10 Gentle Reminders for Anyone Struggling With Their Mental Health

We all struggle with our mental health sometimes. It’s all simply part of being human and yet honestly, when we are in the middle of that struggle, it can often feel so isolating. It can make us feel like we are the only ones struggling and that we are failing in life.

This is exactly what I felt. This past year has been tough on my mental health. I faced so many problems, back-to-back disappointments, and failures. It took a really great toll on my mental health to the point that I felt constantly exhausted, defeated, and hopeless.

I can’t even begin to tell you the number of sleepless nights that I had, plagued with so many worries and anxiety. There were so many days when even getting out of bed was a struggle. Days when I started believing that maybe I was doomed to just suffer and that things would never get better.

If you’re currently feeling this way too, please know that you are not broken. You are not weak and you are certainly not failing in life. In this blog post, I will be sharing with you important reminders that have greatly helped me through my darkest days.

While these reminders did not magically fix and solve all my problems, they did give me the strength and hope to keep going even when life felt too heavy. I’m hoping that some of these reminders will resonate with you and help you in your darkest moments too.

Gentle Reminders for Anyone Struggling With Their Mental Health

1. You Don’t Need To Have Everything Figured Out Right Now

We often have this notion that the only way for us to succeed and improve our lives is to figure everything out all at once. I used to believe this too.

When I was navigating a challenging time in my life, I wanted to turn my life around as quickly as possible so I pushed myself to figure out every answer, every step and just fix everything all at once. I believed that I needed to see the whole picture first before I even allowed myself to take action just to make sure that I wouldn’t be making any mistakes.

I didn’t realize that the more pressure I put on myself to have everything figured out all at once, the more overwhelmed and stressed I become. It took so much toll on my mental health to the point that I was paralyzed by fear. I was so miserable and I was constantly anxious.

It took some time for me to finally realize that often, one of the best things that we can do for our mental health, especially when we are already going through so much, is to allow ourselves to take things one at a time. We don’t have to solve everything all at once. We don’t need to have all the answers.

Constantly pushing ourselves to do this does not really help us grow and move forward, it only keeps us stuck and it just greatly negatively impacts our mental health and well being.

2. You Don’t Have To Carry Everything Alone

I have always found it so difficult to ask for help. It didn’t really matter if I was already drowning in so many problems, I still pretended that I was okay to everyone that I loved. I used to believe that since these were my problems, naturally I should be the only one to fix them.

Also, to be honest, the real reason why I always avoided reaching out and asking for help even to the people closest to me was that I didn’t really want to burden them with my struggles. I know that they are also facing their own challenges and I didn’t want to add any more to their plate. I didn’t want them to think that I was weak or that I wasn’t capable of handling my own life.

If you feel the same way too, I want you to know that you will never be a burden to the people who truly love and care for you. Reaching out and asking for help and support doesn’t mean that you are weak or that you are not capable of fixing your problems, it simply means that you are human.

And human as we are, we all have our limitations and we were never meant to carry everything on our own. Please know that the people who love you genuinely want to be there for you, not just during your happiest moments but also when you’re struggling.

So, please always remember that there is nothing wrong with reaching out and asking for help. Please allow yourself to lean on others when everything feels heavy. Please don’t hesitate to say I’m not okay and to ask for support when you need it. Life can be difficult and often we all need someone in our corner to hold our hand and help us navigate difficult moments.

3. Struggling Doesn’t Mean That You Are Failing

Have you ever felt like the moment life gets hard, it must mean that you are not doing enough or that you are doing something wrong? I used to feel the same way too.

I used to have this notion that struggling was a sign that I wasn’t pushing myself enough and that I was failing. I believed if I was doing the right things, if I was smarter, and if I worked harder, then things shouldn’t feel this heavy and hard.

It took a real wake-up call for me to realize that this mindset was not only destroying my mental health, but also making me feel so miserable and unhappy. It was also negatively impacting my confidence and it was making me feel like I was never good enough to do anything.

We have to remind ourselves that just because we are struggling now doesn’t mean that we are failing or that we are not pushing ourselves enough. Struggling doesn’t reflect our efforts and capabilities.

We all struggle from time to time. It’s all part of being human. Everyone, regardless of how capable, driven, or put together they may seem have moments when things feel too heavy and difficult.

