Presentation Opens Up Discussion on Mental Health’s Importance

Stigmas were dispelled and truth was spoken about mental health issues at the UTA Central Library. An open dialogue created a forum that allowed students to have honest discussions about the importance of mental health on Tuesday, April 11. 

Aaron Machbitz, the founder of the nonprofit You Are Loved, led the conversation. You Are Loved works to educate people about mental health and to be a beacon of love for all people living with mental health conditions. 

Aaron stated that everyone faces trying moments in their lives that can shake them to the core. To be ready for those moments, he stressed that working on your mental health daily is crucial. 

"Your mental health, fitness and well-being is what you do to care for yourself. I call that your mental health tool kit. You're developing this toolkit to help you during difficult times," Aaron said. "You need to use these tools not just when you're feeling horrible, but when you're feeling just OK." 

When asked what people do to take care of themselves during stressful moments, suggestions from the audience included things like playing music or going for a run.  

Aaron shared that the first step in creating this toolkit is to be honest with yourself.  

 "We are not going to make the mark every time," Aaron said. "Sometimes it means that we have to tweak something." 

He noted that you don't need to look at a mistake as one word but as two; a mis take. A mis take allows a person to look at a situation from a different perspective, learn from it, make things better going forward and manage expectations. 

"Managing expectations is important to being an optimistic person," Aaron said. "You want to be rooted in reality, but being optimistic is a skill that can be worked on over time." 

Aaron explained that one of the first steps to becoming an optimistic person is to write down at least three amazing things that happened to you that day. These don't have to be monumental moments but simple ones, like receiving a compliment or doing a random act of kindness for someone else. This step builds confidence and helps keep negativity at bay, which can be extremely harmful. 

Another suggestion that he made to the audience was to implement boundaries in your life, which improves mental health. One example Aaron gave was getting eight hours of sleep each night. 

Aaron suggested to students that they need to start looking at a self-care strategy, starting by doing things that make them feel better and not awful. He noted that students need to be aware of what their body tells them by eating, thinking, moving and sleeping well. 

The most critical step that Aaron encouraged students to follow is to have a support system in place. That support system needs to be made up of people that will encourage you, build you up, love you, and be honest with you in the good and difficult moments. In turn, do the same for them when the opportunity presents itself. 

"Find a support system that is key to building a good life that is meaningful," Aaron said. "It takes time to build that support group. Be active in looking for it but be patient." 

To learn more about Aaron Machbitz and You Are Loved, visit https://youarelovedlife.com. 

For information about upcoming UTA Libraries events, go to https://libraries.uta.edu or on social media sites on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.