Healthy Mind, Healthy Soul

#WellnessWednesday

Before I found my own routine to curb my stress and anxiety, I would often find myself googling or searching on Pinterest different ways to relieve stress or get rid of anxiety. I would end up feeling worse after doing this, because these tips don't fit every single individual's state of mind and way of processing things. I think the most important thing you can do for yourself is to find what works for you after trying many different options. 

I would make myself feel worse when finding a "Therapist's Tips To Relieve Anxiety" page and find that none of them worked for me, thinking I was hopeless. An essential part of being able to get rid of the negative feelings is having a desire to do so. When I was going through Therapy, Doctor's appointments and everything else I would often here the question "What makes you happy?" and I was always unable to answer. It wasn't until I was willing to put in the effort to figure out what made me happy that I was able to get in a better state of mind. I put myself in a slump, where I would expect to feel bad every day and assume there was no way to fix it. 

But just like I mentioned earlier, there is no one set way to deal with mental health for every individual. So what works for me, may not be what will work for someone else. Depression and anxiety can be triggered by many different life events, and depending on what it is that is effecting you can depend on what you need to do to treat it. 

I found that the best way to make myself feel better was taking an inside look on what I did on a day-to-day basis, changing what I could actively change and make a difference by getting more involved in things that would alter my attitude. Coming into this Gap Year has been a multitude of things, but mostly exploring my mental health and what I can do to improve. 

If you ever feel depressed, or are overwhelmed with anxiety, it is never a bad idea to reach out to a professional. If you have no way of doing so, speak to a friend or someone who has gone through something similar. I know a big impact in the redirection of my life was expressing to my mom what was going on inside my mind, and long talks with my sister to reassure myself that I wasn't alone. It's a big step, but admitting how you feeling to someone who may not know is an important factor. 

I am very lucky to have gotten to where I am in life, and know I am blessed to have all of the opportunities that I do. Moving forward, in the future I will be working with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention as the photographer on some upcoming local events. I hope to continue my journey on the search through my mental health and continue to improve. 

These feelings are not forever, these thoughts are not out of the ordinary, and you are never alone. According to the World Health Organization, over 350 million people all over the world suffer from depression. Don't ever think you have to deal with life alone.