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Mental health according to the WHO (World Health Organization) is “a state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully and is able to make a contribution to his or her community.” With this in mind, we all strive to maintain our mental health and peace. Unfortunately, that does not always happen, and our mental health is compromised. Personally, I suffer from depression and anxiety, and it often clashes in my journey to my dream career and professional goals. It makes the already rough road even rougher, almost impossible, some days. At least, that is how I feel on those dark days. So, how can I and possibly you navigate this road? By using The Let it Flow and Pacing Yourself strategies.
The Let it Flow Strategy
This strategy was given to me by my therapist as a tool used to help me mange my depression and anxiety. Let It Flow, is the process of not analyzing right in the moment, rather letting the depression and anxiety run its course. Case in point, during my episodes of depression and anxiety, I would start to dissect my feelings; trying to figure out what were the cause(s) of my triggers and how I could avoid them. This was the worst thing I could do; I was essentially prolonging the episodes and causing myself more harm.
When I started using The Let It Flow strategy, my mind became a little freer and more focused. I was able to avoid delays and instead increased my manuscript writing time, my book blog, and overall focus on my career path and professional writing goals. I am not saying I do not have my days where I still feel bad and have negative thoughts, because I do, but with this method my comebacks have been quicker and more efficient.
Pace Yourself
Learn to trust the process. This is where I and a lot of other people stumble. We are always rushing towards the finishing line. We want our careers now, despite knowing there are a multitude of steps ahead before we can begin or re-establish our careers. Instead of rushing, we need to be enjoying and learning each step of progress we make, on our way to the finish line. However, this feeling of running out of time intensifies when mental health is in play. You must learn to be kind to the process, appreciate the steps and goals you have achieved along the way. Thinking positively about the journey and future, will reinforce the pace yourself notion and remove the “finish line rush.”
In the end, your mental health is important and needs to be taken care of. If you are like me and suffer from depression and anxiety, these two strategies will help you overcome the negative thoughts and feelings that come with them, so you can place your focus on continuing your dreams and career goals. It has helped me immensely and I continue to use the Let It Flow and Pace Yourself strategies daily.
Do you have any more advice for overcoming depression and anxiety while pursuing your career goals? Let us know down in the comments.
This article originally published on GREY Journal.
