As I discussed in my About section on my website, I’ve come to an epiphany of sorts. This epiphany is wrapped in an enigma. But before I unwrap that little gift and present it to you, I need to backtrack for clarity.
I have mental health issues. There it is, that’s me standing in my truth. No big deal, right? Didn’t hurt me a bit, and you can do with that what you will. The purpose of my sharing is this, for my healing I needed to be honest with myself. I’m also a firm believer in standing in my truth. This is a dirty little secret that needs to be pushed to the surface. It’s too heavy to hide. Again, do with it what you will. This isn’t a place to wallow or seek attention, there is no complaining or searching for sympathy. I am no victim. It’s the opposite, I’m a warrior.
The primary objective of this article is twofold. It’s about a tool I use to combat my mental health. The tool is journaling. When you write things down you own them, and you become comfortable with your truth. Your journals become a confidant. You discover things about yourself you may have blocked out through deception tactics designed to preserve and protect. Journaling also creates a data file. It’s a place to come back and check-in. It’s a place to observe how far you have moved forward. Sometimes change is so small you might not realize it’s happening. Journaling gives you a clear perspective.
Journaling is one of the biggest tips I offer whenever anyone with mental health issues asks me what I do to stay ahead of my demons. Journal. Most people wrinkle up their noses and give me a gruff response in negativity. Probably like you just did reading this…but I will tell you what I tell them. “A negative response is a typical response, but nothing worth having comes easy.” Sure journaling is a haste. I’m sure you struggle just to get through your day with the ‘normal’ activities in life. But winning the battle against mental health is a ‘lifestyle.’ Say that again… winning the battle against mental health is a ‘lifestyle.’
I never diagnose or recommend a treatment, I’m not a Dr. nor a trained professional. But it is my opinion that winning the battle of mental health is a lifestyle. It takes an accumulation of tools to incorporate into your daily life to keep you above the darkness. I know this because I live it. If you choose not to accumulate the weapons to win the battle, you choose not to engage in the battle. You can not win a battle you don’t fight. So do you fight back, or surrender?
Not to be the bearer of bad news, but winning the battle is just the first step. There are many battles to win the war. Winning means fighting, fighting requires weapons for engagement. Aka: Tips and tools to combat mental health. The tool I present to you here today is journaling. Not only do I offer this as a way to start accumulating and building your lifestyle designed to strengthen your mental health, but my journals will be used within my articles to highlight my journey. Do with them what you will. It’s just me standing in my truth. Sharing my journey through the art of journaling. Which brings me back to this…the second layer in my objective for this article…
That epiphany wrapped in an enigma. The enigma is the stigma of mental health. The epiphany is in the fact that mental health doesn’t make you ‘less than,’ it makes you ‘more than.’ You are not a stigma, you are a warrior.
I aim to demolish the stigma around mental health. Here is my epiphany: A person without mental health issues lives a stressful life. No? Is it not a daily struggle in mainstream America? I’m referring to ‘normal’ people, living ‘normal’ lives. It’s a struggle, raising kids, paying rent, 9-5 work days, taxes, holidays expenses, credit card debt, inflation…don’t get me started on the condition of our roads, which lead to vehicle expenses…love those excise taxes…I could go on and on about the struggles in the ‘normal’ day-to-day of mainstream America.
Now let’s look at my peeps that take on those same day-to-day tasks and stressors
that do have mental health issues. The majority of the people that I know, myself included, take on the same daily tasks as ‘normal’ people do. We have no choice. We function in a ‘normal’ playing field with the dark heaviness that is the ball and chain of mental health. We just do it! If you are reading this, and this is you, I’m sharing my epiphany because you are not a stigma, you are not less than. You are more than. You are a warrior.
You carry the heavy load of mental health while you function through the normal life stressors of day to day. You show up and you warrior on. You are stronger than you think. You are more capable than you know.
Perhaps try this as a segue into journaling. Create a list or a gratitude journal of sorts, write down a list of everything you do every day. The things most people categorize as ‘normal.’ The things that ‘normal’ people probably do as an involuntary response, but you struggle to do daily. Acknowledge you did it with the weight of mental health on your shoulders. Acknowledge these tasks are five times harder for you, but you do them anyway! Reflect on this list and witness the power of writing things down. Use this list to redirect the chatty monkeys that fill your head full of negative chatter. This list is you, you are strong, you are not a victim, you are a warrior. Write that down too…” I am a warrior!” Grow your list, and create goals for yourself. Write them down, reflect on them, expand them. Keep what works and cross off what doesn’t. Congratulations, you're a journaling warrior!
Demolish the stigma, because you are not less than, you are more than, you are a warrior.