Certain people (like me!) do not have the luxury of doing whatever they please. There’s always a cost to pay for anything that tips us into anxiety or depression. Managing mental health is a full-time job for some of us, and when we see it that way, we remember to organize our day and our choices to support well-being. I always listen to my friends as they share wisdom gained from their hidden health struggles–whether autoimmune diseases, chronic pain, or anything keeping them discouraged about their health. My friends describe their “bone crushing fatigue” that prevents them from moving their bodies and what it takes for them to attempt to exercise. Nobody understands, and they cannot explain it to others well.
We talk, then, of the daily work of living.
My friends often talk about the constant vigilance required in our lives, for example, to keep anxiety and depression at bay. You’re not alone! We are doing this together! It is the hardest work of our lives, mostly misunderstood, and often so discouraging we wonder how to keep up the work of it. Constant vigilance for you and me means a day built around good nutrition, sleep, worship, exercise, Bible reading, prayer, gratitude, service to others, updated bloodwork, high boundaries to protect energy, and strategic choices every day to invest in our brain health. We keep trying. We keep seeking. We don’t give into despair.
I pray daily that God strengthens us in our inner being and guides us along the paths of peace and joy. I pray He renews our minds. And until we’re made new in eternity, we stay constantly vigilant.