Therapy Isn’t For Emergencies

      

Blooming Season Family! 

Remember how emotional I was last week? Well, it was a combination of two things. 

1. I was feeling so awesome for a while so I stopped doing my journal therapy for a few days. 
2. IT WAS THE WEEK BEFORE MY PERIOD. I didn’t know that at the time. Sorry if this is too much information but WOW that week before my period feels as if all of the forces of hell are unleashed against me. HOT MESS. 

I’m feeling much better now. Hell week has passed and I’ve been doing my journal therapy each day, which is what led me to think about the fact that therapy isn’t for just for emergencies. 

Sure, you can seek therapy in the midst of an emergency. There’s nothing wrong with that but I believe therapy is something that should be done even when everything seems to be perfectly fine. 

The human heart is like a deep sea with a million miles worth of undiscovered items and every single day the heart accumulates more and more stuff. 

This is why it’s important for us to do the work it takes to make sure that we not only guard our hearts but also dig into them, to begin the process of healing the old wounds that continue to produce behavior in our present day lives. 

The consistent daily mental maintenance creates an inner strength that can withstand the rainy days like a house with a solid roof in the midst of a storm. 

Last week, my roof was fragile, the rain tore it apart and water began to flood in. 

My point is that, therapy in the middle of an emergency is more like frantic damage control after the disaster. 

It is completely impossible to avoid hardship in this life but it is possible to fight with dignity and obtain the victory. 

Taking a few minutes each day to pay attention to the song that you’re mind is playing is how you can guarantee a fair fight against all of the unexpected sounds that arise. 

This kind of consistency reminds me of the verses that say, “rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

I’ve ALWAYS had a tough time with those verses. 

How in the world are we supposed to rejoice ALL the time? Pray ALL THE TIME? And give thanks for EVERYTHING? Even the bad stuff? 

Taking some time each day to take care of my mental health has helped me better understand those verses. 

• The work that goes into taking care of our mental health includes prayer, which is the honest expression of the condition of our soul. 
• The work also includes working through the reality of our circumstances, finding perspective and practicing gratitude instead of sinking into hopelessness. 
• The rejoicing arises while we do the work it takes to heal and take care of our mental health. 

Is this easy? 

Nope. 

Nothing worth having is easy but it is possible. 

As long as we take it one day at a time. 

So, I’ve promised myself that I’m going to take the time to take better care of my mental health every day, even on the days when the sun is shining bright and I feel joyous because there’s always something to work on as long as we’re alive. 

That’s just part of being human. 

And I’m learning that the more I heal and grow emotionally, the more I can genuinely enjoy my life, even when it’s pouring rain. 

That’s all for today my friends. 

Identify what it looks like, for you, to take the best care of your mental health. 

For me, it looks like writing, working out, doing my spiritual practices and meditating. 

Whatever it is for you, do it and be consistent because it’s worth it. 

Think of it this way : 

Laying one brick down at a time will eventually give you a beautiful home. 

For today, just focus on that one brick, that one page, that one workout, that one prayer, that one activity that will move you closer towards your best self. 

We got this!