Because Maybe We Shouldn’t Wait Until We’re Crying in a CVS Parking Lot
Preventative Mental Health
You know what’s wild?
We go to the dentist twice a year to get our teeth scraped by a stranger in gloves, but we don’t think to check in on our mental health until we’re binge-watching true crime, stress-eating frozen waffles, and Googling “Do I have anxiety or am I just cursed?”
Let’s talk about preventative mental health aka the art of keeping your nervous system from turning into a flaming dumpster fire.
1. Why My Brain Feels Like 45 Tabs Are Open, All Glitching
Digital Overstimulation.
If you’ve ever closed TikTok and immediately opened Instagram like a gremlin in search of more stimulation… yeah. Same.
Here’s the deal: our brains weren’t designed to process 6,472 pieces of information before 9 a.m.
All this constant scrolling, pinging, swiping—it’s like feeding your nervous system a steady diet of Monster Energy and confusion.
Symptoms may include:
– Forgetting why you walked into a room
– Picking up your phone and unlocking it 37 times with no mission
– Emotional whiplash from laughing at memes and crying over a rescue dog video within 60 seconds
Hot tip? Put the phone down. Touch a leaf. Blink. Repeat.
2. When “Working From Home” Turns Into Talking to Your Plants Too Much
Isolation.
We all thought remote work would be a dream.
It’s great until you realize your only coworker is a pothos named Kevin and he’s not exactly stimulating conversation.
You can be connected to thousands of people and still feel like you’re floating in space with a cracked helmet and no snacks.
Isolation is sneaky. It dresses up like independence but lowkey leaves you emotionally malnourished.
You need hugs. Real ones. With arms.
Eye contact. Shared silence. Someone to say “You good?” and mean it.
3. Basically Free Wi-Fi for Your Soul
Nature Therapy.
Let me say this louder for the people doomscrolling:
Nature is not just “nice.” Nature is NECESSARY.
Go outside. Not just to get to your car.
Actually be outside.
Trees release things called phytoncides that literally help lower stress hormones. That’s right. Trees are out here healing you for free while you’re crying in a swivel chair eating gummy worms.
Lay in the grass. Watch bugs do their weird little bug things. Stare at the sky until you forget what your phone password is.
It’s free medicine. No side effects. Except maybe a sunburn and humility.
4. Because Therapy is Expensive and Your Dog Doesn’t Care About Your Trauma Timeline
Journaling.
Journaling doesn’t have to be aesthetic. No one’s giving out gold stars for flawless cursive or emotional haikus.
Just write. Like you’re texting your best friend at 2 a.m. with rage thumbs.
Not sure what to say?
– “I’m tired but can’t nap”
– “Why did I cry when I ran out of ketchup?”
– “I have no idea what I’m doing but I showed up today.”
Boom. You’re journaling. And you didn’t even need a $47 leather-bound notebook to do it.
5. The Unsung Hero of Sanity
Boundaries.
Look, I love people. I just don’t love people in my energy field 24/7 with zero regard for my inner peace.
Boundaries aren’t rude. They’re self-respect with a side of 'please don’t ruin my day.'
Saying no doesn’t make you a bad person. It makes you a person who wants to live to see their 90s without developing a twitch and a caffeine addiction that rivals a frat boy during finals.
Mute. Block. Unplug. Walk away.
Let your nervous system breathe, babe.
It’s Essential.
You don’t wait until your car engine explodes to put gas in it.
So why wait until you’re mentally curled up in the fetal position eating stale Goldfish to take care of your emotional engine?
Preventative mental health isn’t extra. It’s essential.