If you have a friend who is struggling with mental health challenges, it can be hard to know what to say. There are many resources that can help, so it is important to listen to your friend and offer empathy.
If you are concerned about your own mental health, there are also podcasts that can provide inspiration and guidance.
Listen to Yourself
Listening to yourself is the ability to tune in and understand what you are feeling. It is a skill that many people struggle with, but it is an important one to cultivate for personal growth and fulfillment.
In our fast-paced society, we are often bombarded with information from a wide variety of sources. These include advertisements, social media, family and friends, etc.
If you can find a time and place where you can be alone and quiet, this will help you practice listening to your own voice.
You may have a million voices inside your head that tell you what you should do, and sometimes you can get confused with them.
Developing the ability to distinguish between your inner voice and all the voices in your head can be difficult, but it is essential for your health and happiness.
Kirsten Brunner, LPC, a therapist who specializes in perinatal mental health and relationship counseling at her private practice in Austin, Texas, explained that we assume everyone else knows more than ourselves. She suggested putting up post-It notes around your house, office, and car with phrases and questions that you can use to ask yourself how you feel.
Listen to Others
Listening to others is one of the most important aspects of mental health. Whether you are trying to help someone in your care, or simply want to share a story with a friend, it is essential that you listen.
You may not be able to hear the other person perfectly, but by listening you are showing them that you care about them and their story. This is especially important if you are talking about difficult topics like famine, pollution or poverty.
It is also important to make eye contact throughout the conversation so that they know you are still listening and processing their words. It may sound counterintuitive, but being a good listener requires you to give 100% of your attention to the speaker.
If you are a good listener, you will likely find that people will start to trust you more and listen to your stories. This can be a powerful way to break the stigma surrounding mental health and create a kinder, more understanding world.
Listen to Your Body
Our body is an excellent indicator of our overall health and well-being. It's also a great source of information about how we feel and what we need to do for our mental health.
If you want to be a better listener to yourself, start by taking a moment throughout your day to close your eyes and ask yourself how you're feeling. Determine everything you're feeling, including hungry, tired, achy or jittery, and then ask your body what it needs in that moment to feel more satisfied.
Then, honor your body's response by recognizing and believing it.
This practice will help you develop a sense of inner trust, which is vital for healthy mind-body communication.
Learning how to listen to your body can help you make the right decisions regarding your health and well-being. For example, if you're feeling too sore to exercise two days in a row, you should slow down and give your body some rest. And if you're feeling depleted, consider walking instead of exercising for a while to get some extra energy.
Listen to Your Mind
You can learn to listen to your mind by observing your thoughts and feelings without judgment. This can help you develop mindfulness and cultivate peace.
Your mind is an essential part of your being. It’s responsible for your emotions, instincts, and your decisions. It’s also a crucial element in creating a happy, fulfilled life.
When you listen to your mind, you’ll be more confident in your decisions. This can be useful in any situation, from relationships to career opportunities.
However, listening to your mind can be difficult. This is because the intuitive mind often sends cryptic messages that are hard to decipher at the time, but can be incredibly helpful when you do hear them.
It can be challenging to trust your intuition, but it can also make you feel a lot more confident in your decisions and a lot happier overall. Learning to listen to your heart is a big challenge, but it’s worth the effort.