For many people, the moments when you need the most help are the hardest times to reach out and ask for it. When the negative voices in your head are the loudest, it’s important to know who you can lean on for emotional support. That’s not to say that these are the only times you’ll benefit from having a strong support system. Surrounding yourself with encouraging and growth-minded people will help you maintain good mental health in a more proactive way. 

Everyone needs different kinds of supporters in their lives. Your family can stand by your side and help you in different ways when you’re facing tough situations. Maybe you have some friends who will build healthy habits with you like exercising and taking time to relax. It’s good to have a close relationship with a co-worker, a teacher, a coach, or someone in the community who can help you with situations at work or at school. When your thoughts and feelings are affecting multiple areas of your life, a licensed clinician can help you sort out what’s happening and provide treatment. 

Before you can get the right support system in place, you’ll need to identify some areas in your life where you need support. Try journaling about your emotions, your worries and fears, your life goals, and the qualities you value in others.

Already have some ideas in mind? Try these seven strategies to build a rock-solid mental health support system:

• Reflect on your relationships — What supporters do you already have in your life, and what is your relationship like? What things can you trust each person to help you with? The same friend you would go to for advice might not be the best person to cheer you up when you’re sad. Think about some times when they’ve been there for you in the past. See if there are any specific gaps where you could use more support.
• Start the conversation — Once you’ve identified someone you can trust when you need mental health support, it’s time to talk about it. You might start by asking them what they’re doing to care for their own mental health. Give them some background information about any conditions or symptoms you’ve struggled with. Then ask them if you can confide in them next time you need someone to listen.
• Work on your interpersonal skills — Maintaining these relationships will take some care and communication. Interpersonal skills take practice, but they can be learned. Seek out some resources or ask your therapist to help you.
• Seek out a support group — Your friends may be able to sympathize with you. It’s also good to know some people who are going through similar things. Look for a support group that focuses on your condition or the area of your life where you have challenges. There are support groups for different mental health conditions, grief, sexual assault, abuse, dysfunctional families and more.
• Find a great therapist — A licensed clinician can help you see how your mental health condition is affecting you and learn to manage it. They’re also great for giving you an unbiased perspective and listening while you work through your feelings. You don’t need a diagnosis to see a therapist. They can help you manage your mental health more proactively at any stage of your journey.
• Make an emergency plan — It’s not always possible to predict when your mental health will be at its lowest. In those moments, it’s good to already have a clear plan so you won’t have to think twice about what to do. Your emergency plan should include some people you can call in an emergency, a place where you can go to feel safe, and some activities you can do to manage difficult emotions. You should also include some immediate crisis resources, for instance, contact information for a crisis hotline or a trusted mental health professional. In life-threatening emergencies, you should call 911 or dial 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
• Do a social media cleanse — If you use apps or social platforms to stay connected with your support system, you should make sure they’re updated and working properly. Take advantage of features like group chats to share things with people you trust. It’s also a good idea to review the accounts you follow and filter out anything that brings you down.

Mental health is something everyone needs to think about at some point. Maintaining a positive outlook, regulating emotions and living an authentic life are projects we work on for a lifetime. It takes a lot of practice to develop those skills, and nobody should have to do it alone. Having a broad support network with different types of relationships will help you protect your mental, physical and emotional well-being no matter what challenges you’re facing. When you open up to people you trust, you may find that they’ve had some similar experiences. 

A professional mental health care provider or care team are key members of your support network. Friends and family should complement your relationships with care providers, but they aren’t interchangeable. At Lightfully, relationships are one of the four core processes we help our clients develop. If you have a mental health condition that’s affecting your connections with others, we can help. We offer comprehensive mental health treatment that goes a step beyond outpatient therapy. If you want to talk about treatment, contact us today. Let’s take the next steps together.