So, if you’re struggling now, please remind yourself that you are not broken, you are not falling behind and this certainly doesn’t define your abilities.

Gentle Reminders for Anyone Struggling With Their Mental Health

4. Your Worth Is Not Measured By How Much You Get Done

Growing up, I was made to believe that my worth was tied to two things. One would be based on how much I can do for others and the other would be based on how much I achieved and how productive I was. I took this belief with me as I grew older.

I can’t even begin to tell you the number of times I pushed myself to exhaustion and burnout trying to get everything done. I was constantly pushing myself to work harder and do more, thinking that if I allowed myself to even slow down just a little bit then I would no longer be enough. I believed that rest needs to be earned and that if I didn’t push myself to work harder, then it meant that I was lazy and unworthy.

But I was wrong. Constantly pushing myself to exhaustion and burnout didn’t make me more worthy. It just made me so unhappy and constantly overwhelmed and anxious. I’ve learned that I was wrong to keep believing that my worth was measured by how much I do for others and how much I get done.

Our worth is never based on those things. Our worth is inherent. We are worthy just as we are now. Our worth doesn’t increase when we do more and it certainly doesn’t decrease when we slow down and rest. Please know that even on days when you don’t get anything done, you are still enough and you are still worthy.

5. Healing Is Not Linear

Every time I go through disappointments, heartaches, and setbacks, I always find myself thinking that I shouldn’t feel any pain anymore and that I should already be past this. After all, I have already made so much progress in moving forward and healing.

I have always assumed that healing was meant to be a straight line and that every time I feel like the pain starts to creep back in then that meant that I was back to square one and that I needed to heal all over again.

But I was wrong. Healing is never linear. Just because we feel so much better now doesn’t mean that we won’t have days when the pain and heartache resurface. And just because the pain starts to creep back in doesn’t mean that we have undone all the progress that we have made.

Healing will always have its ups, downs, and turns. There will be days when we feel like we are making so much headway but there will also be days when we feel like we have taken two steps back. During those days, let’s remind ourselves that just because we are hurting again doesn’t mean that we are not making progress.

What we are going through is completely normal. It’s all part of the process and it certainly doesn’t mean that there’s something wrong with us. The bad days don’t cancel out the good days. They don’t erase the strength and resilience it took to get you this far.

6. You Deserve The Same Kindness You Give Others

It’s so easy to become our worst critic. I’m certainly guilty of this too. For the longest time, I have always been my own harshest critic. I would constantly beat myself up for even the smallest mistake. I would magnify all my flaws and I always made myself believe that I was never good enough.

When I was going through a difficult time, this bad habit only magnified. I become overly critical of all my actions and if I made even the smallest mistake, I would let it consume me. I would automatically judge myself and assume that I wasn’t good enough.

At that time, I honestly thought that I was doing the right thing. I thought that being hard on myself was somehow pushing me to work harder and to be better. I didn’t realize that it was actually doing more harm than good. Instead of actually motivating me, it was slowly destroying my confidence and self esteem. It only made life even heavier and not to mention the negative toll that it took on my mental health.

I’ve learned that one of the best things that we can do for ourselves, especially when we are already going through so much is to offer ourselves the same amount of love, understanding, and patience that we so freely give to other people.

Doing this doesn’t mean that we are being self indulgent. It simply means that we are choosing to give ourselves a safe space to grow, learn, and heal without the constant self judgment and criticism. Doing this not only greatly benefits our mental health but also helps us become more confident and resilient.

7. Your Pain Doesn’t Need To Be Compared To Anyone Else To Be Real

Do you ever feel like you don’t have the right to feel hurt because someone else has it worse? Do you ever feel guilty for feeling any pain when there are other people who are struggling more than you? I’ve felt this way too.

I always had this notion that I needed to be stronger, more grateful, and resilient because there are others who are suffering more than me. I always ended up pushing my feelings aside thinking that they weren’t really valid even though it was already weighing me down. Doing this just made things even heavier because instead of actually feeling my emotions, I just continued to push them aside.

If you feel the same way too, please know that your pain, your heartbreak, and your struggles are valid. I’ve learned that pain doesn’t have to be compared. We all go through different things and we all have our own journey, just because someone else’s pain looks bigger or different doesn’t mean yours is any less real.

