Helpful Tools I Employ to Nourish My Mental Health

I’ve been a bad boy. Spank me.

Hello. My name is Rainer (like rye-ner) and I am a recovering addict and a Christian blogger. (The first step to solving a problem is admitting it). It’s been two weeks since my last post. In my cache of posts offering blogging tips, I’ve repeatedly said that posting consistently matters. It makes a difference.

Posting consistently drives traffic. More importantly, it builds trust, like that Sunday morning newspaper laying in your driveway—before Al Gore invented the internet (Ha!). There’s got to be a post there for them to read if you expect them to stop by your blog and read it.

Posting consistently builds trust. Your readers who follow your blog learn that they can rely on you. They can look forward with anticipation to reading your post, especially if they know when to expect it. They can trust you.

Remember all the hubbub concerning Yellowstone’s new season last year? Viewers—fans of the show—were going mad trying to figure out when the new season was coming out. While your blog might not garner quite the attention Rip and Beth’s storybook romance receive (tongue in cheek), your followers do look forward to your latest content.

Repeat after me: Posting consistently drives traffic and builds trust.

When you screw up, admit it and amend it. (That’s really a recovery rule that applies to life).

Yes, it’s true: I’ve been on a little blogging hiatus the past few weeks. I’ve probably had a little bit too much on my plate and I haven’t felt a hundred percent myself either (But who would I be, if I ain’t me?). Sorry. Please accept my apologies.

As I mentioned in a previous post , MAY is Mental Health Awareness month and I’ve tried to focus more on nourishing my mental health this year. Every time I hear the words mental health, a Quiet Riot ear worm forms in my head. Oh…that’s Metal Health.

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Well, I’m an axe grinder
Piledriver
Mama says that I never, never mind her
Got no brains
I’m insane
The teacher says that I’m one big pain
I’m like a laser
Six-string razor
I got a mouth like an alligator
I want it louder
More power
I’m gonna rock it till it strikes the hour

Bang your head
Metal health will drive you mad
Bang your head
Metal health will drive you mad, all right

Metal Health by Quiet Riot

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Sorry—I just traveled back in time forty years. I’m back!!!

Being more mindful of my mental health involves a myriad of things including seeing a counselor on a regular basis and exploring new outlets like drawing and gardening to give my mind rest and refreshment. Yes, I’ve been drawing. And yes, I’m terrible at it. Well, suffice it to say my early attempts at drawing are at the very least primitive.

But, I intend to keep drawing. Hopefully, over time, I’ll get better at it.

Prayer is also a way that I practice being mindful of my mental health. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus tells us to give Him our cares and our burdens.

For me, prayer helps me process my thoughts. In prayer, I can talk to God, one-to-one. Through prayer, I am able to release the things I need to let go of and identify the areas where I need to make amends. Prayer helps me discern what I control and what I don’t.

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

Matthew 11:28-30 (New Living Translation)

I also spend time in reflection. Some might refer to this as quiet time. It’s just me, the Holy Spirit, and my thoughts. What do I think is true versus what I know to be true? You see, I believe we sometimes determine something to be true—-i.e. “they think, they are saying”—without actually knowing it to be true. You might sense that someone doesn’t like you or is angry with you. But the only way to really know it is for them to flat out tell you. Which, because people avoid confrontation at nearly any cost, usually requires you to ask them. In my experience, it’s rare that people will tell you that they are angry or upset with you. They are much more likely to tell a third party. That’s a topic for another post.

Reflection helps me identify what behaviors or attitudes I might need to adjust in order to play nice with others.

The Bible encourages us to seek wisdom. The Serenity Prayer, a prayer anyone in recovery knows by heart, reminds us of the importance of wisdom. What is it that I control? In other words—-what do own in this relationship or incident? I am responsible for my thoughts, words, and actions. I’m accountable for my response to someone or a particular situation. What is it that I don’t control—-tons. For instance, I don’t really control your response—-albeit I can use language that triggers you or leads you in a certain direction (this is called manipulation). I need wisdom to discern the difference. Otherwise, I’m walking on treacherous ground filled with landmines waiting for me to come along and set them off. The devil loves it when I do that…

That can quickly set up a need to make amends. Making amends is also a technique I can use to nourish my mental health. Failure to make amends can lead to bitterness, resentment, and guilt. And not just on my end—-but also on the end of the person I offended. This causes them to stumble and perhaps, sin. Jesus is clear that I should not let my actions cause someone else to be separated from Him. It’s imperative we take the initiative to settle our differences.

Making amends, in Merriam-Webster , is defined as “to do something to correct a mistake that one has made or a bad situation that one has caused.” Making amends is more than giving an apology, no matter how heartfelt. Making amends requires an acknowledgment of our errors followed by action to make up, or when possible, make right, what happened in the past. Again—there’s some food for thought here that we can delve into in a future post.

Prayer, reflection, seeking wisdom, and making amends are just a few tools I pull out of the shed to help me nourish my mental health. Trying new activities—like drawing or some other form of creativity—also aid me in focusing on my mental well-being. Recently, I planted a couple of roses in our yard. I found this mentally invigorating and refreshing.

How about you? What are some practices you employ to guard your mental well-being?

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Enjoying this post? Check out some of my latest posts.

• Reflecting on the Brevity of Life
• A Spring Psalm Reflecting on a Holy Season
• Moving Forward Spiritually in our Post-Pandemic World
• Life 1,095 Days Later
• Psalm 32: Celebrating Thanksgiving During the Lenten Season

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May the Lord shine His favor down upon you today. I value your engagement, so please feel free to share your thoughts and comments. Heck, click “like” if you feel the Spirit move you.

Blessings,

The Devotional Guy™

Bible Gateway

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