The ‘M’ in March Means Mental Health. This month I am sharing with you a series of mental health related posts. There is such a stigma attached to mental health and we all need to realise how disrespectful it is to overlook this issue. In the UK, about 30% of young people have mental health problems. That is a huge number. That’s approximately 1 in 3 people! So, for those of you suffering, I hope these posts gives you some help. And for the other 70%, I hope these posts remind you to be more aware of your own mental health. Caring for your mind is just as important as caring for your body. So please tag along in this journey as we all shares our thoughts together. An overwhelming number of people wanted to help in this cause so I’ll also share with you their perspectives on mental health too!

When I shared the ‘March For Mental Idea’ on my Instagram I had so many positive responses. There were so many people that wanted to help. This post is an accumulation of the responses I received! Hope you find them beneficial!

“Firstly I would say allow yourself to heal, if there is something in your life that is clearly making you sick and you can do something about it, change it. Stop waiting to be happy, its easy to do, simply saying, I can’t wait until… but life’s short so its better to make small changes and live in the moment. Take one day at a time if you can, write a list of the five most important things you need to do in your day, no matter how small they seem and tick them off as you go, anything extra is a bonus. Lastly, remember its a slow process and it may never go away completely but it will get easier with time and before you know it you are doing things you never dreamed you could.”  – Pages & Paws (@pages.paws)

Check out her wonderful bookish Instagram! You’ll also find lots of dog photos there too (you don’t want to miss them!)

“The worst part of having a mental illness is people expect you to behave as if you don’t.” – Joker

Why is it that people who are mentally unwell are shunned by our society? Why is it that we become so uncomfortable when people talk about their mental illness? Why do we run away from mentally unwell people simply because we feel that we cannot ‘handle’ their illness? Why is it that people think that mental illness is not a ‘real’ thing?

It is as real as a broken bone, or a swollen hand. It is not a way to gain attention. Of course, there are some people who use mental illness as a way to gain attention without actually being ill, but there are genuine people out there who are drowning in their own minds. And instead of supporting them, instead of understanding them, we tell them to ‘knock it off’ and we shun them. Why?

To the people suffering from mental illness: it’s okay to be unstable. It’s okay to disassociate. It’s okay to hide from the world. It’s okay to need help.

It’s okay not to be okay. Your mental illness is not a personal failure! Please do seek help from a therapist if you need it. They will help you. Do not destroy yourself for fear of the society. One in every three people suffer from mental illness! I know it may feel like it, but you are not alone. Don’t give up on yourself. Your mental illness is just a part of you, do not let it define you. – Adena Andvers

Please read more of Adena’s work via her blog. You can also see her amazing photos on Instagram!

Thank you so much for reading this post. Over the next few weeks there will be more posts like this. Including a collaboration with Jules (Casual & Up Close). It’s been really exciting to work with my followers for such a great cause. Please feel free to speak to me if ever you are suffering. I’ll always be here for you 🙂

Are you having a good day? How are you going to priorities your mental health this month?

erin x

Contact me:

Instagram

Goodreads