Far too often, the hardships of life, make you feel hopeless. You start to believe that it’s out to get you or that you have absolutely no control over your circumstances. Before you know it, unhappiness starts to set in, then shame, or insecurity until you want to give up. As much as you try to believe you can get through the tough times, you don’t. After a point, these emotions start overpowering you and the growing sense of dread eventually leads to deteriorating mental health.
Now it is important to note that there are many factors that contribute to mental health problems but a large number of them stem from “unwanted” emotions. In fact, depression is linked with feelings of unhappiness and isolation or anxiety are linked to fear (which are triggered by negative experiences in a person’s life). Parents and caregivers are often guilty of instilling emotions in their children like fear, sadness, and insecurity from an early age, through discouraging word choices (consciously or unconsciously).
These words can germinate into negative thoughts, which lead to wrong beliefs, and cause irrational reactions to problems people face. If, instead, parents use positive affirmations with children at the start of each day, it could make a world of a difference.
Unfortunately, when you are suffering from a mental health condition, it becomes difficult to be optimistic about anything because you basically have come into agreement that your life will never get any better. But never say never because there is ALWAYS hope! No matter how touch life gets sometimes, you don’t have to let your circumstances defeat you.
It is up to you to remember that although you may not be in a position to control what life throws at you, you’re ALWAYS in control of how you react to tough situations. Remember this: if you react positively to a situation, you will attract positive things, which will help you fight off your unwanted feelings. Otherwise, you will keep attracting negativity and eventually succumb to health problems, especially conditions related to mental health. Once you train yourself to do so, you will notice a major change in your situation and your life will get better as a result.
Of course, this is easier said than done, particularly if you have developed a “no I can’t” mindset in many situations. Simply put…If you believe nothing will go right for you, nothing will. On the other hand, if you believe you can overcome the challenges you face, you will develop the strength and actually get it done. This is a fact, but it usually doesn’t happen overnight.
Just remember, you can harness the power of words to overcome your mental health problems. Through self-encouragement and positive affirmations, you can convince yourself that you are a victorious warrior no matter what! Psalm 60:12 (NIV) states that “With God we will gain the victory, and he will trample down our enemies”.
God has given you the power to overcome the odds and battle through the darkness. But it’s not all up to Him. You must participate. You must stop focusing on what went wrong, and start speaking about what is and will go right.
