Mental Health Check-Ins And Why They're Important
Do you do regular check-ups for your physical health? As a responsible adult, the answer is most likely yes.
The moment you notice something unusual or you get the feeling that something just doesn’t “feel right”, you pay attention to it. Whether that’s a persistent migraine, a cough that gets more intense as days go by, or a sharp pain in your lower back.
You’ll investigate, you’ll go on google, find the appropriate medication at your nearest pharmacy, or in most extreme cases, go to a walk-in clinic or the hospital.
Yet, we rarely do this when it comes to our mental health. We ignore the sudden mood shifts that happen throughout the day, we avoid discussing things that are bothering us, and we use the word “fine” to quickly dismiss others when they inquire about our state of mind.
Whether it’s your physical or mental health, your body is a good indication that something is going on - pay attention to what it’s telling you.
This is why today we’re discussing the importance of mental health check-ins.
What’s stopping you from doing mental health check-ins:
Stigma: Mental health is becoming more and more accepted as the years go by. That said, with the examples I gave earlier, it shows that we tend to prioritize our physical health.
Additionally, there may not be as many people around us doing mental health check-ins. And if they are, they’re not talking about it. As a result, we feel like we’re the only ones and we fear being seen as “not normal”.
Time: It’s not that we don’t have the time, we don’t make the time for it, period.
Which brings me to my third point, priorities. If checking in with yourself isn’t a priority, you won’t make time for it. If you see it as more of a woo-woo thing, you won’t create space for it in your day to day.
Psychologist Nicole McCance, states that “we tend to wait until we’re in a lot of pain to be motivated enough to get help.”
That is unfortunate because our mental problems will start showing up in other parts of our lives in a way that’s destructive. At that point, you will have no other choice but to make it a priority.
Below are a few examples of things to pay attention to that can affect your mental health:
Poor nutrition
Lack of sleep
Family history of mental health issues
Chronic medical conditions
Stressful life situations
Traumatic life experiences
Low self-esteem
Negative perspective on life
Few healthy relationships
Company culture promoting unhealthy work behaviours
A recent loss
Bullying
Poor communication and social skills
Discrimination
Lack of access to support services
This is not an exhaustive list, but is a starting point when taking time to assess how you’re doing mentally.
Some questions to ask yourself during your mental health check-in:
How am I feeling today?
The first step is to assess how you’re feeling. An easy way to do so is to use a scale of 0 to 10. 0 being horrible and 10 feeling great.
Once you’ve decided on the number, pay attention to how you’re feeling physically. This may be easier for us to do, as we give a lot more attention to our physical health.
The state of our mental health can show up as physical symptoms. For example, when stressed, you may have headaches and body pains. If you’re anxious, you may feel that you have difficulty breathing, have a rapid heart rate or stomach-aches.
Our body physiologically responds to what’s happening in our mind, as such they’re great indicators of what’s going on around us.
2. What’s been on my mind lately?
Is it work, family, money, or friends? It’s important to pay attention to how those things affect you, and do your best to address them. This can either be by establishing healthy boundaries with them, by not comparing yourself to others, or by temporarily distancing yourself from things that evoke negative thoughts and feelings in you.
Some people have specific situations that indicate they’re in a moment of heightened mental distress. For example, being short and impatient with their children; having difficulty falling asleep; or not wanting to get out of bed.
If you identify those issues during your check-ins and you feel like the things you’re doing to fix them aren't working, that’s an indicator to speak to a therapist. You don’t have to wait until it’s really bad to seek help.
3. Am I giving my body what it needs?
We can be so busy that we forget the basics, that is adequate sleep, proper nutrition, drinking enough water, or moving our body (as simple as taking a walk).
If you find that you’re unable to care for your body - the simple thought of taking a shower in the morning feels overwhelming - that can be a sign of a mental health concern.
Your mental and physical health are deeply intertwined. Paying attention to both is key to your overall wellness.
4. What brings me joy?
Do you know what brings you joy, and are you taking time to continuously engage in those things.
It can be as simple as watching your favourite show (as long as it's not used as a way to procrastinate), visiting a loved one, sitting on your porch to let the sun hit your face, spending time with your pet, or something more complex such as planning and going on a vacation.
It’s important to know what those are for you and to make time to include them in your routine as much as possible.
5. Who is in my support system?
Having a strong support system is essential to your mental health. Take time to reflect on who in your circle that you consider trustworthy and loving.
Those are people that you can turn to when you’re going through difficult times and you know that they’ll be able to hold space to support you.
It could be a partner, sibling, a close friend, or a therapist. You need to make sure that you have at least one trusted individual in your circle who is able to offer the following:
Sound advice when you seek it
Respects you and keeps what you tell them confidential
Allows space for you to grow or make decisions that at times are contradictory to what they would do
Makes time to listen to what you have to say
Wants what’s best for you.
If you don’t yet have that person in your life, it’s okay. I know that making friends as adults can be particularly tricky. To learn more on how to go about it, I would invite you to check out this article by the New York Times.
If you’re new to mental health check-ins, scheduling reminders for them can be beneficial. There will be times in our lives that are triggering, such as the anniversary of a loved one’s passing, the holidays, or when the weather changes and it’s colder out.
Times that create negative emotional reactions are worth paying attention to, as they have an impact on your mood. As such, I would encourage you to implement check-ins in your routine. The more you do it, the easier it gets!
If you’re interested in reading more, check out the other blogs.
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