Break the Spell of “Mental Health”

Remember when cavemen watched lightning strike the forest, convinced the gods were punishing them with fire? Or thought fire was some wild creature with a mind of its own? Over time, we figured out that fire wasn’t personal; it was just a natural force we could manage—manipulate, even—for our own gain.

That realization was a monumental leap in human evolution.

Today, our relationship with “mental health” feels stuck in the superstitious era. Only the so-called shamans of mental health—those with fancy acronyms and secret society memberships—are deemed worthy to guide us in healing from trauma. They churn out endless records and throw around complex jargon to describe concepts that feel real, concrete, and painfully significant. Their labels are like curses, making us believe they possess some covert insight into our experiences and how to deal with them—often more than we do ourselves.

At least, that’s the illusion. It creates an icky vibe around “mental health” and puts it in an ivory tower, seemingly inaccessible to normal humans. It’s not exciting or fun; it feels heavy and restrictive, triggering a strong urge to avoid it.

But here’s the truth: it’s no big deal.

Mental health is no big deal. It’s something you can do for yourself. You don’t need an intermediary. You don’t need someone to wave their opinion over you, cast away your trauma, or grant you permission to be well again.

Mental health isn’t personal, nor is it complicated. It’s not a burden; it’s simply part of who you are. Just like with our physical health, where the idea of weight loss/gain can be reduced to the simple formula of calories in versus calories out, mental health works in a similar way. It involves natural elements within you that can be consciously adjusted for your benefit. Those elements are your narrative, your attention, and your habits.

These aspects are under your control—unless you let them run rampant. When left unchecked, they can leave you feeling on edge, reactive, and unwell, leading you to think you need outside help. But remember, at the end of the day, it’s no big deal.

Mental health is no big deal.

Learn to calibrate these parts of yourself, and you’ll wield the control to shape your mental health. Take that leap in your own evolution, and watch as mental health loses its sorcery, transforming into a fierce strength you command for yourself.