I feel tired, and allowing myself to feel sad or hurt when I was sad or hurt.

The self-care practices and habits I use change from time to time depending on what my personal needs are and what my goals are. But the gist remains the same – be kind to myself.

I set goals that excite me

My anxiety always told me that even though I wanted a thing really badly I could never achieve it because I wasn't good enough. That’s what anxiety does. It can make us feel like we’re not good enough to achieve our dreams. 

But the thing is, we can’t listen to those thoughts or your life will become completely miserable. 

And that’s exactly why setting goals that excite us is so important.

Goals make life exciting and give us something positive to focus on. They also help us build up our sense of confidence and learn more about ourselves along the way. 

Setting goals that excite me has been a crucial step in improving my mental health. It has allowed me to challenge my negative self-talk and build my self-confidence. Whether it's a small personal goal or a larger long-term goal, having something to work towards gives me a sense of purpose and fulfillment.

One thing I’ve learned is that setting goals that resonate with my passions and interests, rather than what I feel pressured to achieve, is key to staying motivated and committed. When I set goals that genuinely excite me, it becomes easier to find the emotional energy I need to overcome obstacles and push through challenges. 

Having goals I’m passionate about also helps me remember that setbacks don’t mean failure. Instead, they are just opportunities to learn and grow.

 

While the journey towards improving my mental health required a lot of work, dedication and effort, the rewards were so worth it. 

My life is completely different now, and I feel like the world is at my feet. This is a far cry from the person who was too afraid to even talk to a stranger to order a cup of coffee just a few years ago. 

But, while these 4 steps have changed my life forever, they aren’t the only steps I took towards my healing. I’ve written an ebook to cover each of the steps I took and what I did at each step. If you want to try them for yourself you can find them in  my Etsy shop. Sign up to my newsletter to be the first to find out when my newest books are out too. 

Each of us are different in our own way and your journey might look different to mine, but the important thing to remember is to be patient with yourself and seek support when needed. 

Taking charge of your mental health is a powerful step towards living a fulfilling and balanced life. Remember, you are not alone, and it's never too late to prioritize your mental health and take steps towards a happier and healthier you.

 

 

If you’re ready to learn how to nourish your mind and body, boost your self-esteem and take control of your mental health too using self-care strategies that actually work then my “Thriving From Within” ebook bundle is for you.

Whether you're starting from scratch or looking to boost your self-care routine, this bundle is your roadmap to a healthier, happier you.

Packed with easy-to-follow, step-by-step guides and invaluable printables, this ebook bundle will help you Revamp Your Mindset and boost your self-care routine.

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