This morning, I was brainstorming topics to write about. I found myself wanting to share the “aha” moment. It motivated me to start writing about mental health in the first place. If you’ve read my info page, you probably know this blog serves as a mental health journal. A journal to start conversations about taking responsibility for our own mental health and the techniques that can help us. What I didn’t share, is that this blog actually started as a homework assignment.
The OG Journal
One of my classes this semester is Intro to Group Therapy. In this class, we have many discussions about self care. We also talk about the mental and physical elements of mental health. During those discussions, the practice of journaling comes up a lot and has been recommended for multiple different reasons. This encouraged me to start a mental health journal. In it, I could keep track of my goals. I also note what I have learned.
The more I wrote in my journal, the more I started to notice trends in my mood and daily routine. I noticed that seemingly small stuff, like going to the thrift store, was anxiety provoking for me. While more substantial stuff, like monthly budgeting, had positive effects on my mood. I couldn’t figure out why the things that I expected to be motivating ended up mentally draining me. The reverse was also true. And as I looked closer at my thoughts and feelings related to these trends, I had an “aha” moment.
My “Aha”
As I prepared to write in my journal, a small note I made the day before caught my attention. The note was from a a podcast I had been listening to called Tiny Leaps, Big Changes. The note read, “day-to-day behaviors determine the results we gain in our lives”. Something about that little note made me realize the extent of mindfulness and it’s role in mental health. I thought about those trips to the thrift store and how my lack of mindfulness is what really provoked my anxiety. I also thought about my monthly budgeting mood boost and how mindfulness was at play there as well.
My “aha” moment was when I realized that self care and sustainability go hand-in-hand, and that conscious decision making has huge effects on the daily routine and mental health of myself and others.
This realization motivated me to share my experiences. I want to offer resources for learning to live a healthy and sustainable lifestyle. My focus is bringing awareness to mental health practices for both mind and body. Together, we can all be healthier.
The Future of the Blog
Now that you know where we started, I want to talk about how we’re doing and where we’re headed.
The focus of this blog, and all of the content I am creating, is self care, sustainability, and overall mental health. I have been amazed by the amount of active readers and support that the blog has received so far, and am so excited about the growth that is yet to come. And as the blog continues to grow, our community will be growing with it. Together, we can destigmatize the mental health conversation by bringing awareness to mental health practices for both mind and body.
Let me know what topics you’d like to see me write about in the future!
Leave a Reply