5 Things You Need to Stop Doing if You Want to Be Mentally Healthier
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Are you mentally and emotionally drained?! Hint: Check out episode 179 to find out if you are + what you can do about it. There are a few things I didn’t discuss in that episode that I believe are seriously contributing to us feeling drained and that’s what I dive into in this episode of Embrace Your Real. In particular, there are 5 things we think we always need to do, that in fact, we don’t. If we stopped, we would probably feel so much better in our lives. Find out what these five things are now and stop doing them in your life ASAP!
If you are feeling mentally or emotionally drained, be sure to check out my previous episode, Episode 179: 7 Signs You are Mentally and Emotionally Drained + What to Do About It.
TRANSCRIPT:
Hey, Hey, beautiful human. Can I steal five minutes of your time? I have something super important to share with you, but I promise I'll be really quick. You're listening to my weekly bonus episode of Embrace Your Real with me, Julie Ledbetter. I'm about to give you a quick tip for building your confidence, honoring your body, and unconditionally loving your authentic self. Stay tuned, if you're right to reel, let's get it, let's go.
Hello and welcome back to another bonus episode of the Embrace Your Real podcast. So in the previous episode, episode 179, actually chatted about being mentally and emotionally drained, the symptoms and what we can do to avoid and heal from it, but there were a few things I didn't discuss in that episode that I believe are really contributing to us feeling the way that we're feeling, and that's why I wanted to dive in this episode of Embrace Your Real, five particular things that we always think that we need to do when in fact we don't, and if we actually stopped them, we would probably feel so much better in our lives. But before I share those five things I wanted to share the review of the day. It comes from Cassandra W. She says, "This podcast is everything. I cannot say it enough. This podcast is everything."
Julie, you are a godsend. "I started the podcast all the way at number one when I came across them, so I wouldn't miss anything. I can't express how much I needed to hear everything that is discussed in these. You have made a huge difference in the way I view my body and myself. And I've only just started listening to them. I've been binge listening while going for walks or any chance I get, they're that good. Every woman needs to hear these podcasts. They have been life changing. Thank you."
Thank you so much. I love that you went all the way back to episode one, that makes my heart so happy. So these episodes don't go in order, but if you do want to learn more, maybe you started tuning into this podcast on episode 100 or at episode at 120, and you want to learn more about how I stopped hating my body started embracing my real, really just kind of sharing the heartbeat behind this podcast. I encourage you to go tune in episode one. I kind of share my whole story there, but you can tune in to any episode at any time, if there is a title that just really speaks to you.
So I encourage people if they don't know where to start, just scroll through my episodes and if there is a title that really screams at you, then that is the podcast that you need to start with. And so I appreciate every single one of you guys who tune in, whether you tune in on episode one, like Cassandra goes all the way back to episode one, that is amazing, or this is your first time listening, I just want to thank you for being here. I'm so grateful for my podcast community. You guys are the real heartbeat behind what we do and I'm so incredibly just thankful that I get to show up every week and chat with you guys. I feel like you guys are my best friends. I feel like we're sitting down at coffee, having these heart-to-heart conversations.
And so if you haven't already rated and reviewed the podcast and this podcast has done anything in your life, I just ask that you share it. You can share this link with a friend, you can go to Apple Podcasts and leave a rating and review, that actually really does help us out in the podcast world and that is the best way to support the Embrace Your Real podcast. But either way, I just want you to know that I'm so grateful that you are here and I'm going to continue showing up, and I hope you continue showing up week after week as well.
Okay, so let's dive in to the five things you need to stop doing if you want to be mentally healthier. Number one, you don't always have to be quote on. I think it's expected in the world that we live in for us to always show up as our best selves with lots of energy and lots of enthusiasm, whether it be with our significant other, our friends, our family, our coworkers, the parents that we're with, the parent groups that we're involved in or whoever it may be, but here's the thing, that is not realistic. We need to communicate to people that just because we aren't overly enthusiastic doesn't mean that we don't like them, or it doesn't mean that we're mad at them, or we're not excited about what's happening. If you are feeling enthusiastic, of course be enthusiastic. But if you're feeling mellow, if you're feeling chill, if you're feeling just like you're having an eh day, it's okay.
I want you to know you just don't always have to be on. Be okay with letting yourself be where you are. Number two, you don't always have to be in a good mood. This kind of piggybacks off of number one, just how you don't always have to be on, you don't always have to be in a good mood. Let's be real, that is exhausting. The reality of life is that some days we're just not going to be in a good mood. We're not going to be completely happy. Pretending to be in a good mood is only going to tire you out more. So be in the mood that you're in without pretending to be any other way. But here's the trick, just communicate that to people that you're interacting that day. Say something like, "Just a heads up, I am feeling off today. And if I come across as cold or sharp, I don't mean it. I'm just having some that I'm dealing with mentally today."
