Dignity

I feel it is important to mention dignity. We all have an unwavering need to be treated as whole people. The dictionary defines dignity as 'the state or quality of being worthy of honour or respect'. How do we honour ourselves in our mental health experience into a state of dignity? How does society honour us in our mental health experience into a state of dignity? For me, I have an enduring spiritual and self-care routine. This is the very start of a dignified state. I honour myself through eating regularly and as healthily as possible, having baths, meeting friends, reading, watching soothing informative programmes, and exercising amongst other activities. This provides me with the basis of self-respect, and if you are having a mental health experience and want to increase your sense of dignity, it is an excellent place to start. It really helps to have a grounded sense of action around self-care. It helps to create dignity. My spiritual practice includes a little yoga, meditation, and pranayama. I also read spiritual books and have spiritual quotes I fall back on in moments of difficulty. As a person who is having a mental health experience, I need a spiritual experience because it gives me an alternative way of looking at society, the world, and my own journey, which is not based around what I own, how much I have, and what I have achieved. I mostly no longer need to base my understanding of myself on societal norms as I see myself as being enough just being, and when you lose stuff you have worked hard on achieving through your mental health experience, you need a different place to reside in than what society has to offer. I am not saying you renounce society; you can be an active participant in society, but I am saying that coming at it from a place of non-attachment to things, stuff, and achievements of society helps in having a sense of dignity in your daily life.