Please always remember that what you’re feeling matters. You are allowed to be hurt, you are allowed to grieve, you are allowed to struggle. You don’t have to keep comparing your pain with others. Don’t hesitate to allow yourself to feel all your emotions.

8. Prioritizing Yourself Is Not Selfish

How many times have you constantly placed your needs on the back burner, constantly telling yourself that you will get to them after everyone else’s needs are taken care of? How many times have you pushed yourself to exhaustion without any regards to your needs just to accommodate other people’s requests?

I struggled with this too. I used to believe that my worth was based on how much I could do for other people. So, naturally, I have always placed other people’s needs first before my own. I thought that I was doing the right thing. I thought that as long as I was doing this then I would always be worthy and enough.

It took a breaking point for me to finally admit to myself that this mindset was not only destroying my mental health but it was also making me so unhappy and miserable. I was always so exhausted and drained. And honestly, I was also feeling resentful.

If you also struggle with this, please know that your worth is never based on how much you can do for others. Prioritizing yourself doesn’t make you selfish or mean. Just because you choose to take care of your needs first doesn’t mean that you no longer care about other people.

Please know that just like anybody else, you also deserve to make time for yourself and prioritize your needs. I’ve learned that choosing to neglect ourselves doesn’t make us more giving, it just actually slowly drains us.

As cliché as it may sound, you truly cannot pour from an empty cup. We can’t keep neglecting ourselves and prioritizing other people without expecting any consequences. So please, don’t ever hesitate to prioritize yourself. Know that you are allowed to choose yourself without any explanation.

Doing this not only benefits your mental health and well being but also benefits the people around you. When we learn to honor and show up for ourselves, we become more present and emotionally available to the people around us.

9. You Don’t Have To Stay Strong All The Time

I have always struggled with vulnerability. I always had this notion that I needed to always have it together. It didn’t really matter what I was going through or how heavy the problems I was facing, I needed to just shove all those things aside and keep pushing forward.

I thought that if I wanted to fix my problems and turn my life around, I didn’t have any time to fall apart. I needed to be constantly strong to be able to solve all my problems. I didn’t realize that by suppressing all my emotions and feelings, I was only making everything heavier.

I know that when we are going through tough times, we tend to believe that staying strong is the only way for us to survive and that if we allow ourselves to even feel something, then everything would just fall apart and we will never recover.

But that’s not true. We don’t have to be strong every single moment for us to survive. Often, strength looks like crying. Sometimes, it looks like reaching out and asking for help. Just because we are allowing ourselves to feel and break down doesn’t mean that we are no longer strong.

I actually think that it takes so much more strength to feel our emotions and let ourselves sit with them instead of constantly suppressing them.

10. This Moment Is Not Your Forever

I know that when we are going through so many disappointments and problems every day, it can easily feel like things will never get better. It’s easy to start believing that things will go from bad to worse and that no matter what we do, we are always doomed to just suffer.

I can’t even begin to tell you the number of times I’ve felt this. When I was going through one of the lowest points of my life, I too believed that what I was going through at that time was going to be my forever. I mean, it’s just so difficult to find hope and light when all your problems seem never-ending.

I thought that it didn’t really matter how much effort I gave to keep moving forward because I was so convinced that nothing would ever change. I would always struggle and I would always be miserable.

But I was wrong. Regardless of how difficult it may seem to believe right now, our pain and our struggles are just temporary. What you are going through now is certainly not going to be your forever. This is simply a season in your life and soon this season will change and things will get better.

Please continue to keep one foot in front of the other. Keep moving forward and keep believing that better days are coming, even if we can’t see them yet. Know that this season will pass.

Final Thoughts

Always remember that struggling doesn’t mean that you are failing or that you are weak. The fact that you are here and reading this post, serves as proof that you are still trying, even when it feels hard. That alone speaks volumes about your strength and resilience.

Keep looking for hope and light even in the smallest things. Know that your every effort matters. Even on days when you feel like you are not making any progress, please know that getting out of bed and choosing not to give up is already such a huge win.

Know that you have within you this invaluable strength that will help you get through whatever life throws at you. Keep holding on and always remember that I’m rooting for you.