Ah, the procrastination bug hits again. And then does the memory loss bug which, frankly, seems to really love me.
Yes, I forgot to write. But I have been a very busy bee!
In my last post I wrote about having an interview for a study abroad experience year. Well, I got it! I have been studying in a small town in Canada since last August. It has been a whole mix of different things put together, but hopefully I won't forget to wrote a post about that all on it's own.
Reflecting on the the last year of my life I have seen so many circumstances in which I defied so many others, even defied myself in the things that I thought I was capable of doing.
I have grown up in so many ways I didn't think I ever could. I have been through my fair share of crap, and a few good moments too. Whilst 2018 year was not as exciting as 2017 for me, I have still had a blast in the past 13 months.
Today in Canada is #bellletstalk day. So, let's talk.
YOUR MENTAL HEALTH IS IMPORTANT.
YOUR MENTAL HEALTH DOES NOT DEFINE YOU.
YOUR MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS TO BE LOOKED AFTER.
For so long I neglected my mental health. For so long I neglected myself. I let myself dig holes so deep I didn't think I could ever climb out. So deep I could no longer see any light.
When I asked for help, sometimes I wasn't given it. Most of the time I wasn't given anything. I was annoyed and angry and it led me to neglect myself even further. To isolate myself. To reject anyone who offered a helping hand because so many people before had offered to help and never did.
And then I accepted a hand that helped.
I let myself be helped, and so I was able to help myself.
My mental health is not perfect. My mental health will never be perfect, but neither is anyone else's.
In growing and learning and experiencing what I have whilst suffering from mental health issues for the past 8 years, the most important thing is to allow yourself what you need.
Allow yourself to feel hurt. Allow yourself to take a day off. Allow yourself to say no - to others and to yourself.
We all get tired of fighting sometimes. Some days are going to be horrendous. But the shining moments - the ones where you accomplish something you worked yourself up over, the ones where you defied what everyone thought of you, the ones where doing one task seems like the end of the world but you manage to do it anyway?
Those are the most precious that life has to offer sometimes.
Like I said, it won't be easy. But it will be worth it.
