How Celebrating Pride Month Supports Your Mental Health
Well, it is officially here! Pride Month has officially entered the chat. I am hoping this article leaves you with some encouragement and motivation to engage in self-love by celebrating Pride Month in the way you will enjoy best.
There are a multitude of ways to celebrate Pride Month. You can give yourself access to celebrate in a way that will honor your personhood best, which can be a very unique approach from person-to-person. For my extrovert friends, I would imagine you would be going to Pride celebrations, attending a parade, watching shows, and attending a Pride party. For the introverted people, celebrating Pride does not have to be parades, parties, and shows. You can celebrate Pride from the comfort of your home by engaging in an activity that affirms who you are.
Engaging In Community
Engaging in community can help boost your mental health by getting an opportunity to experience belonging, support and purpose. When celebrating Pride, you hopefully would feel you can be who you are and are able to experience acceptance. You also are able to engage in a like-minded community which can lead to greater self-confidence and self-acceptance. (1) Participating in your community can also make you feel less alone, whether you are attending an event or practicing gratitude for the community from your couch. (2)
Increases self-esteem
Trey Burnette shared impactful sentiments on this topic. (3) In their article, “Why Self-Esteem and Pride Are Good for Your Health”, they share for some LGBTQIA+ people, you are withholding information for an extended period of time and it starts to build shame. When a queer person starts to live and walk in their truth, Burnette shares people in this community often still struggle with engaging in self-care due to the negative schemas placed on them in development. Some people in the queer community are still holding onto some of that shame and/or negative cognitions, as Burnette puts it, because, “Most of us eventually come out proudly, yet still strain to love and take care of ourselves in healthy ways because the falsehoods about who we are stay ingrained in our core.” Celebrating Pride Month can be a proud act of shedding some of these falsehoods, and a step towards allowing yourself to be loved.
Pride Month Affirmations
As your celebrating Pride in the way that you enjoy best, I would invite you to keep these affirmations listed below in mind. It can be very easy to push off self-care because we are too busy, too tired, and so on. I would encourage you this month to engage in at least five minutes of an affirmative activity that connects you to your identity and community at large.
“I am my best self when I engage in self-care.”
“Making time for myself will always be worth it.”
“There is space for me in my community.”
“I belong.”
“There are people that care about me and accept me for who I am.”
Lastly, use this time to recognize falsehoods you have held onto. Share these recognitions with people you trust. Doing this could help to push off those unhelpful automatic thoughts and integrate positive affirmations. I hope you enjoy your Pride Month celebrations and that you leave the month of June feeling reinvigorated to engage in self-care and your community throughout the rest of the year.
If you are interested in working with Leeann or any other members of our team, we would love to connect! Our Arlington, TX-based therapy practice is here to help, in person and through online therapy services.
