Guest Post
5 Great Ways To Improve Your Mental Health As A Christian.
When you think about mental health, what is the first thing that comes to mind? Some of the things that might come about are different mental illnesses that people deal with such as OCD, schizophrenia and PTSD. Mental health isn’t just about these disorders, it is about your overall health and wellbeing in the mind.
Mental health can also mean people who suffer with anxiety or depression, or feeling overwhelmed and mentally drained from the different stresses in their life. Our mental health is just as important as our overall health and wellness, and it is much more common nowadays that people struggle with their mental health.
Do you consider mental health from a Christian perspective? What comes to mind when I ask you about Christians dealing with mental health issues? As I have said before, mental health can simply be when people are struggling with anxiety, depression or stress in their life. There shouldn’t be this stigma, or assumption that Christians don’t deal with mental health issues, because everyone can, regardless of your beliefs. It can also be harder than you think when dealing with these mental health problems.
For some reason, mental health in the Christian world has become a taboo topic. People seem to think that you are weak, or lacking faith when you are mentally struggling. Christians seem to feel as though they cannot speak up in the Church or talk to others about it because they might get the wrong advice or be brushed off and not taken too seriously.
There are several different examples of people in the Bible dealing with mental health problems. Let’s take a look at some of these examples. The first example that comes to mind is Job. Job dealt with loss, physical illness and desolation. Everything that he loved and had was taken away from him. But you know what Job did to get through all of this? He stayed faithful to God. Read more on How to conquer trials like Job.Â
Another example is when Jonah didn’t want to go to Nineveh to preach to the people. He was angry and wanted to run away from it all. These two examples in the Bible are showing us that mental health is real, and there is more to it than meets the eye. Both of these men dealt with these mental struggles and overcame them through their faith and trust in God.
So no matter what we are going through or what we are dealing with in the mind, we need to put all of our faith and trust in God alone to get through it all. I know that it is easier said than done. I also know that things take time. I get that, I really do. I struggle with anxiety and PTSD on the daily. Here are a few great ways that you can do to help with your mental health (and I know that these help me get by too!)
5 Great Ways To Improve Your Mental Health As A Christian
1. Prayer
First and foremost, prayer is the most important thing that we can do as Christians to help us through everything that we are going through. No matter what you are struggling with, especially from a mental health perspective, give it all to God in prayer. He will help you get through it all. It is also such a great way to get things off your chest and out of your mind, to clear your head.
2. Practising Gratitude
Practicing gratitude each day will improve our health and wellbeing, our perspective on life, and is even known to increase productivity and better sleep. Start by writing down what you are grateful/thankful for each day and start to reflect upon those things. Simple, right? It helps us redirect our attention to the positives rather than the negatives.
3. Resting in Jesus
It is so important that we, as Christians, rest our souls. Sometimes we can be going through so much, that we might feel overwhelmed or spiritually exhausted. Our lives aren’t easy, and there will be many trials and tribulations that we will face. Make sure that you rest in Jesus, and give yourself a much needed break. After all, Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath and wants us to rest in Him.
4. Reading the Bible
Reading the Bible is always a great answer to the struggles that we face as Christians. It is the perfect tool on how we should live our lives. God’s Word guides us on the right path and helps us deal with different problems that we face. I don’t know about you, but whenever I am reading the Bible, my soul feels replenished. I feel so much better once I have read what God has written for us to see. It is another great way to distract your mind from the things that are going on, and shifting your focus to the positives of God’s grace and love for us that He expresses in His Word.
5. Listening to Worship Music
I love listening to music, especially worship/Christian music. It is so invigorating. Who is your favorite band/singer? Whenever you have a moment, make sure you spend time out of the day focusing on resting and listening to some music to cheer you up and lift up your soul.
(Check out Mood Boosting Worship Songs)
These are some of my favorite ways to help me get through a bad mental health day and other struggles I may be facing in the day. I hope that these suggestions will help you too. Just know that life isn’t easy and we will all go through different hardships. As long as we cling to Jesus and focus on Him first, He will get us through it all.
Mental health is real, and it is so important to talk about and encourage others to work on, especially in the Christian community. If you are struggling with any kind of mental health issues, speak up. Let us pray for you! Anxiety is real, depression is real, anger and feeling overwhelmed is real. Same with all kinds of other mental health issues out there. Your mental health is important, and God will help you get through it. Nothing is impossible with God.
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Thank you for addressing this topic by giving such great tips! I’ve found that practicing gratitude has definitely had positive benefits on my mental health. Thanks for sharing!
That is so good to hear, Miranda!
Prayer is life changing and magical. I’m happy you are encouraging others to use it as a tool of healing.
Yes I couldn’t agree more! Thank you so much!
#6 Go to your GP or a therapist… this should probably come higher up the list though. If someone has a physical ailment or illness, I doubt this suggestion would be omitted. Exactly the same should apply to mental health struggles… sometimes ‘magic prayers’ just don’t cut it when a person is in need of medication to address an imbalance in their brain or stabilise mood.
Absolutely, it is important for someone to seek professional help such as a therapist/psychologist when it comes to mental health issues. 🙂