May 2022 – Our clinician, Alison C. Baker,  shared some reflections in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month.

Why is it important to talk about mental health and how can we support our own mental health?

Talking about mental health is valuable for many reasons, one major reason being that it is a part of our overall health and wellbeing.  Giving attention to our thoughts and feelings is so useful, especially because with or without our attention they are always up and running, so when we bring our focus to what is happening within us, we are able to bring awareness and presence to our day to day life.  Many of us have been taught to ignore, push down or avoid what we are feeling, and while there are times that we need to do that, in that process we disconnect from ourselves in ways that can become problematic. Talking about our mental health is a way we can take care of ourselves, it is a way to practice self-compassion and enhance our own sense of value. 

My clients often hear me say, “I trust our feelings, but I don’t always trust the meaning we attach to the feeling.”  When feelings are coming up, they are coming up for a reason, our body is trying to get our attention, and I think a great starting place is to bring our awareness to what is happening.   

We need to slow down the thoughts and feelings to identify what is happening, and to ask ourselves, “What am I feeling?”, “What am I telling myself right now,” and then a very important question, “Is this true?” Our thoughts are not always our friends, and this is a place where we can challenge the meaning we are attaching to the feelings.   Even saying out loud what we are saying internally can be helpful as a way of checking, “Is that true, do I really believe that?”.  Things can sound different when we hear them out loud, and this can not only slow us down, but help us to regulate what we are feeling. 

Once there is some clarity about what one is feeling and experiencing, a way to challenge that is to ask, “If a friend were telling me this, how would I respond?”, and to see what might be blocking the compassion we often share with friends and others to extend it to ourselves. 

Other ways we can support ourselves are to try to identify things to do that nurture one’s mind, body and spirit.  

I love getting outside and into nature whenever I can.  Living in New York City means I have to be creative, but I look for parks, patches of green, and also being close to the water can be restorative (e.g.,East River, Hudson River, the reservoir in Central Park).  Getting outside and walking is a great tool, getting our body moving helps get us out of our head, and our head is not always a good neighborhood to be left alone in. 

Connecting with friends, especially when we are feeling overwhelmed is another way to practice self-compassion.  Most people I know value being there for their friends and or family, but can be reluctant to reach out when they are the one feeling down (and, aren’t we all worthy of having someone to share our thoughts and feelings with?). 

Listening to music and dancing is another way to shake things up, get us moving out of our head, and dancing around is a way to connect with the playful parts of our being. 

Taking baths and showers is a great reset, making the time to care for ourselves is letting our mind and body know we are worthy of the care, and is definitely a way to show some self care. 

Other strategies I use and recommend are writing/journaling, jigsaw puzzles, painting/drawing, meditation, and breath work. 

To learn more about Alison C. Baker, LCSW and her work, visit her profile and spotlight here.