World Mental Health Day: Develop Relationships of High Acceptance

I'm sitting in front of my keyboard, pondering what exactly to write. I'm a little rusty, if you can't tell. The pandemic years were so difficult, in many ways, and I feel like even though I've started finding myself as a person, I lost some of the floweriness and bubbliness that I used in my writing. Or maybe that's something that just comes with age.

If there's one thing America does poorly, it's take time to rest. And when I say rest, I don't mean taking a day to try and get all the things done. Or taking a week to trot the kids to Disneyland. Because neither of those things are restful. Are they necessary and fun, yes, but restful, not in the slightest. But rest is what keeps mankind from breaking.

For me, my mental health isn't always the greatest. Exhaustion and boredom tend to go hand-in-hand with those days of emotional crisis where I just want to lay on my bed and stare at the ceiling. As an ISFP, boredom has a lot to do with it, and I'm aware of that aspect of it for myself now, more than I was before. So for me, caring for my mental health is a two-fold thing. One part is taking time to literally do nothing. Maybe read a book. Maybe watch one of my Asian dramas or a a movie in English so I can knit while watching. Maybe it's a combination of those things and then just sitting still and listening to absolutely nothing. I love the sound of silence. It's pure bliss. But, I can only do nothing for so long. The adventurous side of me needs trips up the mountain, or a drive further south, or even a day at the zoo to feel fully re-energized. Days of rest where there are no expectations and then a few days of fun are so crucial to my wellbeing.

Mental health shouldn't be taboo. It shouldn't be something we're afraid to talk about, especially as Christians. If anything, Christians get burned out faster. We put expectations on ourselves of how we interact with others, what we say, if we're representing Jesus to the world. And those are crucial things. But I'm realizing that pressuring ourselves into always saying "I'm fine" when in reality, I'm not, is not an okay thing. And if I'm in relationship with people who give those rote responses and expect the same from me, that's also not an okay thing.

The beginning of good mental health is developing relationships with people who have high acceptance of who you are. If you find yourself in relationship with someone who has low acceptance of you, ask yourself if that's a relationship you should really be spending your energy on. If you can, either confront the issue directly and if that doesn't help, or it's impossible to confront, walk away from that person. This might not be possible in all cases, but toxic, unsafe relationships are beyond destructive when it comes to your mental health.

Don't misunderstand. Being in a relationship of high acceptance does not mean that they're going to agree with you on everything and vice versa. It just means that you're in a safe place to actually voice your disagreements. And you should be able to trust that when something is said that might be considered correctional, that it's being said in actual love and not condemnation. Remember, this is a two-way street, and here's where it really becomes scriptural. As it is written in Mark 12:31, "love your neighbor as yourself." Treat others the way you would wish to be treated. Cultivate those relationships of authenticity and high acceptance. These will be soul renewing relationships.

Today, do something for your mental health. Whatever that needs to look like for you. As a Christ follower, I take into consideration what He would have me do, but also knowing that at least in my relationship with Christ, I am in a relationship of high acceptance. He knows all there is to know about me and He loves me because of who I am, not in spite of who I am.

Blessings to everyone on World Mental Health Day. May the Lord make His face to shine upon you and give you His peace.