The Power of Determination: How It Can Help You With Mental Health
Life lessons about mental health learned from working in my yard.
Hi there!
The older I get, the more I have to break jobs down into pieces. Gone are the days I could work dawn to dusk and still function the next day.
With yard work, this often means picking up sticks one day, mowing the next, and weed eating and cleanup the third day. Working in the yard often reminds me of the value of determination and how it helps maintain mental health.
In early spring, as part of getting my yard and flower beds back in shape, I trim trees, pull weeds, and dig up rocks revealed by winter rains. It's a strenuous project. I carry cut branches and dead leaves down the hill to the burn pit behind my house. It takes me a month or more of working every weekend to get it all done.
Every year, the spring transformation takes me longer to complete, but it always gets done. Determination keeps me going until I finish it all. And when I’m done, I sit on the swing on my front porch and enjoy how pretty my modest yard looks.
My yard is nothing special, but I try to keep it well maintained.
“A dream doesn't become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work.”
- Colin Powell
Determination and Mental Health
Determination is important for so many areas of life, but especially for taking care of your mental health.
When you're coping with a mental illness like bipolar disorder, there are lots of days you want to give up. Too often, it feels impossible to get up or face the world. Yet, with determination, most days you can do what needs to be done.
Millions of us go to work every day, take care of our families, and do our best to support our communities. It's determination that keeps us moving even on the days when all we want to do is quit.
Learning to be determined is a gift. My mom calls it stubbornness when referring to my dad or her children, but it's really just determination. When one of us sets out to do something, there's no stopping us. It may take a while, but the task will get done.
That's the beauty of determination.
Determination is a state of mind. It's a choice we make to keep going, even when it's hard. And it's a quality we can learn.
If you're not determined already, start by making small goals and then reach them. Set the goal of getting out of bed at the same time every day or taking your meds at consistent times. Then do your best to reach your goal.
Once you get in the habit of being determined, you'll find it's easier to keep going. Then, even when the ups and downs of bipolar make you want to stop, you’ll find the strength to keep fighting.
I use my determination to tackle my mental health every day. It helps me remain stable, take my medications, eat healthy meals, and exercise when I can. Every little act helps maintain my mind.
Be determined to do what you can each day. By doing the right things on the better days, the harder days will feel less dark. Spend some time today thinking about determination. Use the prompts below to help you start.
Journal Prompt: How have you shown determination in the past? How has it helped you to achieve your goals? What did those lessons teach you?
Creative Writing Prompt: Your character faces impossible odds but has greater determination than any other human has ever had. Write a story starting with the words, “I can do this.”
Until next time, keep fighting.
Scott Ninneman
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