Using PowerSheets to Manage Mental Health

PowerSheets® have been a trusted guide for many of us over the years. From encouraging us to take leaps of faith, to empowering us to turn challenges into opportunities, our goal planner is a tool we use to help us live our most intentional lives.

For many of us, living our most intentional lives means taking extra care to tend to our mental health. As someone who has dealt with the struggle of mental illness and the hardships that come along with it, I have experienced the impact of my PowerSheets on managing my mental health. I've seen little-by-little progress add up, I've felt the small victories, and I've experienced what it truly means to cultivate what matters most and let go of the rest.

While PowerSheets are not a "fix all," they ARE a tool that can help guide you in caring for your mental health. Today, I want to walk through four ways PowerSheets have helped me manage my mental health, and how they might help you do the same.

Of course, every experience with mental health is unique. My suggestions and recommendations might not apply to you. And that's okay! Whether my tips are things you can take action on right away or simply serve as inspiration for an idea of your own, I hope they give glimmers of hope to your soul. 

 
Four ways PowerSheets have helped manage my mental health:

1. The Prep Work reminded me of what mattered — on a soul level. I was right smack in the middle of an intense season of depression when PowerSheets came into my life. I was looking for a way to feel something, to get back to who I knew myself to be, when PowerSheets were handed to me. As I walked through the Prep Work, I was reminded of what truly mattered, deeply, to me personally. Writing out what fired me up ushered in joy I hadn't felt in a long time. I was able, even just for a moment, to feel that there was more to life than I thought on a daily basis. The Prep Work took me through a journey of self discovery in a way that I had forgotten existed. I was able to write out what mattered to me, and in turn, remind my brain what mattered to me on a soul level.
   
   Tip: Look back at your Prep Work to remind yourself of what brings you joy and what matters to YOU. Start with page 9, pages 14-15, and page 33.

2. PowerSheets gave me permission to say YES to growing slowly (and being okay with it!). I've been a "striver" and "achiever" for most of my life. I like to see results right now, and when things feel out of control, I tend to react by trying harder. It's been a theme for most of my life, and it's left me exhausted. When I found myself in a season of depression and feeling very out of control, I kept telling myself I needed to try harder and do more to fix it. PowerSheets reminded me that growing slowly is a healthy pace. Trying to get results immediately only invites feelings of failure. But growing slowly and intentionally? It gives you room to process, heal, and experience freedom. While I still deal with mental health struggles, I now feel empowered to grow slowly, instead of feeling defeated by lack of progress.
   
   Tip: Take a moment to look back to your Goal Action Plan pages and ask yourself, "Am I okay with growing slowly?" If needed, use a Wildcard page to "re-break down" your goals to a pace that honors your soul and season.

3. The Cultivate community reminded me I'm not alone. The PowerSheets community is one of joy, intentionality, and friendship. Through the Cultivate Instagram account and the PowerSheets Facebook Group, I saw women who were on a mission to cultivate what matters. Through these online connections, I was encouraged to seek after like-minded women IRL who also wanted to cultivate what mattered in their own lives. So, I made one of my goals to "Seek out like-minded community" and tended to it with new fervor. It was during that time that I came to meet a real-life Cultivate cheerleader, Kaylee Hobbs; she is a dear friend and has continued to encourage me to look to what matters.
   
   Tip: Head over to the PowerSheets Facebook Group for a place of encouragement and community. Or follow @CultivateWhatMatters on Instagram for more encouragement on your social feed. Remember, who and what you surround yourself with directly impacts your thought patterns.

4. My Tending Lists brought me renewed hope. Mental illness can make you feel out of control - or at least, that's how I felt. By working on my Tending List each month, I was reminded of what mattered in the here and now. Even when my thoughts and my emotions were overwhelming me, and my mind felt out of control, I was able to look to my Tending List on a daily basis and take charge of something that mattered. PowerSheets gave me renewed hope in a season that seemed hopeless. Even today, my Tending List reminds me that there is something worth growing towards.
   
   Tip: Review your Tending List for this month. Does it give you feelings of hope or expectation? Make sure that what you're focusing on this month tends to what matters in the big picture. It's okay to cross things out if they're not serving you!

Thank you for allowing me to share, friends. I would love to hear: How have you used PowerSheets to manage your mental health? What are some helpful ways PowerSheets have impacted you on your mental health journey?

P.S. PowerSheets, of course, are no substitute for professional counseling, something Team Cultivate enthusiastically recommends and that team members have taken advantage of. Your Tending List can also be a great tool to help realize the goal of seeing a counselor, a sometimes intimidating and difficult process. We're rooting for you, and you're doing great.