Mental Health Quick Fixes
Sometimes you just feel shit – you can become run down and tired by just living your life and the same old routine. But sometimes you don’t really know why you feel bad – you just do- and you end up having a few days or weeks where you aren’t quite yourself. Now I’m not giving advice or solutions to long term mental health conditions as I’m not a mental health professional and everyone is different and living through different situations. However, we are all on a constant see-saw of mental health balance and these are just a few things that you can do along with little nuggets of self care advice that could perk you up a bit on a down day.
I totally understand feeling down, low, lethargic and like it’s all too much. I think we have all been there at least once in our lives so take a few minutes to read this post and I hope that it helps you in some way.
- Do the stress container exercise – this is something that I found out about on my Mental Health First Aider’s course and it’s a great idea. The concept is that you write down everything that is bothering you in to the container then filter out what you can and can’t control. The container represents the amount of stress you can deal with – this exercise helps empty some of the stress out of your container and makes you think about what can you do to help the situation. Remember that whatever you write down doesn’t have to be actioned right now. Think of an achievable timeline and make a plan. Access the download here.
- If there’s a quick fix, do it – this kind of links to tip number 1 in that, if there’s something you can deal with and get off your plate, do it. A while ago, I watched a Youtube video which discussed the saying, ‘run the dishwasher twice’, and how revolutionary this notion was to the Youtuber’s own thinking. In a nutshell, a woman is talking to her therapist about feeling overwhelmed by small tasks such as the stack of dishes she has piled up in her sink – she doesn’t have the energy to scrub or soak them before putting them in the dishwasher so she leaves them. The therapists says, “run the dishwasher twice”, and she replies, “but you’re not supposed to”, and he stops her stating that she can run it as many times as she likes and that right there, is it my friend; we get so hung up on what we should or should not be doing, that we simply don’t deal with some tasks. If there’s something you’re dreading doing, take the easy route, split it down if you can, or get someone to help you. If it’s causing you misery, deal with it the best you can and move on. I found an article that goes into more depth about this quote which you can read here.
- Do something enjoyable – it won’t solve your problems but if you can give yourself a small dose of happiness in an unhappy or stressful time then please do it. Run a bath, paint, draw, watch something good, listen to some music or do some exercise. A change of perspective can get you back up out of the dumps for a little while and some easy choices are to combine music with exercise and do a little dance. The Fitness Marshall on Youtube has some fun videos and the guy who choreographs them is very entertaining. The dances are only the length of a song and he has a range of different size back-up dancers with him, all with different body shapes celebrating body positivity – give it a whirl for 5 minutes and see if you can change your mood.
- Have a chat– with anyone. A friend, a family member, someone from work. If you don’t want to talk about what’s bothering you, a chat with someone cheery can be a welcome distraction. If you do want to talk about it and discuss what’s stressing you out, remember you can voice that you aren’t looking for a solution, you just want to vent. It helps relieve some of the pressure or emotional strain which then helps you think clearer and you’re then better to cope with your stressors. There are also 24 hour phone services available such as the Samaritans if you need to talk at any hour.
- The power of comfort- I’m talking comfort food, nice drinks and your cosiest dressing gown. Get something tasty in you, a good old drink of water/juice/wine and get cosy in your lounge wear when you can. Feeling comfortable and safe at home (or somewhere you feel at home) will help you feel relaxed and snug. Good food is like a warm hug for your insides and being cosy definitely helps with mood.
If all else fails, get a bottle of water and a multivitamin in you and do the best you can. Life isn’t always about going at full speed, sometimes you need to just hold on to the boat while you get through the troubled waters ( I do love a good analogy).
Sending Dairy Milk vibes your way x