The second key to improving your mental health is to choose your relationships.
If you are with your “sunshine” who treats you valuably, they will gradually warm and heal your heart. So, what kind of a person is a “sunshine”?
I think it is someone who accepts, respects, and watches over your state of mind.
In the process of mental recovery, it may be natural to grow apart from people with whom you had previously interacted.
Let us say that when you reviewed your relationships, you realized that these relationships were having a rather negative impact on your mental health. In order to take care of yourself, sometimes it is better to keep your distance from those relationships for a bit.
A commonly used English phrase, “toxic relationship,” refers to one that is mentally, emotionally, and physically straining on one or both parties. Conversely, what kind of relationship can we call “non-toxic” or “healthy”?
I think we can call it a “healthy relationship” when each person can take care of themselves and respect each other. It may seem contradictory, but you could feel a little lonely when you leave a toxic relationship. You probably feel this way because the relationship was not functioning well, and you want to fix it.
Perhaps you also have a sense of guilt, feeling like you are ruining the relationships you have built. However, you can try to think of this situation, which seems negative at a glance, as part of the process of finding a place where your mind can be comfortable and healthy.
Although a new relationship may seem unstable, it can actually be stable in the long term. In the process of changing your mind, you will learn to take care of yourself. You are trying hard to think about how you can make choices, and what kind of environment would make you happy.
Of course, your state of mind can be good or bad. You should look for people who care about you instead of those who would blame or deny who you are. I believe you can feel better by accepting yourself. And this will lead to the next step, which is the creation of a post-recovery self.
Your existence is truly important. Please take good care of yourself, and therefore, you should be with people who care about you.
The following lyrics are from the song, "The Rose," by Bette Midler:
“Just remember in the winter
Far beneath the bitter snow
Lies the seed that with the sun's love
In the spring becomes the rose”
Keep taking care of yourself, and one day, the colors of your life will be as vibrant as flowers. Please bask in the sunshine and receive energy from your "sunshine” until the day you bloom as yourself.
Written by Luna
Translated by Kana Miyazawa and Kyoko Itagaki
Edited by Emiru Okada
Graphics by Ren Ono