10 Mental Health Tips that you Never Asked For From Someone You Don't Know*

Issue 12, Semester 2, 2019

HANNAH HUNTERSMITH

*But also go to therapy
​

1. Practice self forgiveness. Try not to be so hard on yourself if you skip a gym sesh, fail a practice exam or spend too much money on an ASOS order. Step one is always to forgive and move on. There’s science behind thinking habits and the creation of stronger pathways, so always try to reinforce positive pathways. Even if you don’t mean it, physically think to yourself that it is okay and that you are okay. They will become your initial thoughts after a while.
2. Romanticise your own life. Pretend you're in a movie or that you are someone that you admire or love. Even something as mundane and boring as your morning train ride can be inspiring and adorable.
3. The best advice I was ever given. And it wasn’t even given to me, it was given to my sister, Talia, from Bridget Jones (that is her actual name) and if for some reason this makes it to her — thank you, you changed my whole way of thinking. “The really great thing about really big life decisions is that you don’t need to make them right away.” It’s wild. You think that these decisions need to be made right away because they feel so urgent. BUT, not only do you not have to make them right away, it is in fact the really great thing about them. Take as long as you need before you commit to dropping out.

Image: John Krzesinski https://flic.kr/p/bmoQQw

4. Drink water.

5. Exercise.

6. Everyone is just trying their best. People don’t (usually) try to be a bad person. Chaotic evil or really any evil characters don’t really exist. The only characters with believable evil alignments are monsters. Try thinking of this when dealing with an annoying waitress or someone who cut you off in traffic. They’re all trying their best in the wider scheme of their life.

7. Accepting your own mortality. Now this one is a bit more intense and probably overused, and I would have rolled my eyes a year ago too. BUT, I had an ‘uh-huh’ moment. In the scheme of your life and the broader context of the universe, failing your torts exam doesn’t really mean anything.

8. Ask for your sushi to be cut up. I deleted number eight because I didn’t like it anymore and asked my family what the best piece of advice they were ever given was. This is what I was given. Daniel said that he never knew he wanted his sushi cut up until he tried it. I’m not really sure what the takeaway is, but family is pretty great for a laugh and trying new things is pretty cool too.

9. It really is a lonely existence without animals. I recently house sat for two months in a beautiful house that had no animals and it was really depressing. Animals really do help.

10. Write a piece for De Minimis. It makes you feel important and like you’ve achieved something.

Editor's Note: If you or anyone you know needs help - 

• Lifeline on 13 11 14
• Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800
• MensLine Australia on 1300 789 978
• Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467
• Beyond Blue on 1300 22 46 36
• Headspace on 1800 650 890
• ReachOut at au.reachout.com

The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Law School also offer support services for mental health and wellbeing. Visit their website here.

Hannah is a Second Year JD Student.