5 Mental Health Tips On World Mental Health Day
Hi Musers, For those of you who are here looking for the second part of my review of the YouTube video about toxic body positivity posted by ObeseToBeast, don’t worry; I will be coming back to it. However, as today is world mental health day, I thought that I would share some of the mental health tips that I’ve picked up during my almost 30 years with depression
Me Now
This post is particularly relevant as I am off my antidepressant medication at the moment and feeling pretty low. That’s why I feel confident sharing these mental health tips, as I’m actively using them now.
That said, every person is different, and so their experience with depression is too. I hope at least some of these will work for you, but if any of them don’t, please let me know why and what worked down in the comments.
Give Yourself Space
Interacting with the world can be exhausting when you’re depressed. Unless you’re with a family member or extremely close friend, the pressure is always there to pretend to be ok. To not let the world see how desperately miserable you feel as that would make you seem like a failure.
If you’re already depressed, your emotional batteries probably have the empty light flashing already. So don’t feel guilty for refusing to make plans or for rescheduling existing ones. I know it might seem like a strange concept, but you’re allowed to ask for what you need.
Once you’ve done it, take the time to practice self-care. If you feel exhausted, take yourself off for a nap, even if you only got up a couple of hours ago. If you want to lie in the bath sipping wine for a couple of hours, that’s fine too. You might watch your favourite movie, read, listen to music, stuff your face, or even sit and feel what you’re feeling. None of these options is wrong.
When you’re feeling depressed, please give yourself permission to do what you feel you need to. Don’t judge yourself or let anyone else judge you either. The fact that you’re hanging in there while feeling this awful makes you a total badass! Don’t ever let anyone tell you otherwise.
I hate having to say this, but the exception to this advice is if what you want to do involves hurting yourself. If you feel like this might be a possibility, please reach out to your doctor, a loved one, or a mental health charity. The NHS has a list you can access here.
Don’t Cut Yourself Off
I know it might seem like this contradicts my advice in section one, but it isn’t. Sometimes, when we’re depressed, we need to have time to ourselves. It’s not a wish; it’s a necessity. However, it can become a case of too much of a good thing.
One of the features of depression is faulty thinking: thoughts and thought processes that are at odds with reality. I don’t mean delusional; I mean all or nothing thinking (this always happens to me, am I cursed?) or catastrophising. Others around you can help provide a dose of reality and challenge these thoughts.
Another thing they can do is cheer you up. I know that when you’re depressed, you can feel you’ll never smile or have fun again, but that’s more of that faulty thinking! I’ve had to force myself to do things when I’ve been depressed, but when I’ve gone, I have enjoyed it. Not as much as I would if I wasn’t feeling depressed, but still definitely better for going.
So please, take some time alone, recharge your batteries, and then get out and mix once in a while. You’ll be surprised how much that combo helps.
Talk
In the depths of depression, you may feel like you’re drowning in your thoughts. I know that I can feel like the world is collapsing on me, and I’m too exhausted to dig myself out. Talking to someone who isn’t depressed can make a massive difference.
After all, their thoughts are clear, and they aren’t feeling the despair you are. They may offer the voice of reason and make short work of all your worries. Even if they can’t, they can reassure you that you can cope and that they’re there to help you. Having someone with you offering support can make a massive difference.
If you’re struggling a lot or having any thoughts about hurting yourself, then definitely tell a friend, but it’s time to get a doctor involved, too, as you’re likely to need increased medical support. These mental health tips might help but they won’t cut it alone.
Exercise
I know, I know! It’s the last thing you feel like doing. If you can’t bring yourself to do it, then that’s totally fine. I am certainly not judging you, and you shouldn’t judge yourself. When I’m feeling awful, two main types of exercise help. Firstly, if I feel able to cope with going to the gym, I do a brief warm-up on a cardio machine then lift heavy weights. The effort is so great I can forget my feelings and focus on my goal. Afterwards, I’m tired and also have a sense of satisfaction about what I’ve achieved, so I feel a bit better.
When the gym is impossible, I go for a walk. I have my favourite upbeat tunes blasting in my ears and concentrate on putting one foot in front of each other. The endorphins from the exercise combined with my favourite tunes almost always lift my mood a bit.
Sleep
As someone with both depression and chronic fatigue syndrome, this will always be one of my top mental health tips. Depression often causes increased sleep, and this can be as damaging as too little. Give yourself a couple of days where you sleep a lot, but then try and stick to a sleep schedule.
Eight hours of quality sleep per night is essential, so try to set a schedule and go to bed and get up at the same time every day. I admit I struggle with this and tend to sleep more on weekends, but I will keep trying.
When it comes to sleep, our bodies and, in particular, our brains appreciate routine. You should find it easier to go to sleep and naturally wake up at the same time. I always feel more refreshed on the days when I wake up without an alarm. Depression is hard enough, don’t add exhaustion to it
Happy World Mental Health Day!
Those are my top 5 mental health tips but what are yours? If there’s anything I’ve missed please let me know what works for you down in the comments 👇
