Mental health is vital to living a balanced, happy, and purposeful life. However, According to the National Alliance of Mental Illness, more than 40 million adults in America suffer from mental health issues.

But, all of us who have been down this road understand that the crisis runs far deeper down the surface.

Mental health crisis doesn’t just make your feel unmotivate and tired. It drains out your enthusiasm and zest for living. However, over the year, I have realized that the challenge of a mental health crisis can be mapped out in its basic form by reaching a robust but persuasive list of reasons to continue living, also known as intentional living.

Here, I will walk you through my top four actionable strategies that have helped me achieve a more meaningful and healthy life.

Intentional Living and Mental Health

Intentional living enables you to rise above weighing the pros and cons of every decision. A purpose-driven life guides you like a compass made from your values and beliefs.

In her book Already Enough: A Path to Self-Acceptance, Lisa Olivera highlights that intentional living:

  • Gives us access to our power
  • Creates a sense of agency in our lives
  • Helps us feel more in tune and capable and presents

I believe the purpose or mission to live a meaningful life is critical to our overall well-being, especially among individuals suffering from a mental health crisis.

Here are my top four tips for improving your mental health and leading a more purpose-driven life:

Who are You?

I have been trying to discover my life’s purpose for as long as I can remember. But in the pursuit of finding meaning, I went to school, found a job that I mostly hated, had a kid without realizing the level of sacrifice it would require, and got married without even understanding what is needed to maintain a marriage.

I had been operating out of obligation all this time, something that I have been taught to do my whole life, many of which I didn’t truly want or was even prepared for.

However, as life went on, I would be triggered by different events that I thought I was over and acted out in ways that showed on my body and mind, consciously or subconsciously. 

However, after many setbacks, disappointment, and traumas, the truth became evident. You can’t find your purpose until you find out who you truly are. Until you look deep within and figure out your identity as a person.

Finding purpose is more about finding self than it is about finding something that you are passionate about. Finding oneself is really how you find your passion and your true, unfiltered self.

Know Yourself

One reason why many of us fail to find our purpose in life is that we never introspect.

The key to self-awareness is stepping back and observing your thoughts and emotions as they unfold. It can root out from observations as simple as noticing your feeling while spending time with your special one, to as complex as observing how your thoughts feed into your emotions.

By shining light on the part of your inner world, otherwise buried deep down and left unnoticed, you can realize your desires, values, and emotions better and lead a mentally healthy life.

For if you don’t know who you are, how can you figure out what your intended purpose is? I believe that in doing the necessary soul searching, you find many answers, some you didn’t even know you wanted.

Find Your Core Values

Your values are defined by your life experiences and are thus unique to everyone. Identifying your core driving values can empower you to lead a purposeful life. 

Answers to the following questions can help you redefine your clarity:

  • From day to night, what does your ideal day looks like?
  • What activities bring your fulfillment? Contentment? Meaning?
  • What upsets you?
  • What inspires you?

To inculcate your core values down to the day-to-day, align your goals with your passion and talent. 

Take small but continuous steps towards leading your ideal day. That’s not a monetary experience, but one that aligns your mental health in a positive direction and generates hope and enthusiasm about living.

Embrace Mindfulness

Mindfulness is the regular practice of managing the flow of thoughts and emotions with intent. It is the ability to be optimistic and live in the moment, viewing your thought flow without fixation and bias.

Here are some actionable habits that I have adopted over the years that can help you set me on the path of living a more purpose-driven life:

  • Accept that your life is composed of choices you make
  • Evaluate your surrounding and culture
  • Introspect who you are
  • Set achievable goals and accept responsibility

Intentional Living: The Key to Better Mental Health

One of the only advantages of going through a mental health crisis is that, on the other side, we end up choosing life rather than merely assuming it to be an unremarkable norm.

One of the things I’ve done is make it a point that in this life, I will not just exist but live in every way possible that ignites love, happiness, joy, and peace with the hope that it can spread to others. By healing ourselves, we help heal those around us. I encourage your path to wholeness so that you can find and or regain the purpose within your life you deserve.

Establishing the purpose behind your being gives your clarity in life and improves your mental health. But, it doesn’t mean you have to have everything figured out. 

When it gets hard to find the ray of hope, remind yourself it is entirely natural to feel an array of emotions while venturing off on an intentional living path. After all, we all are human beings, and doing our best is what counts.