Developing Relationships and Therapy: Mental Health and Stress Strategies 6 and 7

This week we will be having two strategies because I missed the last few months. I was tending to my mental health and stress. I guess I should do a strategy on that! 🙂 This month we will focus on developing relationships and therapy.

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These were good strategies to combine. In my mind they seem to flow well together. First up will be developing relationships. Then therapy will be next. Last I’ll combine them together.

Developing Relationships

Why would it be important to develop relationships to help your mental health and stress?

Simple! There are some relationships that will add to your stress and downfall of your mental health all the time. There are some that are give and take.

You want people in your life that are a good fit for you. Take the time to find them.

The more I have shared my stories and experiences the more open others have been to me. It has opened doors. People have been more willing to share about themselves to me. This has helped make our relationships better.

When you have people in your corner that TRULY want the best for you it makes a world of difference.

My advice? Find people that really listen to you when you start to open your heart to them. If they don’t then find someone else.

You do not need to spend your time with people who will not support you and love you for you. Life is too short. Don’t stay in a relationship if you don’t want to. Friends will come and go all throughout your life.

When you do find those that fight for you, cry with you, want the best for you; hold onto them.

Therapy

I’m going to be a broken record until the day I die. Therapy has saved my life. I’m not trying to be dramactic. It’s the truth, and probably for many people.

While I have had suicidal thoughts I have never acted on them, nor have I made plans. My thoughts have been mostly fleeting thoughts. That doesn’t make them any less scary or regretful.

I have been going to therapy for about 5 years. My eyes just popped out of my head! Really? It’s been that long? I was very blessed that the first therapist I went to clicked for me. Which I know that is not the case for many people.

I understand that! When I was about 22 I went to a therapist and it was okay. I went for a handful of times and then stopped. I wonder what would have happened if I found the therapist I go to now…

Maybe I just wasn’t ready at that point. Who knows. It’s in the past and nothing I can do about it. So I’ll move on and focus on the now.

Here are some reasons why therapy is the bomb!

• While you talk and think out loud you can sometimes see it from a different perspective than you had before. Something about sharing things to an indifferent person can be helpful.
• You can get things off your chest without hurting someone by talking behind their back. Hear me out! It may still be talking behind their back, but you are sharing it with someone that doesn’t know who you are talking about. So technically it’s not behind their back. Also, read number 3.
• They are trained professionals. They know more than you (Unless you are also a therapist, in that case they may know different things than you.). The advice they give you can be based on science and studies.
• I’m sure they have heard it all!!! Don’t be afraid to share everything. The more open you are, the more you can heal and get the correct help you need.
• If you are curious about any medications they can help get you started talking about it and give you recommendations that a prescribing doctor can do.
•  Like I’ve said before, it can saves lives. Maybe yours….

Putting Relationships and Therapy Together

When I first started to go to therapy Eddy made a comment like, Don’t let her make you turn on me. In my situation she certainly did not.

My therapst helped me to strengthen my relationship with Eddy and those around me that cared for me.

A good therapst will help you find the people that want the best for you. Then they will help you fight for and strengthen those relationships.

During therapy I talk about my kiddos, a lot. They are amazing. I love them.

Butttt…. they can be a huge source of stress for me. My therapst and I talk about how to help them a lot. We talk about things I can do to help me around them.

She has helped me strengthen my realtionships with the people I love the most.

As we navagate our days and lives with our mental health and stress there are little things we can do to help ourselves. And those around us. This blog post was about developing relationships and therapy. It was strategy 6. Here are the 5 strategies that came first:

• Strategy 1: Breathing
• Strategy 2: Meditation
• Strategy 3: Yoga
• Strategy 4: Exercise
• Strategy 5: Self-Care

Thanks for your love and support! If you liked this post and you found it helpful please share. 🙂

xxx, Steph