How to Improve Your Sense of Well-Being
Most people experience negative feelings such as stress and anxiety at some point in their lives. It is extremely common. In fact, it is pretty rare to find someone who has never felt this way. If you think for a moment about the kinds of things that can cause our well-being to get out of balance, you will probably see a lot of things that you are familiar with. Worrying about future academic and career choices, hormonal changes, school pressure, peer pressure, social media pressure, health issues, changes to family structures, expectations of your parents, financial worries….phew! There are so many things that life can throw at us that can really challenge us. And what coping mechanisms do we have to deal with these challenges when they hit? Well, if you are like me you will probably leave school without ever having taken a class in how to manage your wellbeing or how to cope with mental health issues. It’s just not something that we are taught, and most people have to muddle through as best they can or if something goes very wrong and they find themselves in crisis they might go and see a therapist. What if we didn’t wait until we are in a crisis? What if we learned to expect that there will be bumps in the road of life, and started to learn early about how to cope with them?
This is what I want to share with you: How getting educated about your mental well-being now, can set you up for a brighter, healthier and happier future.
I feel that my own personal experience of grief and depression helps me in my work today. I feel a huge affinity with anyone who has had trouble finding the right path in their life, or is feeling alone and experiencing deep sorrow and/or not feeling good enough, being unkind to themselves. Unfortunately I see this very often in my work, people of all ages putting too much blame, pressure on themselves, setting themselves up to fail unrealistic expectations and feeling terrible as a result. Wanting to be perfect….. not accepting who they are, constantly feeling unworthy, worrying what others think which of course is a road to misery.
When we feel like we are the only ones suffering, this compounds the problem and can lead us to more serious mental health issues.
Today, I coach teenagers and adults to believe in themselves, find their place in life and become healthy, balanced individuals.
However, I do wish that I had been able to find these solutions at an earlier age. I might have found the process of getting that happy balance back in my life so much quicker and easier.
So, I would like to share this message with you. Your mental well-being is important. And you deserve for it to be a top priority in your life. So, please don’t ever bottle up your feelings or try to distract yourself from problems when they arise. Remember that having problems is perfectly normal, it happens to us all and there are many ways to fix those problems and move forward if you are only willing to be brave and face them.
Learning about how to take care of your mental well-being can help you make massive improvements in lots of areas of your life such as your focus, organization, time management, and communication with teachers and your family. On top of that, learning life skills like stress management, self-esteem, self-motivation and self-understanding can help you deal with issues in your personal life.
If you would like to get started with improving your well- being, what are some things that you can do today? Well here are 3 ideas to get started with. First of all, keep a journal. When you write in a journal, you have a written record of your thoughts and experiences. This can be really powerful for helping you process your thoughts and feelings, work through difficult experiences, and develop a greater sense of self-awareness.
Second, open up to people you trust and let them encourage you. Don’t be afraid to ask for help if you are struggling. Being able to talk through your feelings will unburden you when you are feeling challenged and help focus your ideas when things are going well.
Third, always take time to do the things you enjoy, being kind to yourself, and relaxing are all important for your well-being. Make time to fit these in to your life, don’t feel guilty about doing them, they are vital for your health and wellbeing!
I hope that I have convinced you to think about your mental well- being a little more than you normally do, and understand that it is an area we all should pay more attention to. Problems, challenges, stress and worry will always be a part of our lives, but if we use the right tools, we don’t have to let them rule us or keep us from living a rich and meaningful life.
Jasmine Navarro – Certified Well-being expert for teens and adults at Nava
Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional. As a life/family/confidence coach, I am not providing healthcare, medical, or nutritional therapy services or attempting to diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any physical, mental, or emotional issue. Do not disregard medical advice or delay seeking medical advice or therapy because of this content.
