You are not your mood

• you are not a mind reader. No-one else is thinking about how weird you are.  Odds on, they’re thinking about how weird they are.
• you do not have a crystal ball. It might feel like catastrophe is imminent, but you’ve had those feelings before (many times perhaps), and you’re still standing. Daily bread is what you need. And daily bread is what you have. Don’t worry about tomorrow.
• it’s really ok to have mental health struggles. That makes you one in four.
• it’s ok to STILL find them hard; even though you’ve had them for most of your life.  Just because you’ve already had the flu, doesn’t make it less rubbish when you get it again.
• your past is not your present. And your present is not your future.
• you have what you need. It’s always nice to have more money, more status, more education etc, etc. But if you invest in these things you will never be satisfied. Right now, though, whatever you’re facing, you have Christ.
• you are what God loves. In Christ, you are already loved and righteous and accepted.  This frees you to change!
• don’t worry about not being happy.  That is not the point of this life; and you can’t fix it anyway. Leave it to the Lord and keep looking at Him. You will find your life; but only when you lose it for Him.
• 1 mile an hour is progress, (and sometimes, so is just holding your ground!) In fact it’s God’s kind of speed. When you’re feeling better, write to yourself and remind yourself that these feelings pass and God is here still. For now, think of feeling better as grass growing; you can’t see it, but it still happens.
• get perspective. Don’t panic – you’re feeling poorly and that is all. Talk to yourself like you’d talk to someone you love.
• allow God to speak to you through His promises and word.
• you are not uniquely weird. Everyone carries pain.  Everyone gets confused.  Everyone feels loneliness.  Everyone struggles. It’s not just you and it’s not forever.
• keep talking. Keep using your coping skills.  Keep eating, sleeping, exercising. If you have a treatment plan, stick to it.
• stick to routines (unless they’ve started to rule you). Ask for help – and if you don’t get it, ask again.
• consider coming off social media for a bit. Pour in something life-affirming instead; scripture; a beautiful piece of music; a book filled with hope or comfort; stroking a pet; looking at a picture you love.
• stop comparing yourself to how you think other people are. There’s no hierarchy of pain – and there’s no hierarchy of joy.  You are you, and they are them and that’s really ok.

Image source