i can see a new horizon

[erika]

Okay, so what I have found helpful for the state of my mind, in no particular order:

· Meditation. 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 30 minutes, doesn't matter. Just do it, is my motto.
Side note: Metta meditation is extremely helpful for dealing with resentment, anger, and frustration issues regarding other people. (YMM, ofc, V.)

· Yoga, for reconnecting to my body.

· Taking showers as necessary, and pampering myself while in the shower—loofas, high quality hair products, etc.

· Getting dressed up— this includes a good outfit, wearing makeup, etc. If I do this, I'm much less likely to sulk around at home all day because I think hey, I look fairly decent, why not share this with the world? Plus then there's the work you put into your appearance going down the drain if you don't leave the house.

· Eating regularly. I actually have a program where I track whether or not I've eaten 3 squares a day. Nothing more than that, but just having that simple tracking has been pretty helpful.

· Having a schedule. Having a schedule. HAVING A SCHEDULE. Having places you have to be or things you have to do, sometimes both. VERY IMPORTANT.

· Sleeping a normal amount; whether that means dragging yourself out of bed after only 8 1/2 hours of sleep (me) or practicing good sleep hygiene and using meds so you can actually sleep (many people I know)—sleep is INCREDIBLY important.

· Do something that makes you feel productive. Cleaning, writing, getting your inbox down to the bare essentials, whatever, just do it, or if you can't focus on the whole task, just try a little bit of it. Trust me, you'll 99.9% of the time feel, at least, a little better because you can look back on that and say, yes, I did that.

· Therapy. It's one of the cornerstones of my mental wellness program.

Note: this is what works for me
what works for me may not work for you
YMMV
void where prohibited

Comments

[annalytica]

Thanks for this. I really need to do all these things more, with the exception of getting dressed up, though just getting dressed at all would be progress on some days.

[erika]

Yeah, I should've been more clear. These are the things that work for me, and especially the getting dressed up bit I know is iffy for others.

[annalytica]

No, you were perfectly clear. I was just mentioning that that happens to be a thing that doesn't work for me, not saying I thought you were saying it should work for anyone else!