Take care of yourself

Saturday marks the end of Mental Health Awareness Week.

There so many different aspects you can touch on when it comes to mental health awareness. The area I want to highlight is the importance of taking care of ones self.

We live in a go, go, go society. I’ve heard people brag about getting by on less than five hours of sleep and working more than 60 hours in a week. Busyness has become a virtue in America.

But when comes to mental health, this virtue often becomes a vice.

One in four people experiences mental illness each year. Whether it’s a severe chronic condition, or an isolated episode of depression or anxiety, these mental health issues should not be ignored.

I don’t hear people brag in the office that they eat a Big Mac extra value meal every day for lunch and get by with no exercise. Granted I work for a wellness company, but you get the picture. We don’t brag about the ways we don’t take care of our bodies so we shouldn’t brag about the habits that our detrimental to our mental health.

The best advice I can give anyone is take care of yourself. That can mean different things for different people. Find out what it means for you and don’t feel guilty about taking care of yourself.

If you need nine hours of sleep to function at your optimal level don’t be ashamed. Go ahead and go to bed at 9:30. John Stewart’s feelings won’t be hurt if you DVR the Daily Show and watch it while you get ready for work.

If you need to take a lunch break to clear your mind, go for it. Enjoy your Panera and don’t feel guilty about coming back to the office with a yummy late.

Don’t feel guilty about the things that keep you sane. There is a difference between selfishness and self awareness. The former places ones own desires ahead of the needs of others. The later acknowledges ones own needs, which in turn enables them to help meet the needs of others.

When we take care of ourselves we are better equipped to take care of each other. Take care of yourself friends.