It is world mental health day today (10^th of October 2019) and I just wanted to come on here and to talk about the things that have helped me that might help you too.

I mean it’s a journey and a struggle. On my down days it’s like climbing a mountain getting myself to do simple things.

For example the other day I woke up on time and had a pretty standard day and I felt so proud. When I looked at my planner diary I’d only completed one task and I wondered why I felt so proud and I realised I felt proud because I got out of bed in the morning! Honestly I’ve been struggling with that and I was so happy I actually did it. That glow kept me going that whole day.

So the first thing that has helped me is having someone to talk to. This can be a friend, a therapist, a parent or God but just being able to talk to someone has been the best. Having someone listen to your troubles and help or simply provide comfort has been nice. It makes me want to do the same for others.

Plus you don’t have to talk to just one person. You can talk to as many or as little people as you like. Whatever makes you feel comfortable really.

The second thing that helps me is I do things that make me happy. I enjoy comedy, music, nature and writing. So I’ll watch comedy shows or stand up (Michael McIntyre kills me), I’ll listen to a song that I know for sure will lift me up (Love me Right for example) or I’ll go for a walk in the park. I especially love walking in spring and autumn. Nature is so pretty during those two seasons. There is beauty to be found in winter too and in summer I enjoy soaking up that vitamin D.

Side note: there are people who get depressed during the winter seasons (me). I did do a video on YouTube on chasing the winter blues that you can check out on Giftie Speaks YT channel. Additional tips that were not included in the video are take vitamin D supplements. Apparently people in the West are deficient especially people of colour and that can affect your mood and your bones (I’m not a doctor it’s just something I’ve noticed for me and my family). Also there are these lamps you can get that are made for people who get Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). If you type in Seasonal Affective Disorder lamp in Google it pops up or light therapy lamp or SAD lamp.

Back to the things that make me happy… so writing was listed there and truth be told writing became a bit of a chore for me last year. It felt like the joy was being sucked out of it and I thought perhaps it’s because I’m not just writing for fun anymore. So I changed tracks and started writing stories for fun or episodes within worlds I’ve already created just for fun and voila writing became therapeutic again.

So what am I trying to say? Talk to someone, do what you love and be kind to yourself.

I know it is hard to be kind to yourself. I find it hard myself but with practise it gets easier. The kinder you become the more your mind becomes your friend instead of your enemy. You’ll still have those days when you lose a battle but that’s ok. It’s not about how you fall but how you get back up.

I just wanted to end by saying: the brain is the most complicated organ that we still don’t fully understand. It is the organ that controls everything and has so much power. Therefore when it’s sick it can mess with your whole life. So if anyone or anything makes you feel bad for the way you’re feeling or the way your mind is just remember that about the brain. We get worried over colds that can heal in a week so why not worry about our brain? Don’t feel bad about taking mental health days or for making decisions that benefit you having a healthy state of mind. Your mental health is just as important as your physical health.

I hope this post helped you and may you have a lovely day/evening depending on time zones.