We all know how important it is to be well but let’s face it – it can feel difficult to look at life right now without feeling like something’s off.
Good news: it’s perfectly ok to feel a range of emotions and by acknowledging that so many of us are feeling really big feelings, we’ll cultivate the courage we need to face the future with some hope.
Often, there’s a common misconception that “good mental health” means feeling happy, and “bad mental health” means feeling sad. A mentally healthy life includes the full range of human emotions – even the uncomfortable ones like sadness, fear, and anger.
As the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) points out this Mental Health Week, challenging ourselves to name how we feel, rather than numb it, reduces the intensity of negative emotions and supports good brain function too. Naming how we feel decreases activity in the amygdala, the part of the brain that drives our responses to fear and stress, and increases activity in the prefrontal control regions, parts of the brain associated with regulating and making sense of emotions.
Even in times of extreme anxiety and stress, mental health is something we can protect, not just something we can lose. Brushing aside how we feel can affect how we feel about ourselves, our relationships, our work productivity, sense of purpose, and can manifest into long-term health issues.
A new article by thought-leader Adam Grant looks at how languishing – a perpetual feeling of blah – is a big risk factor for mental illness. Part of the danger is that when we languish, we might not notice the “dulling of delight” or the “dwindling of drive”. Being indifferent to our indifference silently lets solitude slip into our lives, dulling our motivation and disrupting our ability to focus.
What’s something new that you’re doing to support yourself right now? If you’re comfortable, share your thoughts with others below.
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