THE IMPORTANCE OF DOWN TIME FOR YOUR MENTAL HEALTH

This is a blog post, I’ve wanted to release for a few months but I’ve been too scared to publish but I thought why not blogging is an escape for me from my busy life!

I saw this quote above today and realised that the first saw it was 5 years ago, when I was really struggling with my A-Levels and the pressure of deciding what I wanted to do with my future. My mental health was so bad along with my anxiety (which was very little and I managed to hide from many people!) But with Mental Health being spoke about these days it's lovely to see, and I am not afraid to talk anymore.

When I was a school/ Sixth Form, Mental Health was a very hard subject to mention and if you did the looks you would get would be the worst. The school council was rarely in so many people (I know when school had to suffer in silence and this wasn't right. It's only now I look back I realise how wrong it was.)

I have learnt that over the past few years that I was becoming more stressed over silly little things yet to me they were the biggest of things from for example, the times I was doing things, to not be able to have a routine, not sleeping long enough, being worried about anything (mostly for no reason!) and when you feel you have so much pressure on you, I started blaming myself for everything (good and bad with the bad things going round and round in my head for months and I was making myself ill.)

But it's thanks to certain people over the past 18 months that I have learnt it's ok to have days like that and the most important thing is to stop bottling all my emotions up. I make sure I tell someone when I am struggling and talk (talking to someone I trust for me is such a massive help and I feel so lucky someone listens and generally cares for about my health.

Other things I have learnt to do to help my mental health

• FINALLY learnt to accept myself and my feelings (I am important and the way I feel determines my mood and day!
• Started to do something I enjoy - helps me to relax if I have had a stressful day.
• Take time to talk with your friends - taking 5 minutes to talk with a friend can take your mood from 0 to 7/8 within a short space of time and it can help you both so much, more than you will probably ever know.
• Take A Break - something you just need to step back from Social Media, catch up with your family/ friends, go on a day out with family/ friends, or even go on holiday to relax.
• And the most important for me is asking for help - people think it's being weak asking but being honest you are actually showing what a strong person you are with being willing to ask such a hard question.

What I do to help me relax?

I have learnt to always make sure that I take at least 30 minutes a day to do something I love whether it's watching TV for example my favourite thing is watching the soaps, talking with family/ friends, blogging or just simply listening to country music.

But my favourite thing to do that helps me to take my mind of everything is meeting up with my best friends in our favourite place, Leeds as well as Manchester. They have stood by me through so much and I feel like the luckiest girl knowing them!

Or like this weekend spending my time at a Country Music Festival and just enjoying myself with no worries.

Final piece of advice, don't worry about what others think as long as it makes you happy do it!

STOP comparing yourself to others as on Social Media people often only show the good... Everyone has bad days (yes we don't broadcast them) but they are the days that makes us, us!