4 Ways to Invest in Your Mental Health Bank

Many of us have significant worries about our finances. We spend hours of our day pondering how we can make more money or reduce our expenses. This rationale makes a lot of sense because financial strain is a major stressor. Well, today I’m not going to talk about money matters; I’ll leave that to Money Girl. What I will do, however, is talk about your general psychological well-being and introduce the concept of a “mental health bank” which might help you avoid becoming mentally bankrupt.

Ever feel burned out? Tapped out? Exhausted? Look around and think, “What do I have to look forward to?” These can all be signs that your mental health is in the red. Just like our monthly bank statements, our mind’s health can be seen as a series of deposits and withdrawals. Petting my cat on the couch while watching a TV show is a deposit and running late for an important meeting is a withdrawal. The past year with the COVID pandemic has been the equivalent of a financial crisis on our emotional resources. Now that things are starting to ease up, it's a great time to reassess how we take care of ourselves on a daily basis. I'll be helping you open a mental health bank account today. Now, let’s walk you through the steps. 

Step 1: Take an Inventory of Assets and Debts

Taking an inventory can feel like the most difficult step, as it involves taking an honest account of how we've been living. You will want to isolate the behaviors and activities that have an additive benefit to your life (aka, your assets), and also the aspects of life that cause you stress (aka, your liabilities). It’s important to note here that there isn’t a method to eliminate all stress. In fact, some of our stressors are also our greatest assets.

For instance, raising children can sometimes make you want to pull your hair out, (which some of us would happily do in exchange for a 10-minute nap because we haven’t slept in eight years). However, for those who make that choice, child rearing can also be an enriching endeavor. The goal is to make sure that life isn’t so imbalanced that you are living in a psychological deficit.

Examples of assets can include healthy relationships, regular participation in recreational activities, and a non-judgmental mindset. Your debts often look like the reverse of your assets. These can include:...

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