Five reasons you should go to therapy, like, tomorrow.

Even if you don’t feel anything wrong.

Before we get started, please note that I am not a psychologist, and I am in no way claiming to be. If you are currently struggling, you will find no self-help rhetoric below, I would simply urge you to seek help as soon as you are able.

With that said, I have benefited enormously from therapy that started at a young age, and my hope with this post is to bring to light the importance of mental fortitude (note, not mental health).

Reason #1 — You’re ok, until you’re not

Therapy is often thought of as something you do when you’re not ok. Like some sort of treatment where the input is “I’m not ok”, with an eventual output of “I’m ok now”.

From a medical perspective, that make sense right? You go to a doctor when you’re hurt, and they look after you until you don’t hurt anymore, and then you don’t go back to the doctor until something else hurts. Rinse and repeat.

But how practical is that for life?

Just because you’re ok today does not mean you’re going to be ok tomorrow, and with the pace at which life can challenge you, are you really going to wait until something’s wrong before seeking help?

You certainly wouldn’t try and climb Mt Everest with zero training, so why are you trying to get through life without strengthening one of the most vital parts of your health, your mental well-being?

At the core of therapy is understanding yourself. The more you learn about yourself, how your brain works, and where your strengths, weaknesses, and triggers lie, the more effectively you’re able to bring your whole self to bear, and that’s a life getting fully lived!

If you start your journey today, from a place of being ok, you can fully embrace the wonder that is self-discovery without also having to deal with whatever is weighing you down if you started it tomorrow from a place of not being ok. Start strengthening your mental fortitude today so you can handle the weight when things aren’t so ok.

Reason #2 — You will be ok, even when you’re not

I’ve read many books that suggest, in no uncertain terms, happiness comes from within, like a fire burning in you, and the happier you are, the brighter you shine. The problem with that idea, however, is what happens when that fire goes out? Are you able to reignite it yourself, or are you at the mercy of others to share a candle?

No, I don’t think happiness is a fire burning in your belly that can go out.

Instead, I think inside each and every one of us is a spark, constantly firing, waiting for the oxygen required to light the flame. As long as we provide it oxygen, that flame of happiness will burn.

Where does the oxygen come from? I think the supply is all around us, it’s in the walks with friends, in the simple pleasure of a tasty meal, the warm embrace of a loving partner, the awkward half smile we share crossing the street with a stranger. The oxygen tap is always on, yet sometimes, we squeeze the hose and cut off the supply.

By this analogy, I suggest to you that having strong mental fortitude is equivalent to your ability to protect the supply of oxygen. The less aware you are of yourself, the more likely you are to panic and cut the hose.

If you start therapy today, you will build tools, learn strategies, and strengthen you’re ability to recognize when the hose is getting squeezed, and then be able to take appropriate action to restore that all precious supply of oxygen, even if it’s storming outside.

In other words, you’ll be able to navigate the not ok times well enough that you’re still ok.

Reason #3 — Your relationships with others will improve

A wonderful thing happens when you’re able to understand the limitations of your own mind. You start to be able to engage with others in a more direct, honest, and genuine manner, and things which might have otherwise bothered you glance off.

At the core of this reason is the ability to recognize your triggers. It is true that you can be perfectly ‘ok’ and still have unknown emotional triggers that are quietly disrupting your every day. That slight uptick in heart rate when you hear a certain phrase, see a certain image, or remember a certain person. These things happen to everyone, constantly, and it adds unnecessary load to your already heavily loaded mind.

Talking to a therapist can help bring those unknown troublemakers to light, which is what I’ve found Cognitive Behavioral Therapy personally the most valuable for. The more you understand how these things affect you, the more you’re able to account for them, which will free your mind to focus on the present, and the people around you.

In other words, everyone is better when you’re better.

Reason #4 — You will be better equipped to help others

If you’re someone that doesn’t handle other people crying very well, this message is for you.

It seems a little backwards doesn’t it, selfish maybe? Help yourself first to help others? But it’s true. If you went to therapy for the sole purpose of helping yourself, you will inevitably become better at helping others.

We may not be able to experience each other’s emotions, but you can certainly improve how well you understand the emotions they may be experiencing. If we all went to therapy, the world would be a much more understanding, and thereby caring place.

Reason #5 —You’ll be better at tough conversations

Woah woah woah, hold on a second Jim, you might be thinking.

How does therapy = tough conversations?

Well, let me explain.

Oftentimes in therapy you will come across severely uncomfortable realizations about yourself and the world around you.

In the earlier parts of this article I harped on about the importance of self-discovery.. It turns out, there are going to be things you discover you don’t like about yourself.

And that’s tough.

Tough discoveries = tough conversations, with your therapist and with yourself.

But that is a good thing.

You want to have those conversations because that’s where the growth really happens.

Growth is the natural reaction to adversity, and if you can find a space to trigger that growth healthily, you are going to be better in the long run than waiting for a disaster to trigger it for you.

In conclusion, therapy is more than just a reactive practice. The stronger your mental fortitude, the easier you will be able to realize the beauty that fills all of our lives daily, and we each deserve to see all of that beauty.

Most of what I write is nonsense, every now and then I write something good. If you found this post somewhat interesting, I would urge you to follow me and roll the dice, you never know what my next post might be!

If you want to read more on this topic from me, I recommend checking out out this post I did on the beauty of sadness.

Otherwise, I hope you enjoyed your time!

-Jim