Okay, so today I wanted to talk about something a bit different – diving into the world of mental health and therapy. Specifically, I’ve been doing some digging on Commonwealth Psychology Assoc., and I thought I’d share my little journey with you guys.

It all started a few weeks ago when I was feeling a bit overwhelmed. You know, life gets crazy, work piles up, and sometimes you just need a little help to sort things out. So, I decided it was time to look into some therapy options. I’d heard good things about online therapy, like BetterHelp, and how convenient it is, with all that flexible scheduling and stuff.
First thing I did was to start by listing all the questions I had in my mind. Like, “What even is psychotherapy?” I mean, I had a vague idea, but I wanted to really understand what I was getting into. Then I started digging around online, reading articles and watching some videos. I learned that psychotherapy is all about gaining insight into your thoughts and feelings, which sounded pretty cool.
Then, I stumbled upon this whole thing about the 5 steps to improve your mental health. I mean, it was super simple stuff, like staying active, connecting with people, learning new things, giving to others, and being mindful. I was like, “Well, duh, I know that,” but then I realized I wasn’t really doing any of those things consistently. Whoops.
Anyways, I also checked out NHS Better Health and their Every Mind Matters program. They had a bunch of expert advice and tips, which was helpful. I learned about 7 areas where you can make changes to boost your mental health. Things like sleep, nutrition, social connections, and purpose. Again, it seemed obvious, but putting it all into practice is a whole other story.
- Stay active: I started going for walks during my lunch breaks.
- Connect with people: I made an effort to call my mom more often.
- Learn new things: I picked up my old guitar and started practicing again.
- Give to others: I volunteered at a local animal shelter.
- Be mindful: I tried meditating for 10 minutes each morning.
Realization
After reading all this stuff, I realized that therapy isn’t just about fixing problems. It’s also about learning how to cope with life’s ups and downs. I read about 6 important facts about mental health and how counseling can help you learn coping strategies. That really hit home for me. I mean, who doesn’t need better coping strategies, right?
And then there was this article about how therapy can sometimes get stuck on just making you feel good about yourself, without actually changing your life. It talked about how perfectionists struggle with loving themselves before others. As someone who definitely leans towards perfectionism, that was a real eye-opener. I figured that I had to learn how to be okay with making mistakes and not being perfect all the time.
So yeah, that’s been my little adventure into the world of mental health and therapy. It’s been a bit of a rollercoaster, but I feel like I’m learning a lot about myself and how to navigate life a little better. I’ll keep you guys posted on how things go. Stay tuned!