There’s not a day that goes by where I am not trying to improve my mental health. This is something that I encourage everyone to try and do. I say this because this can improve your well-being and quality of life and these types of things matter. In this blog post, I talk about 5 things I did that improved my mental health, and maybe these things could help you too.

Before we dive in, I just want to say one thing. This blog post is not like most of my other blog posts. This blog post is more on the personal side. I was skeptical about publishing it at first but I think it’s important for my audience(you) to be able to get to know me more and be able to relate to me.

1. Limit my time on social media.

When I was much younger, I used to be addicted to social media. As my anxiety and depression progressed, I gradually found myself not on it as much. When you check your social media platforms, you’re checking to see what everyone is up to. But little do you know, that can affect your mood. At least it affected mine. I say that because most people aren’t transparent on social media. They only show you the highlights and sometimes that can make a person feel inadequate. Not intentionally, but it happens.

Now? I sort of have to have social media because of my blog. It’s how I drive traffic to my blog. I have to have a way to promote my content and products and even myself. But other than that, you may find me posting on a platform once every blue moon if it’s not about my blog.

Not being on social media frequently unless it’s for my blog has helped me and it shows.

• Why A Social Media Cleanse Is Essential To Your Mental Health

2. Removed negative people from my life.

Let’s be honest here. Sometimes we can’t help who gets put in our life. But lately, I’ve had some pretty toxic and negative people come into my life and it took me a while to notice it. One was a close friend who I never thought would be an ex-friend today. But the minute I removed that person from my life, I found peace. I felt some relief. And I believe that’s important.

One of the most important ways you can get and keep positive energy in your life is with the company you keep. I’m not sure where exactly I heard that from but it stuck with me and I will never forget that because it’s so damn true.

• Why It’s Important To Surround Yourself With The Right People

3. Worked on my relationship with God.

When I was younger, I went to mass on Saturdays and catechism on Sundays. At some point, it was non-negotiable when it came to my grandmother. As I grew up, I sort of strayed off if that makes sense. The worst decision I could have ever made and I paid for it over the years. I was lost, angry, and didn’t know who I was.

But one thing about God is that he doesn’t judge and he’s forgiving. And since I’ve been working on my relationship with him, it’s almost like he already knew I was coming back. I guess it was a phase I went through. I hit rock bottom without anyone realizing it but God did, and he helped me. So yes, I am seeing an improvement in my mental health after fixing my relationship with God. And this will be a continuous thing from now on and I feel so good inside to say that.

4. Started going to therapy again.

I’m not sure why I stopped going to therapy in the first place. I think that feeling of shame got to me and of course, the stigma that surrounded it so I didn’t stick it out. Now? I give 0 f*cks about what anyone thinks about me getting help from a mental health professional. Because at the end of the day, this is my life, and my mental health matters and only I can do something about it as far as improving it.

Going to therapy has improved my quality of life. And I’m not just saying that just to say. It has helped me find myself again. Being able to talk to someone who understands and knows all of the answers is a very powerful thing. If you’ve been thinking about going to therapy, I encourage you to go. At least give it a shot. But I know you won’t regret it. Just don’t back out as I did in the beginning.

• Find A Mental Health Professional

5. Took needed time off from work.

I’m the type of person who will go to work sick. I do not like calling out and having to get someone to cover my shift because it makes me feel really bad. I don’t call out unless I absolutely have to but I still end up feeling bad. I don’t know why though because at work you’re just another number. Anyway, as I stated previously, I hit rock bottom and I only had God in my corner. Nobody noticed it. And during that time, the stress from my job affected me tremendously. If you don’t know, I am a police dispatcher. I work shift work and I am on call as well. As I write this blog post, I am currently on paid stress leave. Yes, you heard right.

But I decided to put myself and my mental health first finally. I was always the one that had trouble taking their advice but I did it. For months it was just building up and I knew I was going to reach a breaking point eventually, especially with the normal job stress, the unnecessary bullshit we have to deal with at the job, plus my mental health problems on top of that. I never thought I’d be on stress leave right now but I’m glad I made that decision for myself. Because if I was still at work right now, there’s no telling what would happen. That’s how bad off I was.

Taking this time off has improved my mental health. While I’m off, I’m going to therapy, practicing more self-care at home, working on my blog, spending more time with my dog at home, etc.

Striving to maintain good mental health.

These 5 things altogether have helped me in ways I cannot explain. I only want to improve my mental health and never go backward. If you want to improve your mental health too, maybe try out one of these things and see if it works for you. Remember, making our mental health a priority is something we should be actively doing!