by Michelle O. Edemenaha
What is Mental health? According to WHO, mental health is a state of well being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully and is able to make a contribution to his/her community. Maintaining your mental health as a Christian youth in 2023 is simply the state of staying sane and happy despite the challenging factors in our society today.
As Gen Zs, our mental health can be affected by factors such as peer pressure, academic pressure, substance abuse, social media bullying/pressure, desire to fit in, fear of rejection for preaching the gospel but to mention a few. For the purpose of this blog, we would be examining tips that could help in having a healthy state of mind as a Christian Gen Z in 2023:
1. TAKE CARE OF YOUR BODY
Your body is the temple of the Lord and it is your responsibility to take care of it as best as you can. You are what you eat. The importance of healthy eating habits cannot be overemphasized. A lot of depression cases result from eating disorders; eat balanced diets as often as you can. Cut down on junk food. Exercising and staying fit helps the body and the mind as well in more ways than you could ever know! Exercise can also serve as a stress reliever. Exercises like jogging, skipping and dancing as well are stress relieving activities that can help your body release tension and anxiety.
Also remember to feed your spirit man with the word of God daily. Have a quiet time dedicated to studying the Bible daily.
2. SURROUND YOURSELF WITH POSITIVE ENERGY
Our minds are influenced by what we feed it; sight, hearing, smell and taste. Like the way your body responds to what you take in, if you are constantly surrounded with people who have a toxic mindset or mentality, it would have an effect on your mind. The effect may be subliminal or direct. Don’t keep company with people who always make fun of your dreams, insecurities or devalue your achievements.
As a Christian, you should keep friends that stir up your faith in Jesus; Iron sharpeneth iron. The music and movies we listen to and watch also affects our way of reasoning. The media we take in have pronounced or underlying messages, positive and negative alike. Listening to music and watching movies with depressing, violent or sexual themes fill our minds with similar thoughts and shifts our mindset to a negative position. Switch secular music for christian music, secular movies for movies that strengthen your faith in Christ.
3. NO TO SUBSTANCE ABUSE
Many youths today turn to drugs as a sort of relief from their problems. Vape, codeine, meth, alcohol but to mention a few cannot help you get better. They only groom problems you’d eventually have to face. Stay off drugs as best as you can. Look unto Jesus as the author and finisher of your faith. If you struggle with an addiction, swap it for a positive skill like baking or cooking. Participate in mind lifting activities.
4. VALUE YOURSELF
Valuing yourself starts with you having to take control of your mind. Understand that your mind is responsible for actions you take. Control your mind, control your actions. Don’t engage in actions that are detrimental to your mental health e. g stressful activities, routines or jobs. Also set realistic goals for yourself. Also set realistic goals for yourself. It’s not a matter of how fast but how well. Set attainable goals; consistency is the key to perfection. Monitor your progress with a journal. Reward yourself when you feel you’ve done well. Make the gifts something that you look forward to, something that keeps you going on the tough days.
5. FIND HAPPINESS IN SMALL THINGS
Gen Zs are known to be obsessed with the idea of getting happiness from the big things like money, houses, cars, clothes, social media followers e.t.c. We should try to find happiness in every thing we do or any experience we come across. Like the saying goes, there’s a silver lining in every cloud. It can be as basic as watching the sun rise in the mornings and set in the evenings, enjoying natural scenery, drawing on sand, inhaling the steam from a cup of tea. Spreading love and doing good deeds like Jesus did helps us to be happy within. Make it a goal to make one person smile everyday.
6. SEEK HELP
Speaking out is an essential part of maintaining your mental health. No man is an Island and a problem shared is half solved. Talk to someone you know can help you. If you are being abused or bullied, speak to someone that can help you out of the problem. Visit a therapist for confidentiality if you must. Talk to God too he always listens.
The importance of prioritizing your mental health in 2023 cannot be overemphasized. I hope this will be of help to you! Stay happy! You owe that to yourself.
