Neglecting Your Mental Health is Expensive- Here’s How
“The strongest people are those who win battles we know nothing about.”
— Unknown
The disappointment from not being where you want to be in life can feel like a 90lb chain around your neck, weighing you down. Self-loathing can begin to seep from your pores as another day passes you by, yet you still haven’t “done the thing”. Your thoughts race like a surging stream, without a way to pause the flow in sight.
So many of us are just trying to live our best lives, but how many would say that they are hitting the mark?
Setting goals, pushing toward career milestones, trying to maintain healthy relationships, and even striving to feel good in our own skin. We can acknowledge that there are so many factors that shape our life outcomes that are not within our control: systemic barriers, generational challenges, socioeconomic limitations.
Sometimes, however, it’s our mental health that is a barrier.
Think about it- when it’s a chronic illness, or something like the flu- things affecting us physically, we understand how that might interfere with our productivity, clarity, or quality of life. We make space for rest, recovery, and even accommodations. But when it comes to mental health, we often don’t extend the same understanding to ourselves.
Mental health can, and often does, play a significant role in how we achieve- or not.
Mental health is often overlooked, and instead we go straight to diminishing ourselves.
“I’m just lazy”. “I’m not trying hard enough.” “I’m just not a consistent person.” “I always get distracted”.
Instead of labeling ourselves, and giving up, why not reframe these experiences for what they often are- mental health struggles. What if it's not your willpower, but an imbalance with your mental wellness?
Living with unchecked anxiety might show up as avoidance, resulting in missed deadlines, skipped opportunities, and not speaking up in the room where it matters most.
Suffering in silence with depression might mean that your to-do-list keeps growing, but the energy just isn’t there.
The impact is real.
Failure to ignore the signs that this isn’t a personal short-coming, but instead something more serious, can lead to coping that only brings temporary relief, but ultimately doesn’t fix the problem- or even worse, brings negative consequences.
Maladaptive coping such as doom-scrolling, excessive substance use, overworking, isolation, or procrastination can be harmful over time. Instead of bringing you closer to where you want to be, you can become more adrift in your problems.
Without support or intervention, the original mental health issue may grow more complicated, harder to treat, or even spill into other areas of life like relationships, finances, and physical health. You may end up in a cycle that repeats itself year after year, not knowing when this all started, and how it can stop.
Getting help as soon as possible leads to feeling better, but it also means protecting your future from unintended consequences. [Schedule a free consultation call with me if you’d like to explore this!]
Here are some reflection questions that you can use to journal about today:
What is my Mental Health Costing Me?
How often has anxiety prevented me from showing up for something that mattered to me?
Could I have made more progress with something, or have achieved something months ago, if I was actively confronting low motivation, low energy, and low self-confidence?
Do I believe that I am worthy of certain opportunities? Of the life that I want?
Have the last few weeks/months/years been spent in survival mode? If so, how much of my life is it costing me?
You have the power to take ownership of your mental wellness.
Through therapy, self-care, community, and mental health education you can reclaim your time, your energy, your confidence, and your future!
What could your life look like if you decided to care for it more deeply?
I hope you found this helpful! Leave me a comment if you reached new insights after using the journaling prompts. Share this with a friend that could benefit from reading this!
As Always, Be Well!
~Jessica Herd, LMHC-D
Jessica Herd, LMHC-D Psychotherapist licensed in New York and Florida
Resources:
National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Dial “988”
Text Crisis Line: Text “HELLO” to 741741
