What does good Mental Health mean to you?
I asked a whole bunch of lovely people on Instagram what good mental health means to them. Here are some of my favourites. Congrats to @intothewild_ish - the journal is coming your way, to @biancaparkerr__ the Kikki K notebook is yours and @learningto_livelife there are a few inspirational notecards coming your way! (send me a message lovelies)
“To me, good mental health means being relaxed and not stressed, taking everything slowly and not pushing myself to get things done, not holding on to relationships that don’t effect your life and not caring about people’s opinions on my looks, overall just living a happy life with the occasional bubble bath :) also great friends to boost my confidence”
“For me, being able to love myself no matter what others may say. Being able to do what you enjoy, laugh, but also feel emotions when life throws unexpected news at you. Being able to look after yourself with nourishing, healthy food, exercise, but also take time out for pure pleasure. Being able to get up each day, and look forward to the day ahead, not when you next sleep. Having that balance we all talk about. And of course, being surrounded by people who care about you and who you care about helps a tonne”
“Good mental health means being able to go to work, and come home with energy to take care of my puppy 🌈💜🦄💕.”
“Good mental health means being able to go about your daily life without having to plan everything to avoid your triggers or situations that you know will make you anxious. It means not missing out on things because of your emet/anxiety. It means being happy and content with where you are and having energy. It means being happy with yourself and what you do. But most importantly it means being able to enjoy life without fear. 💕💕 ”
“Good mental health means to me being able to feel ALL feelings with the knowledge that there are no good or bad ones. It means accepting the bad days and embracing them. It’s showing up authentically in my life and removing the pressure from myself. It’s BEING more than doing. To me good mental health is mental health. Holding myself accountable. Keeping my appointments. Knowing my triggers and being able to cope. It’s QUALITATIVE self care over quantitative.”
“Good mental health means getting up each day and doing at least one special thing for yourself. Each small action helps”
“Good mental health to me is waking up not riddled with bad butterflies. Be able to be the person I want to be. And have the right tools and strategies to keep me this way.”
“Good mental health means to me not battling with your own mind every single day❤️”
“To me it means having energy and questioning yourself less. It also means being unafraid to share your genuine self, with your family, friends, and doctors so that if there is an imbalance that needs attention you can receive the help you need without fear of stigma. ”
“For me, good mental health is when I can accept and be at peace with myself and the moment. Whether it’s pleasant or not, to be in a frame of mind where I can experience it just the way it is, without secondary feelings of anxiety or shame, and not clinging to the good moments so tightly that I become afraid of losing them! It’s loving myself unconditionally and knowing that I am capable of living a life I love! ”
“Good mental health to me doesn’t mean that I am without mental illness, but that those illnesses don’t take control over myself. That I am still able to conquer and try new things every once in awhile and be myself. Of course I wouldn’t be able to do that without people that support me and help me be a better person.”
“Good mental health means being able to do the things I enjoy despite anxiety. I know my OCD, anxiety and mood issues will never totally disappear, and I’m okay with that, I am stronger because of them, and I will live and thrive not without them, but despite them. I’m not there yet, but I work towards it everyday, and continuing to fight improves my mental health bit by bit. That is what good mental health means to me, and I wouldn’t be able to get there without help from some awesome supportive people who understand what I’m going through like @kateteneyck and @jae_leno ❤️❤️💪🏻”
“What mental health means to me is starting each day with a grateful heart, that a negative mind will never give you a positive life. Accepting what is, letting go of what was and having faith in what will be and these two beautiful women @fibromom11 and @notepadnpen taught me that. We don’t grow when things are easy we grow when we face challenges and staying positive even when it feels like your whole world is falling apart is finding a way not an excuse. 🌷”
“Good mental health means taking my medication, practising self care even the boring things like eating well and keeping on top of stress levels. ”
“Good mental health means - to me - practicing mindfulness with my @simplehabitapp, therapy journaling on a daily basis, going to therapy bi weekly, healing through writing on my blog, and reaching out to my close support group in times of need. 💖 ”
“Good mental health to me means being able to understand the emotions you’re feeling and be able to validate them to yourself so you know it’s okay to feel this way. It’s okay you’re sad and have been for a few days. It’s okay you get frustrated easily. It’s okay you get too excited. Everything you feel is normal and valid - knowing that makes all the difference to me. Knowing that YOU ARE VALID, makes all the difference to me. 💙 ”
“Good mental health to me means not giving up and being unashamed about what I’m going through. ”
“Good mental health means feeling safe and having permission from myself to be everything I was created to be.”
