Just last week, I published a blog post about the reasons why I am blogging about mental health. I want to expand on that a little bit this week. I know that all of us have been affected in some way or another in the past year because of covid-19. It hasn’t been easy to cope with all of the curveballs that have been thrown at us. We have all been pushed to our limits. I think many of us now realize how important our mental health is.
Bipolar disorder has affected my life in many ways, but my decisions in how I have treated my body and brain since I was a teenager have only exacerbated the disorder. In a way though, I’m glad I pushed my body to its limits because I now know what they are, and I have a better appreciation for the calm in-between mood. And I’m also happy that I pushed myself to my limits before this pandemic. I’m not sure I could have survived the massive changes we’ve experienced in the past year while in an unstable mood.
But here we are. It’s 2021, and we have all had to change our lives drastically. It’s clear now, more than ever, that our mental health is the absolute most important thing for us to be focusing on. But still, there aren’t enough people talking about it. That’s why I’m here. I’m one more person that chooses to speak up about mental health through this blog. I can’t keep silent about it. I have to talk about it.
By talking about mental health weekly through this blog, I am always reminded of my own. It is actually my priority these days. I don’t think there has been a day that’s gone by that I don’t think about my mind since I got it balanced. That’s a good thing. I simply can not lose my mind again like I did when I had my first manic episode in 2018.
2020 was a pretty good year for me, but 2021 looks even better. I believe we are all capable of having a good year. But first, we must not get ahead of ourselves. We must remain present in every moment taking it step-by-step, as slow and meticulous as possible or we might derail. Do we want that? No. I know I don’t. That’s why I’m writing this blog. I intend to write a new post every week. I like to think of it as a weekly check-in with myself and the world.
Don’t let me forget to reiterate my opinion that we should all be talking more about our mental health. Many people don’t want to talk about it, but I do. And I probably will for as long as I live. So, umm, as long as you’re reading this blog, then I can almost guarantee that the topic will directly or indirectly relate to mental health.
And as for checking in this week, I’m doing good. My school assignments are done (I’m ahead of schedule actually). My surgery got rescheduled because my air humidifier made me sick (I neglected to regularly clean it – oops). But, how are you all doing? What’s on everyone’s mind?