The Secret To Good Mental Health? Staying Ahead Of It

As a Feel Good Expert, I know a thing or two about how to achieve good mental health. Coming from someone who has experienced the lowest of lows and highest of highs as a millennial mother, I want to share my postpartum struggles with as many women as possible. Because while I believe in the power of authentic storytelling, I believe in the power of female connection even more.

When I had my son five years ago, I was a wreck. My self-esteem was shot to hell not because I was worried about motherhood, but because my ‘cool girl, socialite‘ status identity was ripped right from underneath me.

But after several years of wallowing in self-pity I realised… nothing was taken from me. I was just choosing to view it that way. I made the choice to feel sorry for myself all those years, and now, I’m making the choice to advocate for myself.

Through a heaping stack of self-improvement books, the discovery of indoor cycling classes, and the realisation that friends and family are literal lifelines, I gained my pre-kid confidence back. This is the reason I’m dedicated to spreading awareness on the importance of good mental health — because trust me, it’s everything.

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The secret to good mental health is staying ahead of it.

The secret to achieving and maintaining good mental health is practicing mindset-work consistently and intentionally (it’s a grind, but a fun one). It’s reciting your morning mantras on days where you feel your best, and days where you feel like dirt.

It’s keeping other people in mind when you’re going about your daily tasks. It’s being proactive about eating right, exercising, and getting enough sleep. It’s staying on top of pursuing meaningful work that fulfils you. It’s surrounding yourself with people who inspire you to be better.

By turning your mental health work into a non-negotiable lifestyle, you will feel so happy — so lucky to be alive — that you could burst.

3 Ways to Stay Ahead of Your Mental Health

1. Champion others

Championing others champions yourself. Luvvie Ajayi Jones, New York Times bestselling author who is always on the hunt to do better, suggests quick and meaningful check-ins to let people know you’re there for them. This, in turn, makes you feel good.

A simple, “What can I give you, even though you might not need it?” ask goes a long way for both you and the other person.

2. Adopt a sacred self-care ritual

We know by now that self-care is necessary for a woman’s survival. Whether you’re a ‘bask-in-the-boujee‘ type of gal who needs her red wine & bubble bath every night, or a fitness fanatic who gets her self-care fill through intense cardio, own your feel good ritual, and keep up with it!

The point is to never forgo a day without your sacred self-care ritual. Self-care is necessary to be the best you you can be (in case you need a reminder).

3. Utilise fictional therapy

I read about fictional therapy in the first issue of DREW magazine (highly recommend picking up a copy, ps). Basically, a biblio-therapist (aka a fictional therapist) uses a therapeutic approach to patients wanting to make sense out of their traumas by employing books (and other forms of literature) to support that individual’s mental health — based on whatever they are grieving or trying to work through.

If you love a good novel, look into bibliotherapy. I have yet to do this but can’t wait to give it a try.

Keep up with Ashley by signing up for her Mindset Health For Moms newsletter, a weekly dose of mental wellness tailor-made for the (cool and stylish) millennial mom.