Tag: mental health

Thankful Thursday – God Carries Our Burdens

I’ve been overwhelmed recently.

Overwhelmed by questions that I don’t have answers to and decisions that we need to make as a family. The future seems so unclear and confusing. We ask God for wisdom, but sometimes no direction is forthcoming. And it all gets wrapped up in a big bundle that I feel on my back, weighing me down.

But God doesn’t want that burden on my back. He wants to take it for me.

Matthew 11:28-30 reads, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

I’ve mentioned these verses before in my writing. It’s a promise that is special to me – however, I don’t often do my part by giving my burdens to the Lord and letting Him carry them for me. I can be a control freak, and letting go of those burdens means letting go of control. But I’m learning that we’re not meant to have that control.

It’s just too much! It’s too much. God never intended for us to be weighed down by burdens to the point of anxiety and even negative physical symptoms. He wants us to take His yoke upon us and let Him do all of the hard work – the lifting, the carrying, the controlling. He promises to gently come alongside us and take the weight, and to teach us the way to go. He will give us rest for our souls.

So today I’m grateful for a God who carries our burdens. And I pray that I will continually surrender the weight of my worries to Him, trusting that He’ll take care of me and our family and our future.

He is good, and He deserves my (and our) heartfelt praise. ❤

Photo by Ryan Jacobson on Unsplash

Pets and Mental Health

Pets are awesome.

They bring love, companionship, fun, a sense of responsibility, and lots and lots of cuddling to a home (among other things). But pets may also help in another way: promoting good mental health.

I know for me, my dog Daisy and cat Misty keep me upbeat. I feel good as I take care of them. In turn, my pets are happy – which makes me feel doubly good.

I love taking Daisy for walks when the weather is nice. Not only does it get me outside in the sun and get me exercising a bit, but it provides opportunities for me to take photos of nature and of me and my pup. And Daisy doesn’t mind getting out and about as well as keeping on top of the scents in her neighborhood!

Misty is older and does a lot of sleeping and eating, but I still enjoy petting her and brushing her giving her “kitty kisses.” She likes the sun, her cat condo, her food (and treats), and long naps. Just knowing she’s there gives me a good feeling.

All of these benefits help me with my depression and anxiety.

I don’t feel as alone knowing that my pets are around. It also helps that they can snuggle with me in silence – I don’t have to be a certain way around them, and I don’t need to verbally express what’s going on in my mind or hope that their response is encouraging instead of disheartening.

I would recommend a pet to anyone struggling with mental health issues who won’t be too overwhelmed by trying to take care of it!

How is your relationship with your pets? Do they help to keep you in good spirits? Is there a benefit they provide to you that I haven’t mentioned? ❤

The pup and I on our walk today! Yes, I may be acting just a tad goofy in this pic.

No Matter What it Takes

Today was a fairly good day.

Even though I wasn’t able to sleep at all last night, I got out of bed with my Hubby this morning and refrained from going back to bed. I spent some time at Barnes and Noble with a drink and a pastry. I worked on chores around the house. I took the dog for a walk. I completed tasks to prepare for a seasonal, work-from-home job that I will be starting soon. And I began to plan for teaching English lessons to my friend’s son, who speaks Spanish. It may not sound like much, but for me, it’s quite a bit.

To top it all off, my husband (Roy) had overtime at work and was able to come home early. That gave us some time to hang out and also to run to the store for a few things. We may have even grabbed drinks at Dunkin’. 🙂

As I mentioned, this may seem like a pretty normal day to most people. But because of my depression and anxiety and my desire to “avoid” the things that distress me, I have been oversleeping. Wasting the time that the Lord has given me. Failing to use the gifts that God has bestowed upon me to reach out to others. And I don’t want to do that any longer.

So it’s going to be a day-by-day thing. I know that I will still struggle immensely…but I feel like I have turned a small corner. Each day I must strive to get myself out of bed and to face the day, along with its challenges. Strive to take baby steps forward. Strive to be the woman that God created me to be.

Thankfully, my heavenly Father is faithful; and I trust that He will enable me to obey Him – no matter what it takes. ❤

 

Photo by David Mao on Unsplash