SELF-CARE
How I Use Medium to Improve My Mental Health
It’s wondrous what a few words can do.
You will face many defeats in your life, but never let yourself be defeated — Maya Angelou
Today is a difficult day.
Who am I kidding? These past three days have been emotionally draining, a roller coaster of emotions. Moving to another country has been challenging. And while my heart has zero regrets, my mind sometimes plays cruel games of judgmental second-guessing.
After my second meditation, I realized I needed to get myself out of this funk. Seeing all of the positive stuff I’m surrounded by: the verdant hills of my temporary countryside home where I rent a room, the clear blue sky, the sounds of birds chirping. Still, I needed more.
Enter Medium.
Knowing that writing is therapeutic and understanding that connecting with other members on this platform is inspirational, I thought to craft a story.
Spreading The Message
Even outside of a global pandemic, life presents moments where we feel less than optimistic. There are times when even the most optimistic among us start to wonder when the grey clouds will lift.
During those bleak days, we need a little extra motivation. In my case, I turned to an additional meditation session. But even that fell short in reducing my anxiety. I started to write and then noticed the words didn’t flow so easily. That’s when I realized I needed to read.
Turning to Juanita Ellingson and Omy, I found inspiration. In Failure is Still Positive, Juanita reveals how she missed her goal of 31 days of writing. The beauty of the piece is that at 15 days of creating content, she found reasons to celebrate. Among her list:
- with four consecutive days of writing, she pressed on
- publishing more than the previous month
- self-determination to continue striving to reach another goal
Reading through Juanita’s story reminded me that persistence and believing in oneself must not be underestimated. After all, often we are our best cheerleaders — that’s a message I appreciate every day.
A Powerful Mind
Sometimes scrolling through my feed, I find I still focus on money-making headlines. There’s a plethora to choose from. Today was different.
I didn’t need to know how to increase my income, I sought something to soothe the beast raging in my head. After Juanita’s gem, I started writing a draft article. But I was less than focused. So I returned to my dashboard, searching my favorite authors — I went directly to Omy’s archives.
Finding her poem published recently on Lifeline, I immersed myself in her musings. I felt as if Omy’s thoughts had penetrated my own. She couldn’t have known that two nights ago I had an emotional meltdown — the tears flowed and my chest ached.
Exploring her piece, this part resonated with me many times over:
just as the sky’s clouds are designed to pour and pour
to release is not a want, but a need.
Our minds can create such beauty, to build such strength within us. But they also have the capacity for destruction. Mesmerized in Omy’s floetry, I needed another round — re-reading it gave me hope.
Facing My Reality
That these persons helped begin to turn my day around is no exaggeration. Still, I cannot say that my every anxious thought was erased. I understand this now, and I accept it all. Omy and Juanita simply whispered to my subconscious — or more accurately, their words did.
What happened today [and over the past three days] is unsettling. It scares me because I know that I need to avoid falling deeper into that negative mindset. Moving to a country I’ve never lived in, and still being in the settling-in stage has its unique challenges. Though it has always been home in my heart, I know I require patience and compassion with the transition.
Recognizing when my mental health is at risk, I share my vulnerabilities. This has to mean I’m winning half the battle — or perhaps, the entire fight. I won’t give up….I’ve got too much reading to do. And too many stories to write.
Shout out to all those who have impacted me on this journey: Chiara Bottino, Fanae-5, MS, Hotse Langeraar, Bryan Stevenson, Tree Langdon, Dr Mehmet Yildiz, Vidya Sury, Collecting Smiles, Winston, Leah Njoki, Casey Botticello, Mike Lewis, Sharing Randomly, Sam Finlayson, Dazzling Shene, Shaun Banks, Marilyn Glover, Robert Ralph. And to a boatload more of you out there, gracias!