When it comes to problems and challenges in our lives, we all want the perfect solution. We want to know what we have to do or say to make the problem go away. Maybe we can buy a product to help us overcome the challenge; Other times, creating a new routine is the way to go. Finding a solution to a problem is an everyday occurrence for most people. It happens in all areas of our lives and is especially evident when it comes to our mental health. But these solutions are not always permanent, and that is the challenge that brings me to this blog post today.
Find the right solution
So what do I mean when I talk about mental health solutions? I’m using that term to describe all the things we do in our daily lives to take care of our mental health. While this includes activities like therapy, exercise, and meditation, it goes beyond that. There are smaller decisions we make every day that impact our lives and well-being, and for me, finding mental health solutions means discovering the best ways we can move forward through the day.
For example, my anxiety can make decision-making quite difficult. I may also feel pressure to communicate with people the “right way” (spoiler alert: it turns out there is no one right way), or I want to make sure I give someone the right answer every time they ask me. a question. Over the years, I have found solutions to these problems, both in terms of how I approach the problem and how I view it. And while I talked about these solutions in previous posts, it’s equally important to remember how to best approach them. I found that the most important thing to remember is that when it comes to our mental health challenges, not all solutions are permanent.
Embracing impermanence
It is difficult to accept the idea of impermanent solutions. A permanent solution to our problems would be ideal: you identify the problem, find a solution, and ensure that when the problem arises again, you remember how you solved it before. While that’s great for most problems, it doesn’t always work for mental health problems. And that is because not only does our mental health change, but us change. Sometimes a solution that used to work for us no longer works. And that’s fine.
Perhaps this post is simply inspired by the meditation app I use, which focuses a lot on the impermanence of things. I used to consider this approach problematic and unwieldy, but I have learned to accept it. Every moment is different because we change, grow and adapt to new situations throughout our lives.
Focusing on what works best for you
But while most solutions are not permanent when it comes to my mental health, there is freedom in that. I used to think that if I gave up on something (a new mental health technique, a different type of therapy, etc.) when it came to my mental health, I was failing; that there was something wrong with me. I have now learned to have the courage and foresight to know that not all mental health advice is going to work for me and that when it stops working, I don’t have to keep banging my head against the wall until it does.
Now I want to be clear that I am not encouraging people to make major changes to their life or mental health plans without consulting anyone. It wouldn’t be good to abandon proven solutions like medications or constant psychotherapy in the blink of an eye (in fact, Abruptly stopping SSRIs can be dangerous for your physical and mental health). This post serves more as a reminder that sometimes when things don’t work, it’s okay to explore other solutions. Our mental health ebbs and flows throughout our lives, and it’s important to respond to those changes when they occur.
And while not all mental health solutions are likely to work for us forever, they just might. Everyone’s mental health journey is different, and as long as you work to find healthy solutions that work for you, while respecting and being aware of the people and world around us, you will be on the right path.
