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Mental Health Day -- what do you do for your mental health?

dawnmarch

dawnmarch

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My workplace (CVS) has tons of mental health resources and they have reminded me that today is World Mental Health Day. I know that rates of anxiety have skyrocketed in recent years and I have definitely experienced more anxiety myself. I find that exercising really helps me and I have recently been learning Tai Chi which is really fun and gets me out of the house, as well as being good exercise and sort of a moving meditation.

How about you? What are you doing these days to maintain your mental health?
 
I walk... take the dog and just walk to get my worries out...

Naps...yup..naps..

Vent.. a lot

And nightly bubble baths..lights off...just relax..and unwind...sometimes even with a bowl of ice cream
 
I exercise weekday mornings and go to a quiet place by myself once a week.
 
dawnmarch said:
I'm on again, off again with meditation. I find it hard to sit still (which is probably exactly why I need meditation :D)!
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Exactly. It's hard, and it takes time to learn. The important thing is to not judge yourself for not "doing it right" or not being good at it. What's important is to keep trying and doing your best. Sit 10 minutes with closed eyes and just relax. It doesn't have to be harder than that. I just set a timer on my phone.
 
Probably my daily walking is the best thing. I eat quite healthfully too, if that helps. I have learned ways of thinking that I think help, such as regularly expressing gratitude and not expecting perfection. I don't really know for sure how I haven't had mental health issues (except for the exercise) but I sure wish I did because all three of my kids (now 21, 19, and 16) battle depression and anxiety and I don't feel like I can help them enough. They say my suggestions aren't do-able and I can't understand, being "neurotypical." And it's not just their generation. My dad's brother and sister died by suicide and my brother battles depression. Also, in retrospect, now that I've learned some things about it, I think my mom might have battled a little anxiety too. And I have had some slight anxiety on occasion, but either I learned early and unconsciously how to get through it, or it's more of just my personality (I'm an introvert who is slow to warm up in groups).
 
I go to the gym 3 times a week! It's my favorite!
I also come here and catch up with all of you and admire all the beautiful layouts in the gallery.
Scrapping is wonderful for my mental health as well!
 
MELT, particularly the rebalance sequence with shoulder blade and neck release to calm the nervous system and get my neck and shoulders in more comfortable alignment.

Papercrafting, stamping, hand-stitched greeting cards - all very meditative for me.

Yoga

Massage and/or float tank therapy.

Since my career is in the fitness industry, I have to be mindful to practice yoga and MELT for myself, not just teach it to others. Self-care is hard for me to invest in, even as helpful as I know that it is.
 
I love Tai Chi! I took it up years ago but have let it slide. I've started practicing it again - it IS a Moving Meditation.

I also listen to meditation music and get outdoors every day, especially this time of year, do cardio on my treadmill, I got one so I could get my walks in rain or shine, lost os time spent with family helps me, too.
 
Honestly I look after physical health first so if my diet isn’t under control for my IBS and I’m not getting enough quality rest then any work I do around mental health won’t mean much.

As much as I say I value physical health I am also mindful that I have genetic links to ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Depression so mental health is important to me, it’s more that my physical health impacts a fair bit of my mental health.

In terms of mental health, not letting myself get too high when things are going well/too low when things aren’t going well is a big one for me and something I’ve learnt over the last 7 years of job hunting. Also allowing myself 12-24 to process any disappointment then move on, no point dwelling on stuff I can’t change. If I’m having a really bad patch, I’ve in the past reached out to professionals whether that be a councillor, psychologist or careers advisor when I had access to those supports for free. At times I’ve also been known to do something totally different to recharge. If I’m at home that usually involves chilling out with reality tv or listening to my Spotify playlists. If finances/physical health are good then I try and go out to recharge and my way of doing that has either been going to see a movie (which is a rare treat) or just going somewhere on my own with no real plan.
 
I have started walking again and just recently joined a Pilates group.
Tomorrow I have a pedi booked, I do love doing simple spa type treatments at home with my daughter too,
De-stressing with a face mask is another simple pleasure.
 
digiscrap
writing
doodling
adult coloring
listen to music
go fishing
take woosah moments for myself - sitting in peace in my room quiet (sorta like meditating I guess)
 
Since I was young, my mom allowed me days for "hooky days." I would get to miss school, chill, watch tv, read, or do whatever I wanted. I still do this... and I allow my kids them too. It's a day to just take a step back, relax.

I might go for a hike, walk, read a book... or meet a friend for lunch. Nothing really planned and I do this a few times a year. I've done this for my kids too - I start by giving my kids one day... and then they get another when we all take a hooky day together. If they asked for more, (though they haven't), I'd chat to see what's up, make sure it doesn't cause issues with tests/school work, and then decide.

It's important to allow yourself downtime of expectations.
 
michelepixels said:
Probably my daily walking is the best thing. I eat quite healthfully too, if that helps. I have learned ways of thinking that I think help, such as regularly expressing gratitude and not expecting perfection. I don't really know for sure how I haven't had mental health issues (except for the exercise) but I sure wish I did because all three of my kids (now 21, 19, and 16) battle depression and anxiety and I don't feel like I can help them enough. They say my suggestions aren't do-able and I can't understand, being "neurotypical." And it's not just their generation. My dad's brother and sister died by suicide and my brother battles depression. Also, in retrospect, now that I've learned some things about it, I think my mom might have battled a little anxiety too. And I have had some slight anxiety on occasion, but either I learned early and unconsciously how to get through it, or it's more of just my personality (I'm an introvert who is slow to warm up in groups).
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I think eating healthy definitely helps because your body and mind just function better. I notice a strong connection between eating healthy and sleep, for one thing, and that definitely contributes to mental health. I can totally relate to your issues trying to understand your kids -- anxiety and depression are such hard things to help someone else through.
 
dotcomkari said:
I walk... take the dog and just walk to get my worries out...

Naps...yup..naps..

Vent.. a lot

And nightly bubble baths..lights off...just relax..and unwind...sometimes even with a bowl of ice cream
Click to expand...
I found myself taking a lot of naps during the pandemic as an anxiety coping mechanism. Now, even if I don't nap, I will take 15-20 minutes to myself in the afternoon to decompress.
 
umyesh said:
I exercise weekday mornings and go to a quiet place by myself once a week.
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Getting some time to yourself is so important! I am an introvert so I definitely need this. These days, I have been taking little photography excursions by myself to get out and just focus on something I enjoy.
 
I have medication and I also pray and meditate.

I find that scrapping, cross stitching, reading, zentangling, etc. - all creative pursuits - generally put me in a great mood.
 
Medication, getting a part-time job, making time for socializing, and reflecting on Quranic verses.

Since late 2020, I was back on meds after being medication-free for 6 years. This time it was for peripartum depression. I'm feeling much better and I'm hoping to get off meds soon, so now I'm trying to get back on track by doing some protective self-care activities to prevent new episodes.

Back in the days when I was active in a mental health NGO, I learned about the biopsychosocial-spiritual model of recovery. It's a holistic approach to mental health recovery where you tackle four aspects of your 'self' that could improve your mental wellbeing, which is biology (i.e. physical activities, self-hygiene, medication, etc), psychology (i.e. mindset, reading affirmations, etc), social (i.e. spending time with friends) and spiritual (i.e. religion, meditation, etc). I find that whenever I relapse, I was neglecting myself in most of these aspects, so now I'm trying to look after myself better.
 
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