The Prayer for Mental Health

How to start off your day in a healthy mental and emotional state

On a recent morning, as I began to say berachos, I found myself understanding the morning berachos in a whole new light. This might be obvious to some, but I simply never understood it in this way before. 

I epiphanized that the morning berachos and perhaps all of Shacharis is a means to help us put ourselves in a healthy mental and emotional state before we commence with our day. 

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בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה... אֲשֶׁר נָתַן לַשֶּֽׂכְוִי בִינָה לְהַבְחִין בֵּין יוֹם וּבֵין לָֽיְלָה:

 Blessed are You.... Who gives the rooster the understanding to distinguish between day and night. 

I thought to myself, sometimes we don't know what is day and what is night. We do not know if something that is happening is a good thing or a not so good thing. God, please give us that ability to discern the difference between the good and the bad. To know when that which we are going through is for the greater good and when it is truly what to stress about. 

שֶׁלֹּא עָשַֽׂנִי גּוֹי: Blessed are You, ...Who did not make me a gentile.

I thought, God, You made me a Jew. You gave me the unique mission inherent in being a Jew. Please help me to be able to do that which I need to do to fulfill my purpose in this world. Help me be a better Jew. 

שֶׁלֹּא עָשַֽׂנִי עָֽבֶד: Blessed are You... Who did not make me a slave.

It dawned on me, Hashem made me to be independent. Please help me to feel independent, to be able to support my family properly. To be able to do that which I feel I can do, without feeling bound down by psychological or societal pressures. 

שֶׁלֹּא עָשַֽׂנִי אִשָּׁה : Blessed are You... Who did not make me a woman

I said, God, You did not make me a woman, you made me a man, help me to be able to be a better husband and father. Help me to be more of a man - stronger, braver, more resilient and courageous. 

(נשים אומרות: שֶׁעָשַֽׂנִי כִּרְצוֹנוֹ:)

 (A woman says: Blessed are You,...  Who made me according to His will.)

Perhaps they can say, God, You made me exactly how you wanted me to be. Help me to be an able and better woman. Help me to be proud to be a woman as this is how You want me to be.) 

פּוֹקֵֽחַ עִוְרִים:  Blessed are You... Who gives sight to the blind.

Help me to see clearly and to think with clarity and know what it is I am meant to do and how I should act. 

מַלְבִּישׁ עֲרֻמִּים: Blessed are You... Who clothes the naked.

Give me the clothing, the tools, I need to succeed today to be the best me I can be, to be the best Jew I can be, to be the best parent, spouse, child, sibling and friend I can be.

מַתִּיר אֲסוּרִים:  Blessed are You... Who releases the imprisoned.

As with Shimshon who slid out of his ropes which melted away, let me be free of all mental barriers which are holding me back. Let all that is holding me down just melt away. 

זוֹקֵף כְּפוּפִים: Blessed are You... Who straightens the bent.

Once I have these tools and my mental barriers are gone, help me Hashem to stand up straight again. Help me to have the self-respect, courage and confidence to do what I need to do today. 

רוֹקַע הָאָֽרֶץ עַל הַמָּֽיִם: Blessed are You... Who spreads the earth above the waters.

When I reached this bracha I was stumped as to what it can mean, given the context. Then it hit me. Hashem, now that You gave me the tools and the courage to get through the day, help me to be grounded. Help me to ensure that I don't get carried away with my newfound capabilities and I remain humble to use these tools as they are intended to be used. 

שֶׁעָשָׂה לִי כָּל־צָרְכִּי: Blessed are You... Who provided me with all my needs.

Hashem, I see now that You have already provided me with everything I need for today. 

הַמֵּכִין מִצְעֲדֵי גָֽבֶר: Blessed are You... Who prepares the steps of man.

Because You have foreseen what my day will look like and what I need to get through the day. 

אוֹזֵר יִשְׂרָאֵל בִּגְבוּרָה: Blessed are You,... Who girds Israel with might.

So Hashem, give us, all of Klal Yisrael, the strength to take on this day with courage.

עוֹטֵר יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּתִפְאָרָה: Blessed are You...  Who crowns Israel with glory.

And give us the sense of balance to approach what comes our way with harmony and humility.

הַנּוֹתֵן לַיָּעֵף כֹּֽחַ: Blessed are You,... Who gives strength to the weary.

Because we are tired, worn out and so please give us continued strength to carry the day forward. 

We then go on to ask Hashem to remove the sleep from our eyes and to help us do Mitzvos and keep the Torah and find favor with those whom we will come in touch with and not let others bring us down. 

This moment of clarity has completely changed the way I think of Berachos and Tefilla in general. More than that , it helped me realize that Chazal built into our day a Tefilla for our mental health, right as we start the day. For, without our clarity and mental health, it can be very foreboding to go on with our day.