As I have come out the other end of a mental health nightmare I'm starting to share the golden nuggets that allowed me to heal. Throughout my 13 year fight towards mental health I experienced enough challenges along the way to learn certain principles hold heavy weight in healing, recovering and soon thriving.

Why is mental health so challenging? In my theory, it's 2 main components. Definition and ownership.

Have you clearly defined what mental health truly, truly means to you? 

Then, once establishing definition, have you taken ownership of your own mental health? 

These are big questions that most of us ignore on a daily basis. We're just busy. It takes intention to make this work.

Open your journal, and write down your individual definition of mental health. Give it time, give yourself space to find these answers. It may take days, weeks, months but start with a few bullet points. Then plug them into your self talk. 

Secondly, write down exactly how you are going to take ownership of your mental health, i.e.. visit a therapist, start meditating, start exercising, start reading self-help books, find an online life coach, just get creative! Once you write it down, take action on it. 

Mental health can bring you down or lift you up. When we are having mental health challenges it's important to be brave enough to be vulnerable. It might be difficult for you to start writing down your own definition of mental health but start simple and light. Keep the shame and guilt out of it. Stay focused on defining and envisioning what you look like as a 'mentally healthy' person. Not what other people see you as, but how envision yourself. 

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