Mental health includes our emotional, intellectual, and social well-being. It influences our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. According to the article titled “What is Mental Health” published by Mental Health.gov, it also influences how we respond to stress, interact with others, and make decisions. Every period of life, from childhood and adolescence to maturity, is vital for mental health.  

    I have personally struggled with mental health. I would overthink situations and would not be able to control my emotions. Sometimes I would make excuses to try and avoid my feelings when I was supposed to try to understand them. I could not tell my mom because she would not understand because in her generation mental health was poorly understood. 

   When you do not have your family support, you might be able to count on friends to talk about your struggles. I talked with my best friend, and I counted on myself, and it really helped. I considered what mistakes I should not make and how to correct them by thinking it through.  

    Midway through 2022, I worked on being a better person around the people I love.  What I did was to compliment myself, to not make excuses and to be honest. I feel happier and accomplished. Never in a million years did I think I would get through this, but I give a huge thanks to my best friend for helping me out.  

   Some circumstances that cause bad mental health are depression, anxiety, peer pressure, and abuse. According to the article titled “I currently have good mental health” published on the website for Prevention and Mental Health, talking about your feelings is important if you want to maintain good mental health. You can feel supported and less alone with any troubles you are going through simply by being listened to.  

   Sleep and mental health are also connected, and both poor sleep and mental health can have an impact on one another. Exercise is also good for your body, but great for your mind. 

   If you are someone trying to improve your mental health and aren’t sure if you are in a good mindset, try to ask yourself if you have accomplished any goals, if your emotional intelligence increased, or if you have coped with stress? Trust me when I say that you should try to arrange your thoughts and your life. My emotions and my life were a complete mess. Thinking things over and listening to music helped me organize my thoughts and emotions. 

   I have succeeded in improving myself, earning all A’s in school and achieving true happiness. I am quite appreciative for having attained my goals. 

   Situations like family problems, school, and sometimes issues with my best friend cause me to feel sad. The way I handle my emotions is to think it through, take a big deep breath and say, “You are okay.” You can always learn from your mistakes and make them better. I have always believed that I should never try to control my feelings or prevent making mistakes because if I do, I will keep doing so and my mental health would suffer. 

5 Mental Health Tips 

• Surround yourself with good people 

• Set goals 

• Quit over thinking 

• Be aware of self-talk 

• Respond positively 

Source: https://www.lollydaskal.com/leadership/how-to-make-yourself-mentally-strong-this-year/