In order to feel good, taking care of your physical health is not enough; mental health is equally as—if not more—important. That’s why it’s crucial to take time to tend to yourself or say an encouraging word or two every once in a while.
Such positive ‘Notes To Self’ can be found on an Instagram page titled exactly that. Boasting more than 4.7 million followers, it shares amusing mental health memes, as well as positive messages, hearing which could likely benefit any of us. Scroll down to find some of them on the list below and take a moment for self-appreciation and a mental health check-in.
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It goes without saying that taking care of your mental health is a crucial part of looking after yourself; now arguably more than ever. According to Our World In Data, hundreds of millions of people nowadays suffer from detrimental conditions stemming from poor mental health, such as depression, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder, just to name a few.
Though, many individuals seemingly understand the importance of taking care of their mental well-being, as according to a global survey from 2020, the vast majority believe that mental health is either as important or more important than physical health (with 46% of respondents believing each of the two statements).
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Data from 2023 shows that even more people now consider mental health to be as important as physical; according to the Ipsos World Mental Health Day survey, roughly 78% respondents across 31 countries believe so. Yet unfortunately, only 34% say that mental and physical health are treated equally by the healthcare systems in their countries.
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The Ipsos survey has also found that one of the main factors that negatively influences our mental health is the seemingly ever-present stress. A third of respondents admitted it has affected their lives multiple times throughout the previous year and more than one-in-four admitted feeling so stressed on multiple occasions that it was difficult to cope with it; 39% shared that they have even taken time off work due to stress.
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People focusing on the fact that both mental and physical health are important is not the only connection there is between the two. Center For Disease Control And Prevention emphasized that one can directly influence the other; for example, such mental health conditions as depression can increase the risk of such conditions like diabetes and heart disease, while similarly, chronic conditions can lead to deteriorating mental health.
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The significance of mental health in regards to our overall well-being should be a great motivating force to focus on it every day. In a recent TEDx Talk, a licensed therapist and a co-host of the Take Two podcast, Lindsay Fleming, pointed out that investing in her mental health daily resulted in not only her feeling better internally, but achieving more externally as well.
One of the main points she suggested focusing on while tending to your mental health is self-awareness. “Building self-awareness daily helps us avoid [certain situations], and when unavoidable, manage emotional distress,” she pointed out.
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Fleming continued her talk by discussing the method she calls Take Two, aimed at helping people take care of their well-being with daily two-minute mental health check-ins.
The therapist explained that the Take Two approach consists of four main elements: time, awareness, knowledge, and engagement, with the first one being rather straightforward—dedicating two minutes of your time anytime during the day.
The second one, awareness, is based on what it is that you’re doing during those two minutes and asking yourself such questions like “How am I feeling?” or “What do my thoughts sound like?”. The third aspect suggests asking yourself if there’s anything that you need and coming up with a plan in case you do, and the fourth one—engaging in said plan.
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While daily mental health check-ins are likely to be more effective, reading a motivational quote—such as the ones shared on ‘Note To Self’—or giving yourself a pep talk every once in a while is unlikely to do any harm, either.
PsychCentral emphasized that words do have power in regards to both positive and negative experiences, which is why it’s important to choose your words carefully when talking to others. That’s also why it’s nice to be on the receiving end of something nice, whether told eye-to-eye or through an inspirational Instagram post.
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