Why Prioritising Mental Health is a Strength
- Zachary Herron
- Sep 9
- 2 min read
In a culture that often glorifies busyness and self-sacrifice, taking care of your mental health can be wrongly seen as weakness. But in truth, it’s one of the strongest, most self-respecting and arguably selfless things you can do.
Prioritising your mental health means you’re tuning in instead of numbing out. It means you’re choosing self-awareness over avoidance. It’s not always easy and it's precisely for this reason that it is a sign of courage and emotional maturity.
Taking care of your mental health can be wrongly seen as weakness. But in truth, it’s one of the strongest, most self-respecting and arguably selfless things you can do.
Strong mental health doesn’t mean you’re happy all the time. It means you have tools to manage stress, regulate your emotions, set boundaries, and ask for support when you need it. It’s the foundation for how we show up in work, relationships, and everyday life. Without a good foundation it doesn't matter what you try to build on top the structure will always be susceptible to damage.
When we treat our mental health as essential, instead of a ‘nice to have’ we give ourselves permission to rest, to say no, and to grow through challenges. We give ourselves the opportunity to build resilience instead of burning out. Best of all, and what can make it a selfless act, we create space for others to do the same. Modelling good wellbeing practices to those around us is an important aspect of being a responsible leader to the people that matter in our lives. You can show those that look to you, how to take care of their mental health and that mental health is worth respecting.
You don’t have to wait for a breakdown to prioritise your mental wellbeing. Whether it’s therapy, mindfulness, setting better boundaries, or simply checking in with yourself regularly. Caring for your mental health is critical.
In a world that’s constantly pulling us outward, turning inward is a difficult but powerful action. Prioritising your mental health is not selfish. It’s foundational and it’s brave.