“Good mental health to me is when I able to do the simplest thing like taking a shower without fear or eating.”
“Good mental health means for me to never miss taking my meds, doing some yoga, keeping my hands and mind busy and my beautiful dogs.”
“Good mental health to me is the courage, knowledge and ability to speak up and ask for help when I need it. For a long time, I was scared to admit my mental health was suffering, I thought it made me weak. Now, after a few rounds of therapy and medications, that’s the biggest sign of good mental health to me. Recognising that you need help, and finding the courage to ask for it. Being knowledgable enough to understand that what you are feeling is not your fault and there IS hope. ”
“Good mental health for me is knowing that its okay not to be okay. That you dont have to live up to societies expectation that you always have to be okay. Detaching yourself from trying to be the person you used to be. That having the courage and heart to push on everyday is a very brave thing indeed. That you are valued and loved just the way you are. Nothing is wrong with you. Youre not different. You are human 💖 ”
“Good mental health is feeling good about yourself and like you are able to cope with the demands of day to day life.”
“Good mental health is being able to cope with ups and downs, eating & sleeping well, feeling hopeful 😊💌”
“Good mental health is solid self care.”
“Good mental health means at the end of everyday you can breathe “ I did it”! ”
“Good mental health means respecting everybody but always respecting yourself and your inner peace above all. You are in charge of nobody but yourself, and that is why it is so crucial to keep yourself in a positive environment. For without sunlight, how can a flower grow? Without love and compassion, how can beautiful thoughts be produced? Good mental health is a lifestyle. I am still on my journey to finding the stability I long for, but with positivity leading my way, I know I can accomplish anything. 🌻💞”
“Good mental health is being able to express my thoughts out loud, without judgement from others or myself. ”
“Good Mental Health is being able to take care of and love yourself first. This may be an unusual thing to do for yourself. Keep practicing.”
“Good mental health means taking ample me time - even if that means getting up at 5 am everyday to journal and meditate.”
“Good mental health to me is not to feel alone in a crowded place....”
“Good mental health means taking care of my body, mind, and spirit...holistic self care! ”
“Good mental health is respecting yourself and others, helping yourself before you help others and taking care of yourself.”
“Good mental health means freedom to me. Bad mental health can be restrictive massively so! Being in a good state of mind is taken for granted so sooo much. Unfortunately it’s hard to understand how precious being mentally healthy is until you’ve lost it.💙💚💗💖”
“Good mental health means being able to understand and ignore the intrusive thoughts. It means understanding and accepting that there will be good days, bad days, and some days that are just days. You are able to appreciate the good days and get past the bad ones. And learning that it’s okay to allow yourself to feel (feeling is healing!) ”
“Good mental health means looking inward for the answers and staying in dialogue with those who understand your dialogue with yourself ”
“Good mental health to me means getting to know myself better, being compassionate and forgiving to myself too”
“Good mental health to me means going to therapy, keeping up with your meds, and working hard every single day. It means not giving up even when you desperately want to and it also means never letting the negative thoughts win. @jen.can.fly has been such a crucial part in my journey and she is one of the strongest people I know! @bennyrose26 has helped me through my bad times and millions of anxiety attacks. Love you both!!!! Mental health is a hard thing to deal with but we can do it 💗”
“Good mental health means being in a place where I can love myself. Where I can love those around me and where I can feel loved. Some days are days where staying in bed is necessary, and good mental health allows me to know that it’s okay to have a day to myself. Good mental health is not getting lost in suicidal thoughts, but being able to find a million reasons to love life without thousands of tears 💕💜💓”
“It means being able to know your limits and love yourself enough to make good decisions based around these said limits.”