It's Mental Health Week at BuzzFeed, and, in addition to our editorial work, we've partnered with Well Being Trust to bring more awareness to mental health. Well Being Trust is a national foundation dedicated to advancing mental, social, and spiritual health in the nation.
My name is Clark, and, from the outside, I'm a pretty happy dude. I've got a great life, good friends, an incredible job, and I'm really close with my family.
But I'm also clinically depressed. And it's something I live with. There are many other conditions people deal with every day, like ADHD, eating disorders, anxiety, psychosis, and more.
But you don't have to have one of these conditions to practice mindfulness and want to take care of your mental health. It's something anyone can do to cope with normal life stressors and aid their productivity.
The best thing you can do for someone bettering their mental health is be there and listen. For starters, here are a few things to avoid saying when discussing mental health.
1. "You'll get over it eventually."
2. "But you don't look sad."
3. "Just deal with it like a normal person."
4. "It could be a lot worse."
5. "You're just having a bad day."
6. "Try to focus on the good things."
7. "Have you tried exercising?"
8. "Do you really believe in practicing mental health?"
9. "Don't be so hard on yourself."
10. "Why are you upset? Your life seems so good."
11. "You don't seem unhealthy to me."
To learn more about mental health, visit Well Being Trust.
If you or someone you know needs help, there are great resources like the crisis hotline, which you can call at (775) 784-8090 or text "ANSWER" to 839863.
