Focus Friday: Let's Focus on Mental Health

Sometimes I wonder if my readers get sick of hearing about mental health from me.

I'm focusing on it again because October 7-13 is Mental Health Awareness Week.

I hope you'll stick with me for a few minutes and think about this important topic.

Even if you have never been diagnosed with a mental illness, your mental health is worth contemplating. 

When our brains are functioning well, our mental health is good and life is manageable and satisfying. When we have problems in the ways our brains function, life can rapidly deteriorate into something overwhelming and hopeless.

So it's good for all of us to think about mental health this week.

If you have good mental health, thank the Lord for that.

If you are struggling, ask for help. You don't have to go for years and years feeling bad and missing out on the happiness that's possible.

If you love or know someone with a mental health challenge, try to be supportive and understanding. Learn all you can about their illness and don't expect them to just "snap out of it." But you can't let them wallow in their illness, either. It's tough to find that balance, but you need to do it.

If all of us work on having good mental health and get more comfortable talking about it, the world can be a better place.

People will be more aware of how their brains function and they'll take steps to get healthy as soon as they notice any movement toward a downward spiral. 

People won't hide their feelings and stubbornly keep their "happy masks" on. They'll drop their guard and get support when they need it.

People won't ignore the symptoms they see in a friend or loved one's life. They'll ask questions and help get that person back to a healthier place.

Thanks for reading, everyone, and I pray that all of you do all that you can to enjoy good mental health.

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." (John 14:27 NIV)

Do you struggle with a mental health diagnosis? Do you know someone who does? How can focusing on God help you (or that person) get to a healthy place again?

Focus Friday: Let's Focus on Being Neurotic

Lately I've been more aware of my thoughts and actions that tend toward the neurotic...

As we get ready to move, I feel the desire to ask everyone I know what I could have done differently while we lived here. I want to ask if I offended anyone and make it right before we leave. (I won't do that, but I am curious to know.)

The other day I subbed for the high school Spanish classes and I mentioned the "Overboard" remake with Kate Hudson and Eugenio Derbez. When I got home I realized I mispoke and it's actually Anna Faris. I felt the urge to send a message for the Spanish teacher to read so they knew it wasn't Kate Hudson. (I didn't do anything, but the desire was pretty strong.)

I often wonder if someone doesn't like me when they don't "like" or respond to a comment I've made on their Facebook post. (Even though I don't always have time to respond to every comment my friends make.)

We had a moving company come take inventory for an estimate yesterday and I wanted to ask the guy if we have more or less stuff than most people. (I didn't ask, but I so wanted to know.)

We left on vacation this morning, so yesterday I spent lots of time scanning in photos from an old album so I can return it to my parents when we see them tomorrow. I considered staying up all night so I could get more pictures done. (I didn't, but I only got about four hours of sleep because I stayed up way too late.)

I also stayed up til almost two because I decided that I finally had to get some Christmas cards sent out. I addressed envelopes and attached stamps, getting them ready to mail on the way out of town. (As I worked, I wondered why I couldn't have worked that hard earlier and gotten them out in December instead!)

Add to that all of the little thoughts I have each day about the things I'm thinking, feeling, and doing (or not doing) and I get dangerously close to being neurotic.

There is some good in being aware of what we're thinking, feeling, 

and doing.

It gets debilitating when we take it to extremes and analyze every thought, feeling, and action and it keeps us from getting things done or moving forward in life.

Thankfully, I have people in my life that can help me figure out when I'm being neurotic. I can run an idea past my husband or one of my daughters and they'll tell me if it would be a good thing to do or not.

I also have the Bible to guide me. The more I know it, the more I can recognize when I'm thinking in neurotic ways and take steps to think and act more rationally. (I can't do much about the feelings, but they'll often change when my thinking changes.)

We don't have to second-guess everything we decide to do. Sure, I stayed up way too late, but at least some of my Christmas cards finally got sent (and my friends are used to getting them late). 

We'll have those times every once in a while, but if we find them happening night after night or day after day, we may need to get some professional help to get to healthier ways of thinking, feeling, and acting.

Do you think it would be neurotic to ask everyone what they think of this week's post? Never mind. I don't need to know.

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." (John 14:27 NIV)

Focus Friday: Let's Focus on Nests

I took a walk around town this morning. I thought of my friend Nancy as I got to a certain road where red-winged blackbirds swooped overhead and shrieked at me angrily. It reminded me of our walks in Chandler, Minnesota and the times of year when we would carry an umbrella and pop it open when we got near one corner where the blackbirds threatened to dive on us as they protected their nests. We felt silly, but it worked to keep those pesky birds off our heads.

"You can't keep the birds from flying over your head, but you can keep them from building a nest in your hair." (Martin Luther) That's the thought that also came to mind as I walked and looked up at the blackbirds winging crazily back and forth across the road. 

This picture makes my arm look huge! :-)

I stuck my arm up on top of my head as I walked, hoping to keep the birds from attacking my poor head. I felt silly, but it worked. 

As I continued walking, my mind turned to the thoughts that sometimes want to attack my mind. I had one of those days on Wednesday. I knew that Thursday was going to be a busy day working at the food stand at the Butler County Fair, working a few hours at Allison Little Lambs daycare, and then going to a concert at the fair at night. I dreaded the day and all sorts of thoughts began making a nest in my mind. What if...? 

What if I don't feel very talkative and I feel too shy to work up front at the food stand? What if I have to work in back and I've never done that before? What if I get all sweaty at the fair and then I have to rush to shower before the daycare? What if we don't get a good seat at the fair concert? What if I feel depressed and I can't handle such a busy day? What if...? What if...? What if...?

Those anxious, annoying thoughts built a great big worry nest in my head and pretty much ruined most of my day Wednesday. Of course, it turned out fine. On Thursday I felt talkative, I worked up front, it was cool so I didn't need a shower, and we got to the concert in plenty of time and enjoyed a good show. All of that worry for nothing.

I do that way too often. I waste time that I could be spending doing something productive as I let those worry thoughts build a mental nest. I really need to focus more on taking steps to prevent that. When I sense those thoughts flying around in my head I need to throw up my arm and keep them from landing. 

Maybe that means thinking about a Bible verse or two that can get my mind off my worries and remind me to trust God instead. Maybe it means talking to someone who can point out the flaws in my thinking and remind me that it does no good to worry about most "what ifs."

I can't stop those thoughts from flying crazily through my head, but I sure can stop them from landing and making themselves at home.

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." (John 14:27 NIV)

Are unwelcome thoughts building a "worry nest" in your head? How can focusing on God help you to keep those thoughts from landing and staying in your mind?