When I have had bad mental health days or have felt anxious or nervous in the past, I used to just let it win as I didn’t know how to deal with it or what I was supposed to do to ease it or make it go away, so I suffered and struggled through until it got so bad that I needed help.
After getting help I now have techniques and ways of dealing with my feelings of stress, anxiety and for the days when I am feeling more depressed than usual.
Everyone has their own ways of dealing with their problems and not all techniques work for everyone so it’s key to try different ideas and see what works best for you.
First of all listening to music can be a great way to relieve stress and lift your mood. I also enjoy going out for walks with my dogs or on my own and have learnt to tune into what is going on around me, sounds of wildlife, traffic or leaves rustling are all normal sounds to hear but can go by without you even realising until you be present in the moment and hear them so try it next time you’re out and see if you notice the difference. Exercise as everyone knows releases the “happy hormone” so lifts the mood and also tires you out so it definitely helps with sleep!
This leads me to a big technique that has helped me: Mindfulness – Being mindful and in the present moment has helped me so much recently, with the use of Apps such as Calm and Headspace I have been able to use my breathing as a way of grounding myself and being in the moment when I am feeling stressed or anxious. They have also helped massively at night time when I have been struggling to sleep, they relax me and I’ve had some of the best sleeps I’ve had in a long while. These apps can be downloaded onto your phone and used any time, they do have subscriptions but using it over a year it works out to be a very cheap option and the amount of help I have gained from using them has been priceless!
Another technique that I have found to be particularly useful is CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) I got referred to this by my GP and after using the programme I have learnt new ways to deal with my problems, how to break down my way of thinking and change it. It’s quite a big topic so I think I’ll do a post for it on it’s own so look out for that!
Self-care is also key to lifting your mood, reducing stress, anxiety and depression. Spending time doing things that you love, asking for help when you need it, putting yourself first, saying no and setting boundaries are all important steps you can take to have good mental health.
These are the techniques I have been using, if I find anymore I’ll add them and I’d also like to hear what techniques you use so let me know! I hope you try out one or more of these ideas and they help you get better mental health!
Your Mind Matters 