Why is your mind the most important tool in your kit?

 I, like you, struggle with stress, anxiety and feelings of a lack of self worth. It has taken me many years to learn how to overcome these negative aspects of my life and to train myself to set them aside and create a positive environment for my mental wellbeing to flourish. If I break my arm, I go to a doctor...right? So why if my mind needs healing, do I ignore it and hope the problem goes away?

Don't sit there and shrug it off like it’s not a big deal, because the problems always get worse, believe me, I know! 

We find ourselves failing to treat mental health issues with the same seriousness we would for physical health issues. We avoid telling anyone about the issue, especially a psychologist. We often put off treating the issue at all, and the longer we ignore it, the greater the toll it takes on our wellbeing.

Your mind is one of the most important tools you have. If your mental health is suffering, you’re going to have a hard time staying on top of your physical health too. 

You might find it harder to maintain relationships and to make new ones. You may have a difficult time focusing on your work, too distracted with anxieties and negative thoughts to make your best efforts, potentially jeopardising your job as a result. You’ll likely feel less confident and often less happy on a daily basis. You may also have trouble sticking to regular sleeping and eating habits, which could lead to increased weight gain, high levels of stress, and impaired cognitive abilities. 

In short, your body functions as a connected system, and if any one part of that system falters, you’ll feel it everywhere else. 

Luckily, you don’t have to live with poor mental health forever. You can embrace a more positive mindset and let the stress you always carry with you melt away, leaving you happier and healthier with a new lease on life.  Everything is a choice, and every choice we make can have a positive or negative effect on our life. If you feel that you are struggling with your mental wellbeing, then make the choice to do something about it!