If you know me, you will know that I am a massive advocate of speaking freely and openly about mental health. If you don’t know me, then here is the other side to the smiling mountain summit photographs you may find online. The side it took me years to acknowledge and face. I was afraid. Afraid of how powerful my mind was and afraid of how others would react. Luckily my admission was met with open arms from all who listened, ultimately sending me on a path to open my arms and help others. I learned the hard way and trust me when I say this, it’s okay not to be okay.
You have a powerful mind, a beautiful mind, a mind that deserves the attention you so know it deserves. It’s okay to cry, it’s okay ask for help, you are human. You are not bulletproof.
You are allowed to break down, you are allowed to ruin your mascara, skip that dinner date or stay in bed for the day. You are allowed to take time to process what is happening to you, you are allowed to ask for help.
Ask for help for that beautiful mind of yours. Get outside and ask for help. Call your Mum, your Dad, your friends. Reach out to someone at work or someone online. Call a stranger and tell them. Please don’t suffer in silence.
You are not alone
&
I promise you this, everything will be okay.
You are stronger than you think
Your mind can be a battlefield with all the shit mental health throws at you, but you always prevail, that takes strength.
You are so loved
Loved beyond belief by every soul around you. Don’t lose sight of this, you will always be loved.
You are not alone
Not alone for one second. There are others. Others who are experiencing the same and others who are there to help you.
The power of calm
Wherever you may seek to find it, go. In the outdoors, by the ocean, lakes or rivers? May you find your solace in the silence.
Your mental health does not define you
It affects your life yes. But it is not you. Learning to separate your mental health from yourself is hard, yet powerful. You are so much more than your mental state of mind.
Find what gives you your moment of calm. We are gifted with the power of nature, use that. Water also has an incredible healing power, as do the trees. Find your calm in nature and give your mind the break it deserves. Give your time to these powers.
You are not alone. I promise you this, everything will be okay.
The Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand is a charity that works towards creating a society free from discrimination, where all people enjoy positive mental health & wellbeing.
You can find all the information you may need here.
Notes of a Northerner 