It’s Day 2 of the 30 Day Mental Health Challenge and today’s task seems to be a simple one. Find a quiet spot and give yourself a few minutes to do something you may not have done in a while:
30 day Mental Health Challenge Day 2:
Call Someone You Love
I don’t know about you, but I find myself not talking to people on the phone as much as I used to. I send tons of texts and lots of messages, heck I even Facebook and Tweet people, but I do not call them. The exception is my husband- we do all of the above, plus chat a few times a day. After a while it becomes second nature to NOT speak to someone face to face, and I think that’s a shame. There was a time when I was super lonely, and I would have given ANYTHING to have received a phone call from a friend.
Speaking of shame, once of the reasons I have been reticent to call one of my most beloved people is that she is totally non-tech, meaning she has no social media at all. She’s very difficult to get in touch with, and when you do, the very first thing she says is, “well, I haven’t heard from YOU in a while”. She’s right, I don’t call her, because when I do, she gives me a hassle, but I have sent her notes and messaged through the mail and today I will call and leave her a message. I know I won’t reach her, but I’ll call her and and let her know I was thinking about her. That I love her, and miss her and would love to hear her voice. Even if she calls me back and scolds me, I know that she’ll settle down quickly and we’ll chat. I’ll tell her about how I’ve been feeling, the Mental Health Challenge, and explain that she grounds me. I know she will understand. I feel disconnected from her and actually talking to her will help me reconnect to a place where I felt loved and centered.
However, do not feel like you have to reach out to someone out of guilt. Do it for pleasure. Never call someone who is toxic to you, either. You have the right to NOT talk to people who are poisonous to you. I have people that I love, but do not like, and will not talk to. YOU get to choose who you talk to, and it should make you happy! We are right now dealing with a family member who is guilting my husband for not having our kids call her. I stand by Dave when he tells this person, hey, your fingers can dial, too, and you never call them, nor have you. If you want them to want to talk to you, you have to make the first step. Do what feels right for YOU.
If you can’t talk to someone, leaving a message is fine. I honestly think that just hearing someone’s voice, and them hearing yours (especially in these days when people do not talk) will boost BOTH of your spirits.
Do you have someone in mind you’d like to chat with? I’d love to hear if you were able to connect!
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Originally published at waitsover.com