4:00 How do we practically take care of our mental and emotional health?

• The World Health Organization declared that every 40 seconds, someone commits suicide.
• More than 300 million people all over the world are suffering from a mental disorder or are going through a depressive episode.
• Five components of our health: mental, physical, spiritual, emotional, and relational well being

6:10 Journey to a Healthy Self

• None of us are born without health issues.
• We are born in a polluted world. We needed to be vaccinated from diseases. And we also have threats on the rest of our health.
• We may just have the same number of mental illnesses and physical diseases!
• Our soul (composed of emotions, mind, and will) is precious.

“For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?”

Mark 8:36

• Self-care is not being selfish or self-absorbed. Self-care is loving the body that God has entrusted to us.
• Spiritually, self-care means going through the discipleship process and practicing spiritual disciplines in order to grow. Self-care should be holistic, however, and involve the rest of the five components, including our emotional, mental, and relational well-being.

8:37 Principles for Self-Care

• These are practical, preventive measures.
• We use the acronym SELF CARE. 

9:15 SELF CARE: A Journey to a Healthy Self

1. S – Stop the stigma and express yourself.

• I will speak for myself and be myself.
• The reason for the high number of people suffering from mental disorders is because of the stigma attached to being vulnerable and to sharing any emotional hurt.
• People are reluctant to share because there seems to be a fear of being labelled as a weakling or a second-class citizen.
• No one should be stigmatized because everyone is imperfect in this broken world.
• You face your real self everyday, not your ideal self.
• Our aim should not be the ideal self, but a happy self that is content regardless of the circumstance, with a certain level of peace, comfort, and security. 
• Don’t label yourself. People already know you are imperfect. Admit your weaknesses but also know that there is hope for as long as we live. 
• Ps. Tito: “I myself undergo counseling three times a year.”
• We don’t have an image to protect. We simply protect the witness as followers of Jesus Christ. 
• “I have nothing to prove and no one to impress.” “Magpakatotoo ka.”

15:00

2. E – Engage Yourself in a Healthy Lifestyle

• I will be in good health as my strong weapon.
• Be conscious about your physical health as well. 
• Watch what you eat.
• Practice self-control. Don’t indulge. Eat in moderation.
• There is such a thing as nutritional psychiatry. Food rich in probiotics and Omega-3 are a big help to having healthy brain cells.
• Make sure you have enough sunlight and water. Invest in vitamin supplements.
• Have enough sleep and take time to rest.
• Don’t indulge in vices that could lead to addiction and disrupt our health: smoking, drinking, gaming, overeating, pornography.
• If you are suffering from addiction, get help.

18:45

3. L – Leadership is the Key

• I will lead myself so I can support others as well.
• You are a leader to yourself first. Self-governance is key.
• Leadership is becoming of help.

“The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.”

Proverbs 11:25

• Helping others help you as well, because it makes you become less self-absorbed. 

21:28

4. F – Forgiveness is a choice.

• I will forgive myself and others to move forward in life.
• We get hurt and we hurt others. We get wounded and we inflict wounds on others. We get offended and we bring offense to others.
• We need to forgive, not for the other person’s sake but for ours, because we need to be free from the poison of bitterness.
• You do not have to forgive and forget, but rather to forgive and be healed. Do not allow yourself to suffer from the effects of unforgiveness. 
• You get peace and comfort from releasing forgiveness. 

24:10

5. C – Connect with loved ones and friends.

• I will cherish meaningful relationships.
• No relationship is perfect because you, your loved ones, and your friends are all imperfect.
• Cherish meaningful relationships.
• Connection with spiritual family is essential to spiritual growth. 
• Make sure you have close friends in the church who know what is going on in your life.

26:28

6. A – Accept the present reality.

• I will acknowledge that there are things in life that I cannot control.
• What can I learn from the circumstance? 
• Don’t focus on what has been lost or on what is not happening at present. Instead, embrace the present reality.
• Not being able to accept the present reality leads to either escaping or ignoring it. This eventually leads to either emotional or mental breakdown.
• At present, we are only deprived of certain things, but we are not deprived of life, and that is already good news.

28:18

7. R – Reach out for help.

• I’m not alone in this battle and will seek help and support.
• It’s not shameful to ask for help. 
• It’s better for us to collaborate. 
• Help is always available. We can ask for help from a healing community to process things and give practical and godly counsel.
• As a leader, when we can no longer help those we lead, we can refer them to others in the church community who can.

31:10

8. E – Entrust all your worries and burdens to God. 

• I will let go and let God.
• The best thing in life is to be intimate and close to God–to hear from God and to be heard by God.
• We can voice our concerns and complaints to God.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”

Philippians 4:6

• Let us not lose hope. 
• Remove ANTS (anxious, negative thoughts) from your mind. Don’t just do a monologue about your thoughts. Dialogue with God.
• God is on our side. He will always be there to help us out.

36:50 How can you love yourself and not be narcissistic?

• Let God be the center of your life. When you do, you are able to love God, love yourself, and love others.
• Loving yourself is a stewardship of the life God has given you.
• Be mindful of the Lord being in the equation.
• Self-care in this sense will not be skin-deep.
• We want to do self-care so that we can care for others properly.
• Look beyond the crisis and focus on who Christ is. 

Today on Campus is hosted by Dave Estrera and Jello de los Reyes. In this episode, they are joined by a professional counselor, Dr. Tito Almadin. Message Dr. Almadin if you have more questions at @beyondgoodadvice on Facebook or Instagram.