With the mental health issues going to peak ten days back, I deliberately started taking extra care of myself.
Here’s what I realised:
- At the core of every mental health issue, is the need for happiness.
- When I didn’t get it, I felt a chaos in my mind.
- I almost (read: always) believed that if I am good to everyone, they should also be good to me. Unmindful of the fact, that everyone is going through the chaos in their minds as well (including our families)
- Taking care of yourself is something you will have to do. Otherwise we will always be dependent on the mood swings of others – and that is never a balanced place to settle on.
- Being happy is NOT a sin. Okay? Read it again if it was not clear to you.
Here’s what I have started doing now:
- Given up the need to impress everyone and make them happy. I have realised that even if I am happy and doing things to make them happy, if someone makes a conscious or unconscious choice to be upset, they will. Don’t take anyone personally.
- Love yourself like that is your job#1. For most people, this job even doesn’t make it to the list of their jobs.
- Stop justifying your actions all the time. I do not give a damn to what anyone else says yet don’t know how during this lockdown I started craving for the validation of my family. If you feel truthful and real in your work, you have done your job well. Anything and anyone that takes you away from peace is the one worth going away from.
- Imagine the best outcome. We all are the creators of our experiences. What we are today, is what we had imagined yesterday.
- This one is important. Treat people well even if you don’t listen to them or you know they are toxic. They are being them, and for whatever little time they get to hang around you, make sure to be kind to them. They are fighting a tough battle. Just like I needed people with my mental health issues, I realised they will also need kind people so that mental health issues don’t sink into them.
The journey is hard. Only if I label it so. Remember – creators of our experiences? Now I have unabashedly started living for my own happiness – without hurting others, however, not allowing anyone to enter that bubble and burst it.