How’s your mental health?

May is mental health awareness month. So, I have to ask, how’s your mental health?

Today might be the day you check in with yourself. Mental health is just as important as our physical health. Just like we need to take care of our physical health, we need to take care of our mental health too.

The definition of mental health is “a person’s condition with regard to their psychological and emotional well-being.”

Our well-being is all encompassing. It includes all the parts of who we are. So, I’m asking you to check in with yourself today. How are you feeling? Together, I believe, we can find some ways to tend to our mental health; like breathing exercises, meditation, exercise, and even sharing with one another.

But first, I want to tell you a story.

Once upon a time, there was this young woman in her twenties. She was married to a wonderful man. They had a beautiful little boy, and she owned her own business. They went to church every Sunday together. Their life seemed pretty perfect.

This woman really loved her church. Whenever the church had events; like fundraisers, bible studies, mission opportunities, fellowship meals, she was there. Anytime the church doors were open, she was there. And the doors were open a lot.

This went on for a long time, like 10 years. Wife, mother. business-owner, church-lover. Wife, mother, business-owner, church-lover. Round and round she went. Doing and doing, all the time.

But you cannot do everything all the time, or things begin to suffer.

We have to pay attention to our mental health. Balance is key in anything we do.

But she was way too busy to pay attention and she had no balance.

So, she did not notice her home life was not so perfect anymore. Now, this woman was in her 30’s, and she was way out of balance.

The business was struggling, the church had its own issues, and her husband had reached a point where he was ready to leave.

He did not want to leave because he did not love her anymore. In fact, he loved her so much. He just wanted his wife back.

The good news is, he did not leave. Instead, they talked. And for the first time in a long time, she listened.

Shortly thereafter, they began going to marriage counseling and things were getting better.

I’m sure, by now you know, this woman is me. And I am happy to say Travis and I celebrated our 25^th wedding anniversary last September.

But that’s not the end of this story.

A few months later, I began having a strange tingling in my hands. It came on fast and acted like vertigo. I began having trouble with my vision. I went to the doctor, who sent me straight to the ER. Everyone thought I had a brain tumor. But after lots of tests, no brain tumor could be found.

But, I kept getting sicker. At the worst of it, I could not even get out of bed. For six weeks, I could not eat, drink, or even have a conversation. I could not tolerate light or sound. I was in complete sensory overload. It was the scariest time of my life.

When I came out of it, I was left with anxiety and panic attacks. It was my body’s way of dealing with all the stress I had been under.

I still struggle with anxiety. And, when I don’t tend to my mental health, it tells on me.

Scripture tells us “to be anxious about nothing but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, lift up our requests.” 

Jesus tells us the same thing in Matthew 6:25, “do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body,…”

Instead, “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

Sometimes, just talking about our struggles helps. Talking with someone can be so healing.

I want to encourage you today to pay attention to yourself. Pay attention to you mental well-being. If you are willing to listen, your body will tell you exactly what it needs. If you are feeling anxious and stressed out, pause. Take some deep breaths. Utter a prayer and remind yourself to be anxious about nothing. Find a friend and honestly share about your feelings, even if it is uncomfortable.

If you feel like you are struggling today, check out my resources page or this site from Mental Health America.

Our mental health is part of who we are. It is critical that we take care of ourselves. That way, we can go out and do the work God has called us to do.

Let us pray;

God of all that is, thank you for always being with us. Thank you for hearing us with we cry out to  you. Help us to not be anxious about anything. We love you so much. Bring friends into our lives that truly care about our well-being. In Jesus name, Amen. 

P.S. If you would like to read more about my story, check out The Me Disease; a Spiritual Journey from me to WE, in paperback or audio version. Leave me a comment below because I care about you. Share this message with a friend who might be struggling. I’ll see you back here next week. -M