By Melissa Bird
January is Mental Health Awareness Month, so once again our social media feeds and email inboxes are full of ways that we can be aware of our own mental health while tending to the needs of others. Rather than falling into the trap of thinking there might be five things you can do to take better care of your mental health, I invite us to expand how we think about how we take care of ourselves and others.
Each one of us has a mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual body. Each one of our bodies is connected to Mother Earth. When one or more of our bodies is out of alignment, we experience disease and difficulties. As humans being (yes, we are humans be-ing), we are called to a different way of interacting with the world and with our mental health. When we become more connected to the land, our bodies, and our spirits, we begin to interact differently with the world around us.
Like most things, our mental health is as individual as our personalities. Some of us may need intensive therapy for years, some medication, some a few quick talks with a priest or trusted spiritual mentor. Regardless of where we fall on the mental health spectrum, this month is an invitation to look closely at where we are out of alignment with ourselves. Where might you be more courageous and ask for help? How can you pay closer attention to the needs of the people closest to you?
As we collectively enter into this new year, let’s ask ourselves, “How can I be more open to navigating the unknown with grace?” One thing that has really helped my own mental health is to be more curious about how each of my days will go. Instead of waking up each morning with dread about how my day will be, I say to myself, “I wonder what is going to happen today?” This little shift in my thinking has profoundly changed my day-to-day outlook, thus making an impact on my four bodies and how I connect with others in my life journey.
John O’Donohue once wrote, “I would like to live like a river flows, carried by the surprise of its own unfolding.” Throughout this month, ponder the idea of life being a surprise. When difficulties arise for yourself or others, become curious about what it would be like to flow with what you are experiencing instead of forcing change. Embrace what may feel dark and chaotic. As long as there is breath in our bodies, there is one more day to be curious about how things might be.
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Melissa Bird seeks to inspire personal understanding through contemplation, helps people use their intuition to change their lives and communities, and encourages the healing of grief and loss through spiritual connection.