Frazzled Dazzled (Knowing is half the battle)

I often wonder how much more we would learn and discover about ourselves if we prioritize our mental health as much as we do our physical health. Also, what if we prioritize our spiritual well being along with those things. How much better off we would be as human beings? I come from a background where physical health was prioritized on some level and spiritual well being as well because my father was a pastor and my mother worked in the health field. But mental health, especially for my culture, was pushed to the side. Plus, who could afford it? It was not covered by insurance back then. All you needed was prayer and deliverance in my community or accepting that something was “wrong” with that person.

Yet, we understood and understand to this day that alcoholics and drug addicts need intervention programs to help them to break the habit. I wonder if people stop to think who’s behind these programs? People have to talk to counselors, therapists, psychiatrists and psychologists. These programs are science based. Yet, the stigma around mental health and mental well being remains. I do believe it’s decreasing. Thankfully, and rightfully so. The reason I advocate for it is because I know the rewards and benefits of understanding YOU will help you immensely in this life. Understanding others has a variable and it may or may not help you. But when you understand YOU in all of the ways you can understand yourself, there grows a more unified YOU. You have pieces to the puzzle of you.

Yesterday morning and mid morning I was having a good day. I was on task and suddenly there was a problem with what I was working on. It took me over an hour to fix it. Afterwards, it seemed as if while everything was okay, I was not. I could not calm down and the fact that I couldn’t calm down was upsetting me. And then other thoughts about life started to creep in it became a battle in the mind about why can’t I just calm down? “It’s over now. That’s nothing to be so wound up about. Normal people would be frustrated and then relieved. And move on. If only you were normal. What is wrong with me? Why do I have to deal with anxiety. I want my regular calm day back.” These are the thoughts in some of our heads who deal with anxiety regularly and with the everyday woes of life. Why was I thinking about all of this other stuff that I was not thinking about at all. Eventually, and far too long because it took up my entire evening, I was finally okay. I was able to sleep well.

Knowing more about why you do what you do, think the way you think, and behave the way you do when it’s not constructive or helpful to your way of life is so important. Yes, it could be because of your past, your present, or even your future. It could be trauma or drama related. It could be childhood or adulthood. Have you ever heard the saying, “The more you know, the more you grow?” or if you ever loved watching G.I. Joe at the of the episode there was a teachable moment and the narrator would say, “And knowing is half the battle.” I am discovering more and more about myself and it has helped me tremendously. I am learning the “why” connected to my having a hard time returning back to normal sometimes. My brain can stay locked in on a thing long after it is over. Before I understood I was just tell people, “I don’t like to argue or get upset. It takes me too long to calm down.” And I didn’t mean a few hours. I meant several or days. And I would ruminate over what happened. I mean run it into the ground. I wouldn’t me mad or mean or carry the thing out with the person. It was internal.

After I did 45 minutes of yin yoga aimed for the mind to destress and prepare for bed, I listened to an anxiety/sleep talk down. One of my favorites on YouTube is Chibs Okereke for sleep meditation, anxiety, insomnia, etc. This is the one that helped me last night https://youtu.be/fY9vX3YpI-M?si=p-jbeqPRnh7AlqxG

So, I hope you know, no matter your age or standing on therapy, science, etc. that it’s okay to change your mind about it. It’s okay to want to know more about yourself to better yourself. Why would you not want to understand one of the most important people in your life? Especially, if it will improve your over all well-being, increase longevity, and improve relationships? Especially, with the one you have with yourself. Knowing is the gateway to learning what to do about it. And then comes practicing what you learn.

~Nikki