Optimize Mental Health

To optimize means to make the most effective, or to improve efficiency. The topic of mental health is so much more than the state of mind we're constantly living in. It's how the brain operates, it's years of experience & learning, it's failures & successes, it's the build-up of thoughts, reasonings, and philosophies that shape who we are as humans. But how do we achieve good mental health? Or even optimize our mental health?

To fully understand this concept we must look inwards and take notice. Take notice of sensations, emotions, and the patterns of our thoughts. When we take notice of what's going on inside, we process what's happening outside. This experience of understanding our inner world is constantly overlooked as we feel as though we must live an extraordinary life in order to have something to share.

We all have different experiences. Who we are has been shaped by the years we've lived and challenges we've faced up to the present day. We are all living with internal thoughts, when those outside see nothing. An un-healthy mentality or a hardship we're facing can fuel our progress, it can create insight and emotion that we draw from. It can also get in the way of who we are trying to become, it can halt the process, and it can change who we are.

3 Takeaways:

1. "Be curious, not judgmental." - Ted Lasso
2. Who you are isn't defined by your failure or success, but who you are in the presence of it.
3. Hiding what is shameful is a shame.

Something to Note:

Powerful thoughts and emotions can be expressed in the work we create. These feelings can hover over us, begging to be numbed to sleep, or can be our fire for waking up in the morning.