Things To Remind Yourself On Bad Mental Health Days
I've been fairly open with my mental health on this blog and as I live and learn about my mental health. I like sharing my experiences and tips with you guys in hope that I can help you when you're having a particularly bad day or if you just need a little reminder that you're not alone!
For myself and others who have a mental illness, it doesn't have a day off. Sure, there are days that are clearly better than others. For some people who live with a mental illness, there’s this fear of being “too much.” Like you need too much support, too much help or have too many needs. Sometimes this fear stems from being in an unsupportive environment; sometimes it comes from our perception of ourselves, as if reaching out to someone - even for the smallest thing - will make us a burden, will make us too much.
Everyone deserves support, and everyone deserves to feel the emotions they feel — no matter how big or how small they are. Everyone deserves somewhere to be open and free to express their feelings without, feeling like a burden. I thought i'd share some things to remind yourself when things get a little "too much" When you’re working on your mental health, one bad day can make you feel like a failure.
I want you to know that it’s OK if you’re going through a tough time. This doesn’t make you any less lovable, worthy, or capable. This just means you’re human. Being a human can be a messy, hard, confusing, painful experience sometimes.
Sometimes it’s not about you being ‘too much’ sometimes it’s about the people around us being ‘too little.’ Little understanding, little empathy, little support… but for every ‘too little’ person there’s always going to be at least one ‘just fine’ person. Fine with your mental illness, fine with understanding you, fine with helping you, fine with supporting you. Fine people are out there so don’t think of yourself as too much!
Your space in this world is not conditional. You do not have to shrink yourself or cut parts of yourself off to fit into a box you feel you ‘should’ be in, whether it’s your illness or other people that are making you feel that way. Recovery is only possible by allowing yourself to be everything that you are, to feel everything that you need to feel. You are entitled to take up space, you are allowed to feel the way you feel, you are allowed to ask for help.
You are absolutely worthy of happiness, kindness and life itself. Your illness is lying to you by making you think you are too much, because you are loved and wanted by so many.
You may be too much for some people. That’s OK. Find those who crave your intensity, who love your ‘muchness,’ who encourage every bit of your wild heart to escape, to shine, to explore. The ones worth knowing will love every part of you: the darkness and the light, the ups and the downs. Let your ‘too much’ be your fuel, not your downfall.
You have so much value. Your ‘too much’ is actually just your amazingness overflowing. You are loved by those who deserve to love you. Those who don’t, aren’t worthy of you.
Things happen that are out of your control, and sometimes this relates to mental health as well as life. Never feel like you’re too much, sometimes you need extra support from a parent, guardian or friend. No one chooses this, it just happens. Accept yourself for who you are.
You are just enough. Never too much, never too little: just the right amount you are.
Everyone's journey is different. So many people out there suffer with mental health illnesses of different kinds. It is becoming increasingly more common with 1 in 4 of us suffering. This also means that even though you might suffer with the same type of mental illness as someone else, it doesn't always necessarily mean you will experience it in the exact same way. Some people can suffer for longer periods than others, some experience it on a more difficult level than other people do. Some people are better at managing different symptoms than other people do, whilst others might struggle to deal with the same symptoms. It's so specific and individual.
Everyone will have experienced something personal to them. They will also handle theirs in a way that is more bearable for them. This is what makes the journey through the illness so different and specific. Don't feel bad that you can't overcome something in the same way or in the same time frame someone else has. Your journey is yours. Not anyone elses.
What things do you remind yourself on bad mental health days or bad days in general?
