Let’s Prioritize Mental Health
Stress. Anxiety. Worry. These are all common emotions that people experience regularly. But when you are growing your family, these emotions can feel even bigger. The anxious excitement of getting pregnant or learning of an adoption choice. The stress and sadness of infertility or miscarriage. The worry about paid leave or childcare costs. Your Care Navigator is here to support you and offer resources when these emotions become too much. When mental health is actively prioritized in any situation or stage of life, the emotional focus can shift from crippling to manageable. In the same way that physical health is regularly monitored and kept track of, so should mental health. Below are some ways to help maintain your mental health, whether you are growing your family or not.
1. Identify stressors – take an inventory of stressors, number them by importance and then tackle them one at a time. Remember to give yourself grace as you work through each one.
2. Set boundaries to avoid negativity – social media, unhealthy relationships, and negative self-talk can all prevent a mentally healthy life. Set boundaries to stay positive and kill the comparison game.
3. Prioritize movement – whether it’s working out in the gym, swimming laps at the pool or going for a walk a few times a week, research shows that exercise can boost your mood and keep anxiety at bay.
4. Take breaks -- we all need time to decompress, unwind and clear out the fog and taking a mental break allows that to happen. It can also help to spend time focusing on just one thing at a time – free from distractions or interruptions.
5. Ask for professional help – gone are the days where stigma surrounds therapy. Every person can benefit from talking with someone and there is such a wide variety of professional help that each individual can find a person to help improve their mental health.
There are so many resources and types of support available surrounding mental health. If seeking professional help isn’t an option or feels uncomfortable, reach out to a friend, family member or your Care Navigator. And if following all 5 of these suggestions feels overwhelming, pick one and focus on it. As one quote says “mental health…is not a destination, but a process. It’s about how you drive, not where you’re going.” Reach out, we are always here to help.
“Mental health is not a destination, but a process. It’s about how you drive, not where you’re going.”