A Healthy Mind
The topic of Self-Care, Self-love and Mental Health has been on my mind extra lately due to the fact that September is Suicide Awareness and Prevention Month. Far too many people struggle silently with their mental health and put on a smile to act like everything is fine when inside they are screaming!
Sunday morning, I was shocked to hear that a beloved Soap Actor, Billy Miller, lost his battle with Manic Depression (Also known as Bipolar) and left this world. He was only a month older than I am and was just days away from his 44th Birthday. His bright smile could surely hide the pain that he was feeling underneath. It is funny how when you watch someone on tv and don’t even know them in real life, you can still be so sad to hear of their untimely passing. Actor’s just like the rest of us are human beings that battle with all of the same things that any of us do. My heart hurts for his loved ones. His Mother wrote such a beautiful and heartbreaking message to fans. There is outpouring of love from so many fellow actors and friends. It is utterly devastating.
I don’t write this to bring you down, but rather to point out the importance of your mental health! It is something that we all must slow down and pay attention to.
Moms often face feelings of isolation and loneliness, while you love the bond and time spent with your little ones, you still have to remember yourself as a woman, a partner, a friend, a daughter, an aunt, a sister, any of the many titles that you hold. Connections and contact with the adults in our lives is extremely important. Children bring us so much joy, but it is absolutely imperative to stay in touch with your own mental and emotional health and well-being. It could be something as serious as Postpartum depression to something as simple as not having had quality time with adults in a long time, or even a moment alone. If you are struggling with Postpartum, please reach out to a professional for help and talk to your doctor. It is a very real condition, and you deserve the best care to get through it. Perhaps you have unresolved trauma and need to work through it with a professional to heal and feel whole again, there is help for you! If you are battling Bipolar or any other mental illness or condition, please do not go it alone. Reach out to loved ones and get connected with the right professional for you. There is help and you are not alone!
When it comes to the regular blues and bouts of feeling down or moments of circumstantial depression that everyone faces, take a moment to check in with yourself. What can you do today to improve how you are feeling? Perhaps it is getting up a little earlier to write in your journal while you sip a cup of coffee while the house is still quiet, perhaps it’s getting in that at home workout while your kids are settled down with a favorite show. It might be calling a friend or relative that you have not chatted with in a while or planning a date with your husband. There are so many seemingly small things that can make a very big difference in the long haul.
I challenge you to remember yourself, give yourself grace, ask for help when you need it, and choose not to face your struggles alone. We are all meant to be in this together.
If you would like to read the article by Billy Miller’s Mom, the link is in my instagram bio @momcoachannemarie and will remain there for a few weeks.
By making your mental health a priority you can show up for your children the way you want to!