Do you ever take the time to ask yourself, “Am I Okay?”
As a mental health professional, I cannot overemphasize how important it is to make sure you are taking care of your emotional wellbeing. Oftentimes, we are so busy in our day-to-day routine that we have the tendency to fail to recognize insufficiencies in our mental health care.
As parents, during this season, many of us are juggling homeschooling our children, while as professionals, we are adjusting from working in a professional setting to working from home. On top of this, we are bombarded daily with media updates telling us what we should or should not be doing. All of this can lead us to feel like we are in a constant season of unpredictability. Therefore, now more than ever, it is imperative that we make it a priority to check in with ourselves to make sure to ask, “Am I okay?” Here are a few things you can do to stay mentally healthy:
1. Be present
We are spending more time than ever on our devices. Whether it is your phone, computer, or television, it is important to take note of how much of your time is spent looking at a screen. If you are spending 8-12 hours a day, then chances are, you are not being present. It’s really important to take the time and really be intentional and pay attention to the people you are interacting with, your children, your spouse, and even yourself.
2. Give yourself some grace
We are all trying to figure out how life needs to look like. We are receiving information at an unprecedented rate, so we need to give ourselves grace as we are figuring these things out, and we need to be intentional with that grace.
3. Be purposeful
Being purposeful is the same as being intentional. Don’t accidentally get things done. Ask yourself, “Who or what do I need to be intentional with?” Also, ask yourself if you are being intentional with your time with the Lord, and are you being intentional with the things you need to get done today?
4. Pay attention
This may sound simple, but there are a lot of things going on around us. We need to pay attention to how we feel. People are dealing with higher levels of emotions or stress, while others may be dealing with grief and loss. Pay attention to those feelings. Don’t push them down, but instead take them to the Lord, and deal with them. Let the Lord move in ways that He couldn’t have had we not walked through this. He wants to encourage your heart and speak to you during this season.
5. Keep a routine
The parts of your routine that you did before are important, and you need to keep those up. For example, if you made your bed every morning, keep doing it. If you cooked breakfast every morning, do it. If you took lunch breaks but are now working from home, still take the time for a lunch break. If you showered daily, by all means, keep it up! Your routine will keep you encouraged and keep structure in your day and help you stay intentional with everything that is going on.
Take advantage this time
I also want to encourage you to take advantage of this time. The Lord blesses us and takes us to new depths with Him during challenging seasons. Don’t look back and regret using your time in a different way. Build these habits now, and they will be a blessing to you. If you are struggling and you can’t seem to find the strength to do any of these, then please reach out for help.
Now more than ever, help is available. From traditional counseling agencies to more telehealth options, there are people who are ready to help you get to a healthier place. If you are a young woman between the ages of 13-32 and need residential care, please contact us about applying to our free-of-charge program. If you need help and you are not sure where to turn, Mercy Multiplied has resources and can refer you to other counseling centers if you are not eligible for our program. Whatever you do, don’t spend another day feeling lost. Take time to ask yourself “Am I okay?” If the answer is no, go to the Lord and reach out for help.
Want more resources on mental health? Check out our MercyTalk Podcast series on mental health. Follow us on Instagram or Facebook for daily inspiring content!