Making Space for Your Mental Health

Written by Samantha Diaz

There’s a quiet truth I’ve come to understand more deeply as both a counselor-in-training and someone who wears many hats in life: mental health is not a destination—it’s a relationship. One that needs attention, patience, and care just like any other. And yet, in a world that glorifies productivity, perfection, and pushing through, making space for your mental health can feel like a radical act.

I used to think taking care of myself meant checking off boxes: sleep eight hours, exercise, drink water, stay organized. But mental health isn’t always that neat. Sometimes it’s messy. Sometimes it’s waking up and feeling heavy for no clear reason. Sometimes it’s canceling plans you were excited about because your nervous system is screaming for rest. And sometimes, it’s sitting in silence long enough to realize how overwhelmed you’ve really been.

Making space for your mental health means tuning in before everything starts to spiral. It means asking yourself, What do I need right now? and actually listening to the answer. It’s allowing yourself to be human—flawed, growing, uncertain—and still worthy of love and compassion. It means unlearning the idea that your value is tied to how much you do or how perfectly you perform.

It can look different for everyone. For me, it’s journaling in the mornings, taking walks without music or podcasts, having boundaries with my screen time, and being honest with the people closest to me when I’m not okay. It’s therapy, too—where I get to show up exactly as I am, without the pressure to explain everything away. For someone else, it might be creating, resting, moving, or simply breathing through the moment. All of it counts.

If you’re in a season where things feel a little off or heavy, I want you to know this: you are not behind. You are not broken. You are doing the best you can with what you know. Healing isn’t linear, and growth isn’t always visible. But when you make space to tend to your inner world, you slowly start to feel more grounded—even when life is chaotic around you.

You don’t need to have it all figured out to begin. Just start by checking in with yourself, and let that be enough for today.