It’s time for a tune-up: Why Now is the Best Time to Start Counseling
I drive a Volkswagen Golf. I love it! It zips and zooms like street legal go kart. Over the last decade my speedy hatchback has been reliable and consistent. Always getting me where I need to go. It started with a fog light. This little yellow gauge on my dash letting me know a bulb was out. The dealership wanted my last paycheck to replace it for me so I held off, confident I would get it done over the weekend. Now two years later that beady yellow gauge still glares at me on my evening drives. Recently he was joined by his friend, windshield washer fluid is low indicator, and after last weeks run in with Missouri’s finest pot hole, I have the hat-trick trio concluding with tire pressure is low indicator. And with the finale, Last night, coming home late from a get together my dash brightens, THE GAS GAUGE. My dash is beginning to looking like Clark Griswold got ahold of it.
In many ways, our mind, body, and spirit are similar to my VW Golf. We require regular maintenance. As we journey along, we push ourselves hard needing to get ourselves where we need to go.
We often zoom past our regular maintenance and scheduled services. We push past fatigue, minimize our wear and tear, and silence the still small signals of our mind, body, and spirit urging us to slow down and reflect. And the truth is, we are resilient. This mentality serves us well. Until it doesn't. That one day, when we come to a sputtering halt, reckoning with the toll our neglect has taken.
It could be that your are in need of a tune-up, to be refueled, or just a rest stop. Here’s why you should pull over for a bit.
First and foremost, counseling can help you to identify and address any underlying issues that may be impacting your mental health. Whether you're dealing with anxiety, depression, trauma, or any other mental health concern, a trained counselor can work with you to develop coping skills and strategies that can help you feel better but also get to the root issue. So you don’t have to keep filling that tire up every morning before work, we need to find the nail, and patch it.
Counseling can provide a safe and nonjudgmental space to explore your thoughts and feelings. Often, we can feel like we're carrying our burdens alone, but in counseling, you have someone who is there to listen and support you without judgment. This can be especially important for those who may not have a strong support system in their personal lives. Road side assistance is EVERYTHING. Let a professional come alongside and help you get moving on your way.
Early intervention is key when it comes to our health. The longer we wait to address our problems, the harder they can be to manage. By starting counseling now, you're taking a proactive step to improve your mental health and prevent future problems from arising. You thought getting an oil change is inconvenient, try replacing a seized engine.
Counseling can help you to build resilience and improve your overall well-being. Life is full of ups and downs, and learning how to cope with stress and adversity is an important part of mental health. A counselor can help you develop tools and strategies to manage stress and build resilience, so that you can feel better equipped to handle whatever life throws your way. You can get on a few cylinders, but nothing compares to firing on all cylinders.
In short, you don’t need major repair to justify getting into the shop. Counseling is a powerful tool that can help you tune-up your mental health, understand your purpose and path, and build a resilient you for the roads ahead.
If you’re like me and you’ve got a few gauges on the dash blinking, take 2 minutes towards getting back on track and schedule a counseling session today.