I cannot believe we are already in the second week of April! How is that possible?? I hope you all are having a good week and a happy, healthy, and joy filled April! I have been taking it a bit easy and just taking it one day at a time. If you missed it, in last weeks post I gave a life update and explained where I’ve been, as well as some of my recent mental health struggles, and how I’ve been climbing my way back. Thus far I have been going to bed at a decent hour, not stressing too much about school work, and being grateful for the little things in my life.
Taking Life One Day at a Time
For several years, when times get tough or hard, my motto has been to “take life one day at a time.” In other words I just focus on getting through each day and I don’t worry about tomorrow or the next day. I only focus and worry about what’s right in front of me and what my commitments and obligations are for the present day. Whenever I go through mental health struggles, I always come back to this motto.
Now I may not be struggling as much as I did in high school, however, I will not say that these recent days and months have been easy. I have been super tired, anxious, and depressed in recently. That said, I have gone back to my motto and have been able to get through each day. If you are going through a rough patch, know that you will get through it and the light will shine again one day. If you are someone who is anxious about the future, or even the next day, I encourage you to start saying this motto and see what effects it has on your life and overall mental health!
Getting Through the Hour
When I was having a really hard day in high school, I would focus on just getting through the hour, or even the minute. And sure enough, I got through the hour, and I eventually made it through the school day. I have not shared too much about my high school experience and the rough journey I had. Someday I likely will, but right now I have not been vulnerable enough to share too much detail about it. But know that it was not a walk in the park. There were many days I really struggled and was incredibly anxious. I went through many mental health struggles in high school, and this motto helped me to get through it.
For a lot of this semester, I have truly been taking each day as it comes. And while it’s not always been easy, the semester is almost over. I have made it this far, and I can make it to the finish.
Prioritize Your Mental Health
Your mental health comes first. Period.
Academics and performing well in school are incredibly important to me. However, I realize that nothing is as important as my mental health and emotional well-being.
Through my educational career, there have been many late nights of staying up to study or to finish an assignment or project. However, that has all changed in my college life. I have come to realize that I need at least eight hours of sleep to actually function and because I wake up early, that means I have to go to bed earlier. That said, I try to be asleep by 9 each night, and I typically wake up around 7am.
Bed Time Routine
I also realize that I need some time to decompress before bed or I can’t fall asleep as quickly. I typically start my nighttime routine around 7pm, which usually consists of showering, writing in my one line a day journal and gratitude journal, brain dumping my thoughts, meditating, and reading. This routine really helps me to wind down and get in sleep mode. When I don’t follow this routine, I have a really hard time falling asleep and my mind ends up racing.
By starting this routine, my mental health has been a lot better. However, I also put away my homework by 5pm and I don’t touch it again until the next day. I have been blessed with a schedule that allows me to only have to work on homework between the hours of 9am and 5pm, or less. This allows me to focus on other things outside of those hours, which has had a positive impact on my mental health.
These are just a few things that have helped improve my mental health. I’ve realized that whenever my mental health struggles, I need to focus on that in order to regain my life. If my mental health struggles, the rest of my life will struggle too. My mental health comes first and so does yours. I encourage you to try these tactics or find something else that works better for you.
Endnote
Your mental health is so important. If your mental health is struggling, then other areas of your life will also struggle. I believe that the start of a good life, begins with your mental health. Once you get your mental health in a good place, the rest of your life should fall in line.
I encourage you to create a nighttime routine to help you fall asleep and get better quality sleep. Try setting certain hours of your day where you can get work done, and don’t touch it outside of those hours, and see what happens. And lastly, I encourage you to stop working at least two hours before you go to bed to be able to really wind down for the night.
I would love to know how these things go for you! Leave me a comment or come find me on Instagram and let me know!
Until next week, friend!