By Hann Boecker, BE YOU Program Coordinator
Mental health is such a vital aspect of life to take care of because it affects everything around you. I think that as we get older we forget to care for ourselves as we are bogged down by the everyday stressors. I am someone who sees life through a very analytical lens, life to me has always been black and white. In a world where everything is in the grey area, that can make working in the mental health field difficult at times.
I find myself working in circles sometimes and having epiphanies that might seem like common sense for others. However, the beauty I have found in this work is always learning from the people I serve.
I have learned more from my experiences in the mental health world than I ever would have from reading a research article. I have learned that the complexity of the human experience is so beautiful. You have to go off the beaten path at times to help support those who feel there are no ways to heal from past experiences. Not only have I loved being a support for others, but this work has taught me a lot about myself that I’m not sure I would have learned otherwise.
It makes me a better person, and I take that learned experience and pour it into everything I do.
Something that I have been really intentional about as of recently is pouring into my coping skills. Coping is something that as helping professionals we work towards with our people served, but oftentimes I see a lot of us not pouring into our own coping mechanisms.
Finding the time in the day feels impossible or by the end of the day it feels like exhaustion takes over. With everything that I have learned through my work in mental health while taking care of my own mental health is to find the joy in things we love and be intentional with that. It has helped me as a black and white thinker find beauty in the grey.
Some examples of healthy coping skills:
- Drawing or sketching
- Spending time in your community
- Getting involved in a cause you care about
- Taking a walk outside
- Cooking for others and yourself
- Journaling
