By Sabriya Dobbins, Founder and CEO of Project Passport

According to the Mental Health Foundation, people with mental health issues and high levels of stress have higher risks for heart disease, respiratory disease, psoriasis, and many more health problems. While data is constantly reminding people to maintain their mental health for the sake of their bodies, people are still entering hospitals with so many stress-related illnesses. Often times, people do not report making significant lifestyle changes until after things have gotten bad in their physical health; then, they desperately find themselves locating the yoga class or getting the new job trying to find the relief they need.

Mental wellness is the absolute center of your being. Without function of the mind, not one organ in the body would know what to do. Think about it. The brain tells the heart what to pump. It reminds you when you have touched something hot. The brain tells you when you are sad. It also lets you know when it is time to sleep. Your head is the entire director for your body. When the body ails, more often than not, it comes from mental frustrations or issues whether it be stress, anxiety, depression and so on. When the brain is not doing so hot for extended periods of time, the body responds back in irritation to let you know in a more dramatic way.

Life itself depends on how you view it. If you go through life expecting the bad, then you probably are going to get exactly that. When you look at life through a lens of hope and anticipation, often times you are able to handle the bad but welcome the good waiting right around the corner. We do not realize just how in control we are of our own happiness. If happiness means taking a moment just to breathe at a sign of stress, do it. If happiness means leaving that miserable relationship, then do it. If happiness means telling someone the truth, do it—kindly. You have to start blaming yourself for not taking the steps for happiness and mental wellbeing.

Your mind is the door to your future. You go where it goes. If your mind is ignored and broken, this begins to spill out affecting the people around you. Your pain will become an infection that can take over your life, your relationships, and your dreams. Take your mental wellness seriously.

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Project Passport is a mental empowerment retreat and event company created to help women connect with one another and gain the tools to improve their lives in the best way possible. Each retreat experience has a unique theme with carefully designed activities to help participants grow and experience transformation. We are making mental wellness the norm, one retreat at a time. Learn more at project-passport.com.