What World Mental Health Day Really Means to Me
Every year, when World Mental Health Day rolls around, my social media feed fills with reminders to “check in” and “talk about it.” And thats great don’t get me wrong and its inspiring to see the world coming together, even for a day, to highlight something that often stays in the shadows.
But if I’m being honest, for me, World Mental Health Day isn’t about one day at all. It’s about the other 364. It’s about those quiet mornings when I ask myself how I’m really doing. It’s about noticing when my body feels tense or when my mind starts to spiral. It’s about finding balance not once a year, but all year round.
It’s Not Just a Hashtag
As I say, don’t get me wrong, I love seeing people share resources, support each other, and open up online. Awareness matters. But when the day is over, we can’t just pack that awareness away until next October.
Mental health doesn’t stick to the calendar. Anxiety doesn’t take the day off, and body image struggles don’t pause because the world is paying attention for 24 hours. Real progress comes from what we do between the awareness days, the small, consistent moments when we choose to care for ourselves and others.
Learning to Listen to My Body
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned through my own journey and from having conversations on The Endless Spiral Podcast is that my body often knows what my mind hasn’t caught up to yet.
When I’m stressed, it shows up as headaches. When I’m anxious, I feel it in my back with spasms excruciating pain. When I’m mentally drained, my workouts and diet suffer. These aren’t coincidences , they’re messages. Learning to listen to my body has helped me recognise when I need to slow down, when I need rest, and when I just need to breathe. Sometimes I take ‘me day’.
Your body and mind are in constant conversation. Sometimes, the best thing you can do for your mental health is to simply tune in and listen.
Daily Check-Ins: The Small Things That Save Me
People often think improving mental health requires huge changes. But for me, it’s the small, daily check-ins that make all the difference.
Each morning, I take a minute to ask myself: How do I feel today? What do I need? Some days it’s a walk. Some days it’s a workout. Other days it’s silence, no phone, no podcast, just stillness. These tiny acts of self-awareness have helped me stay grounded, especially when life feels chaotic.
It’s amazing how much clarity you can gain from simply checking in with yourself, body and mind.
Body Image and the Mirror We Don’t Always Want to Face
Body image is something I’ve talked about a lot, both personally, on my podcast, this blog and countless interviews in the press. For years, I treated my body like something to fix instead of something to respect. I pushed it, punished it, and ignored what it was trying to tell me.
But healing my relationship with my body has been a big part of improving my mental health. I’ve learned that my body isn’t an enemy; it’s a reflection of what’s happening inside. It holds the stories of my stress, my recovery, my growth. Checking in with my body is how I make peace with it, and with myself.
Breaking the Silence (Again and Again)
Talking about mental health doesn’t get easier, but it gets more honest. Every time I open up, I remind myself why it matters. Because silence isolates, but honesty connects.
When we share our struggles, we help someone else feel less alone. And when we keep talking, not just on awareness days, but regularly, we build a community where it’s okay to not be okay. That’s what I want World Mental Health Day to stand for: continuous connection, not occasional conversation.
Redefining Self-Care: It’s Not Always Pretty
I used to think self-care meant doing things that made me feel instantly better. But now I know that real self-care often looks like doing what’s hard but necessary. Setting boundaries. Going to therapy. Saying no.
Sometimes self-care is about getting off social media when the noise becomes too much. Other times it’s about reaching out and saying, “I’m not doing great right now.” It’s not glamorous, but it’s real. And it’s what keeps me going.
When you treat self-care as a commitment rather than a quick fix, you build something sustainable, a foundation for long-term wellbeing.
Moving to Heal
Movement has always played a big role in my mental health journey. Whether it’s walking, running, or lifting weights, moving my body helps quiet my mind. It’s a release, not just of energy, but of emotion.
When I move, I’m not chasing a number on a scale or a perfect physique. I’m reconnecting with myself. I’m reminding my body that it’s strong, capable, and worth caring for. Movement, for me, is medicine. It’s not about changing how I look, t’s about changing how I feel.
A Promise to Keep Showing Up
World Mental Health Day will always hold meaning for me, not as a single moment, but as a reminder of what ongoing awareness looks like. It’s a checkpoint, not a finish line.
So, I make this promise to myself (and to anyone reading): I’ll keep checking in, not just once a year, but regularly. I’ll listen to my body, acknowledge my emotions, and speak honestly about where I’m at. Because that’s what mental health really means to me: showing up for myself, even when it’s hard.
The Spiral Never Ends (And That’s Okay)
I named The Endless Spiral because of the ongoing negative thoutts felt like i was caught in an Endless Spiral, but now it has a different meaning, its about a spiral of healing, working towards peace and balance, its non-linear, sometimes messy, but always moving . There’s no final destination. Just moments of growth, reflection, and awareness.
World Mental Health Day reminds me to pause and appreciate how far I’ve come. But the real work happens in the everyday, in the check-ins, the conversations, the quiet moments when I choose to keep going. That’s the real meaning behind the day for me.
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