People honestly will appreciate this more than you know, and you will also feel so much better because you're not having to pretend to feel other than what you are feeling in that moment. Okay, now moving away from how we're feeling. Number three, you don't always have to look put together. You don't always have to give people a heads up as to when you quote look like crap. You know what I'm talking about, you're meeting with a girlfriend for coffee and you shoot her a text and you say, "Just a heads up, I'm looking like crap today." First of all, having no makeup on does not mean you look like crap. Having workout clothes on or sweatpants on does not mean that you look like crap, and we need to be real. It is every single person in this life going to look polished and pristine every single day? No. That is not realistic, so I need you to stop holding yourself to that expectation or standard.
I need you to let yourself show up authentically, whatever you may look like that day and do so unapologetically. Don't say, "Sorry guys. I look like crap, or I know I look tired." Instead, just show up as you and own it. And that in and of itself will show so much confidence just by your simple actions. Number four, you don't always have to have it quote together. Making mistakes is okay. Not knowing how to do something is okay. Asking for help is okay. Needing a break is okay. Not always being on your a game is okay. It's impossible to think that you can have it together every minute of every day. I know think that other people do, but they just don't. You only see highlight reels of other people. You don't actually see what's going on behind the scenes. Some people are just able to appear like they have it together all the time, more than other people, but every single person makes mistakes. Everyone needs help. Everyone needs a break, and no one knows everything. Keep that in mind the next time you're getting mad at yourself for not having it 100% together all the time.
Number five, you don't always have to be productive. Your worth is not based on your productivity. Let me say that again. Your worth is not based on your productivity. You don't need to check a thousand things off your to-do list every single day. Guess what? Some days you can just be. You can let yourself be without being productive. That doesn't mean you wasted your day. That doesn't mean you're less worthy. It means you gave yourself some space to chill, to reset, to enjoy yourselves. Sometimes being unproductive is actually the most productive thing that you can be.
I think so many of us waste time pushing through in order to be productive, no matter if we're uninspired or exhausted, it may take us five hours to accomplish what we wanted to accomplish in a task that should only take us 30 minutes simply because we are feeling so blah. But if you gave yourselves the space to be unproductive, to reset, you'll be able to go back to that task and accomplish it in that 30 minutes. So please remember that sometimes the most productive thing that we can do is be unproductive and be unapologetic about that. Let me recap those five things. Number one, you don't always have to be on. Number two. You don't always have to be in a good mood. Number three, you don't always have to look put together. Number four, you don't always have to have it together. And number five, you don't always have to be productive.
Once you realize you in fact, do not have to do any of these things, you're going to have so much more energy mentally, physically, and emotionally in your life. And again, if you haven't tuned in to the episode right before this, be sure to do so. Episode 179, 7 signs, you are mentally and emotionally drained and what to do about it. I will link that in the show notes below, but I want to hear your thoughts on this episode. I would love to hear them. So be sure to screenshot this or chat about it in your Instagram stories, be sure to give me a tag, Julia Ledbetter, Embrace Your Real on Instagram as well. We always love connecting with you guys in the direct messages and seeing what you are learning from these podcasts, so be sure to do that.
I would also love, love, love for you to direct message Embrace Your Real on Instagram and let us know an episode topic that you would love for us to cover. We are 180 episodes into this podcast and we want to continue dishing out content that you want to hear. So we would love to hear your feedback. We would love to hear what topics you would like to hear more of on the podcast. So be sure again, to direct message, Embrace Your Real so that our team can see it and we can start developing content that will serve you. Thank you so much for tuning in to today's bonus episode. And I'll talk to you in the next one.
All right, sister, that's all I got for you today, but I have two things that I need you to do. First thing, if you are not already following me on the gram, be sure to do so, Julie A Ledbetter. Yes, it's with an A in the middle for that daily post workout real talk, healthy tips and tricks, and honest accountability to keep your mind and heart and check. The second thing, be sure to subscribe to Apple Podcasts to never miss an episode. Thank you so much for joining me. It means the absolute world, and I'm going to leave you with one last thought. The most beautiful women that I have met in my life are the ones who are completely confident and secure in being authentically themselves. Remember that beauty goes so much deeper than the surface. So go out there and embrace your real because you're worth it.