Encouraging Positive Mental Health

As a caregiver, taking care of yourself sometimes feels impossible. Especially since the past 6 months have been so full of changes in our society and have come with new fears and anxieties on top of all the preexisting ones. Taking care of the ones you care for has most likely taken up all your time and energy. As a caregiver, you are definitely not alone in this journey. While everyone is different, everyone needs to be cared for and mental health is huge. Remembering to take care of your own mental health is key to helping the ones you love take care of their own mental health.

Often you only hear or think about mental health when it is not going well. While healing wounds and fixing injuries is so important, wouldn’t it be awesome if we could prevent the wound and injury from happening or getting so severe?

The three biggest areas to support positive mental health are your body, mind, and surroundings.  Everyone knows it is important to take care of your body but sometimes that can be hard. Setting small goals for yourself such as drinking a gallon of water every day or exercising 20 minutes a day are going to be key in making sure you don’t get injured or if you do, the healing is not half as bad as it could be. Your body is strong, and it was made to be pushed and conditioned.

Do you find yourself bogged down by thoughts once things from the busy day finally slow down? Do you have anxiety related to the pandemic and how that will affect your family? These are all very normal fears and worries. Again, everyone finds comfort and solace in different ways. Some find that speaking to a therapist makes their mind clear and helps them cope. Others find a walk in a park at sunrise exactly what they need to face the day. Clearing your mind and finding a way to focus is huge for positive mental health. Your mind is as strong if not stronger than your body and it is very powerful when taken care of properly.

What we surround ourselves with is huge in so many ways. Lean into your support system when things are both positive and tough. Toxic environments yield toxic results. If you find yourself surrounded by unsupportive and toxic supports, find a new one. You and your family deserve to be around positivity and a positive support network.

It’s okay to not be okay and its okay to struggle. You do not need to be perfect, but you do have to find ways to take care of yourself. Learning to take care of you and focus on your body, mind, and surroundings will set you up for success when dealing with whatever mental health challenges come your way. Remember, as you learn to do this for yourself you also can help the children you care for do the same.  If this blog helped you realize there are services that you could benefit from, a Kinship Navigator would love to speak with you further about ways you can find support in your community.