In 2022, I was at a very low point in life, and I hated being in that place. I just wanted to feel numb, and to fast-forward to the highs of life. I was constantly at war with my innermost thoughts, and no one truly understood what my struggle was, or even knew that I was going through it. My anxiety was so bad that I think it manifested itself through chronic neck pain, shoulder pain, and even acne (although my hormonal imbalance was also a big factor). 

I doubted myself a lot with making art, thinking that I wasn’t good enough and wasn’t worth putting myself out there. The self-doubt was so deeply ingrained into my brain that I had to slap myself to reality and constantly remind myself that I’m capable, that I have good and creative ideas, that I still have time to be more than just my potential, and that I have yet to reach the peak. My best days are not behind me and I can still offer the best of my talents for Jesus.

Reinforcing myself with the truth and not giving attention to the negative, lying thoughts helped me a lot. Slowly, I also started accepting compliments from other people with a grateful heart, instead of responding to them with self-deprecating remarks. 

I love listening to Dr. Daniel Amen, and one of his interviews with Jay Shetty was pretty much life-changing for me. 

Jay Shetty asked, “What is the thing that someone could do waking up tomorrow that could be better for their brain?”

Dr. Amen remarked that brain and mental health is a daily practice. One of his recommendations was to convince your brain every morning that it’s going be a great day. 

He also said that if you want to have a good day, it starts the night before, so he recommended to end each night by listing all the things that went well on that day (practicing gratitude). He asserts that this isn’t positive thinking; it’s accurate thinking.

When I started integrating those habits into my daily routine, I noticed how immensely my mental health improved—even in the first few days. And now, I can say that I’m in a much different (and better) place than I was last year.

Changing your thought pattern through gratitude allows you to focus your attention on the good things that happen in your life. Sometimes we get so worked up with how badly the day went that we forget how God kept us safe the whole time, how the sun is still shining, how we’re still able to eat and enjoy our favorite foods, how we still have people in our life who genuinely care about our well-being, and the list goes on and on and on. The truth is, we’ll never run out of things to be grateful for.

I’m still on my way to healing, and I still have so much to work on to break my long-standing bad mental habits, but with these tools, I know better now–to reinforce myself with truthful, more accurate thoughts and thank God for everything, through everything.

It’s still a journey, but I’ve learned that healing isn’t a destination—it’s a daily decision.

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More on Dr. Daniel Amen: @doc_amen (Instagram)

More on Jay Shetty: @jayshetty (Instagram)