Put your Mental Health as Top Priority

Are there days where you feel like the weight of the world is on your shoulders? Do you feel like everyone’s expecting the most from you and the pressure is just too much? Whether you’re an average Joe working a 9-5 job or a famous celebrity, we all worry about making mistakes or want to quit. We all struggle with fears and insecurities due to pressure.

In recent news, 24-year-old American gymnast Simone Biles withdrew from the Tokyo Olympics on Tuesday to focus on her well-being and mental health. She explained in an interview that when in a highly stressful situation, you tend to freak out and it can be difficult to fight your worries in your own head. The gymnast’s previous trauma also played a role in her withdrawal. Biles told Times magazine her main focus in her attendance in the Tokyo Olympics was to inspire and represent gymnasts and women of colour. However, since 2018 Biles has spoke out about having suffered sexual abuse from the former US gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar and explained how attending training facilities where she was abused as she trained for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics was extremely challenging and evoked past trauma. Biles saw no other option but to pull out of the Tokyo Olympics to focus on her mental health. 

As a prominent figure in the world, Simone’s actions have brought international attention to an ever present problem in 2021, prioritizing mental health over societal pressures. We all experience pressure, whether it be from our families to attain good grades at school, working hard to ensure a promotion at work or sticking to a hobby or goal we set out to achieve. To make it worse, social media can bring out great pressure to work harder and achieve more as others post about their ‘wins’ and display their lives as highlight reels online. In recent years this has created a ‘hustle culture’. Hustle culture is the concept of dedicating as much time and energy as possible to work in order to achieve and it has further stigmatized quitting. However, hustle culture has increased pressure on individuals to take their mental health for granted in order to succeed in high pressure environments. 

Simone Biles’ actions have shown great courage in demonstrating that mental health and well-being should always be considered top priority and quitting to put yourself first is ok.

At PsyMood we know this can be easier said than done, so here are some ways to ensure you put your mental health and well-being in the daily pressures of work and life.

Maintain a Work-Life Balance 

Work can be a great way to fulfil a sense of purpose in your life and is also crucial to pay your way. However, when engrossed and dedicated to work often looking after yourself can come second. Overworking can cause fatigue, anxiety and general unhappiness. It is important to dedicate time away from work and enjoy other aspects of life whether that be socializing with friends, catching up with loved ones or being alone to enjoy relaxation or a fun hobby. Maintaining a work-life balance is crucial to preventing bad mental health as a result of being overworked.

Set your own Achievable Goals 

It’s important to set goals that you know you can achieve without overworking yourself. Are you planning to write a book? Set times and dates for your drafts, edits and revisions. Planning on gaining some muscle? Have a schedule for what days you are able to do push ups, sit ups or going for runs. Even setting the smallest goals can improve your mind and well-being, and with that also boost your self-confidence. Accomplishments can come in any size so don’t compare your goals to others. Focus on achieving your own realistic goals and trust you can achieve anything you put your mind to!

Break Times over Burnout

So many of our goals are inspired by those we see succeed around us. Inspiration is a great way to encourage us to work hard, especially when we see those who look like us in industries previously dominated by the more privileged. However, social and cultural pressure can cause us to solely focus on this end goal and neglect other parts of our life, especially our mental health. This is known as ‘burnout’. Burnout is described as a state of mental and physical exhaustion as a result of overworking. It is so important to listen to your body to prevent burnout and take breaks away from work and study to let your body relax from long days as it is only with rest we have the ability to carry on. 

If you feel the need to talk to someone about your mental health, PsyMood is here for you. Our mental health specialists can speak your language and understand your culture.

Sign up today to speak with a specialist. We offer sessions at any time, anyplace! It is great to be open and honest with others when you feel overwhelmed with social interactions as those around you will be most likely able to relate and can support you however you feel most comfortable.

Listen to your Social Battery

Just as it is important to listen to your body for signs of burnout and stress, it is also important to take note of your social battery. After a global pandemic, we have suffered the effects of being removed from society for a considerable amount of time. Many of us become exhausted from a single social interaction or face anxiety when entering social scenarios we would have previously embraced. Just as it is ok to take time away from working towards your goals to recover and replenish, it is ok to take time from socializing too. It is great to be open and honest with others when you feel overwhelmed with social interactions as those around you will be most likely able to relate and can support you however you feel most comfortable.

It’s Ok to Quit

The term ‘quit’ socially has negative connotations and many associate it with failure or a lack of being able to achieve. However, not everything we start is meant for us to finish. It is only when beginning something, whether that be a new hobby, job or even a book, that we more precisely understand what we enjoy and are good at. Quitting something that you no longer enjoy or is causing distress can lead to discovering something else more rewarding, so don’t be afraid to quit!

If you feel the need to talk to someone about your mental health, PsyMood is here for you. Our mental health specialists can speak your language and understand your culture. Sign up today to speak with a specialist. We offer sessions at any time, anyplace!

Talk with a specialist that understands you.  Sign up today for a free 15-minute session.