5 Things I Did For My Mental Health This Week
As a licensed therapist, a lot of people expect me to be an expert on self care and taking care of my mental health. I can honestly say that I do my best, but I let things slip all the time. This time of year tends to be hard for me with anxiety and seasonal depression, so I lean heavily on my own mental health toolbox. This blog post delves into five things I did to take care of myself this week!
1 - Pushed myself to go on a walk in the cold
Getting outside is one of my go-to coping skills when I am in a funk. I know it seems oversimplified, but I do believe strongly in the power of fresh air, sunshine, and the earth beneath our feet.
This coping skill becomes less accessible in the dead of winter. It’s freezing outside, we have less daylight, and we tend to feel more tired. But I didn’t let that stop me! I bundled up, grabbed my dog Junie B, and set out for a frosty walk outdoors.
It was one of the highlights of my week! It was invigorating and completely cleared my mind. It was stunning outside, the cold felt so good on my face, and I loved watching my dog prance around joyfully in the snow.
My 4 year old rescue lab mix - Junie B :)
2 - Called my Grandma
Calling my grandma is one of those things that is always on my to-do list, but getting around to it can be sort of hard. I often feel too tired to talk on the phone, or forget altogether that I’ve been meaning to call her, and then I wind up feeling a lot of guilt over putting it off. This week, I decided to give her a call and set the intention to be fully present in my conversation with her for about an hour.
Not only did it lift some of the guilt that I was feeling, but we had a wonderful, life-affirming conversation. I am inspired by her and how she is so full of life, even when she is experiencing the challenges and pain that come with old age. She constantly expresses so much gratitude for her life and finds little things (like putting together a good outfit or watching the ballet on YouTube) to feel joy about. It felt really nice to connect with her and hear what’s been on her mind. I felt peace at the end of the call.
3 - Gratitude Timer
There is a lot of robust research on the positive impact practicing gratitude can have on mental health—it literally changes your brain! The gratitude timer is one of my favorite ways to incorporate gratitude into my daily practice.
It’s super simple: You set a timer for however long you have (2 minutes, 5 minutes, 10 minutes…) and write a list of things that you are grateful for. Try to write for the entirety of the set time. I also challenge you to come up with some of the unique things you are grateful for. For example, we are all grateful for our family, friends, and health. What are some of the lesser-acknowledged things you are grateful for? Here are some of the ones I wrote down:
Clean drinking water
The way it smells outside in the winter
Seeing strangers’ acts of kindness for one another out in the world (earlier that day I saw a guy skateboarding down the street with a bouquet of roses; I imagine they were a gift for somebody special)
Having heat in my house
Self-forgiveness
When my dog wags her tail in her sleep
I believe strongly in gratitude journaling, which is why I do it multiple times a week. Most of all, it grounds me and reminds me what I truly value in life.
4 - Allowed myself to stay in bed
I have the hardest time getting out of bed—always, but especially in the winter. It literally feels impossible sometimes! But I still have to do it, day after day, to take care of my tasks and responsibilities. This weekend, I had an alarm set to get up, get out of bed, and start marking tasks off my to-do list.
Instead, I decided to turn off my alarm and go back to sleep (luxurious!) When I woke back up, I enjoyed a slow morning drinking coffee and reading my book in bed (luxurious x2!) It was exactly what I needed. Although I love staying busy, it just wasn’t what my body was asking for this weekend. I thoroughly enjoyed the morning without any guilt, and felt very much recharged afterwards.
5 - Had dinner with friends
On Monday night, I had plans to grab dinner with two good friends and catch up. However, when Monday night rolled around, I really did not want to go. I had just finished a long, tough day of seeing clients back-to-back. The sun had set long before I finished my work day, and when I looked out the window of my office, all I saw was darkness and a long line of traffic. A voice crept into my head, saying things like, “it’s been a hard day, just go home and lay around until bedtime” and “just tell them you don’t feel well and cancel.”
Now, there’s a time and place for taking time to yourself and cancelling plans (preferably not last minute). However, I immediately recognized this voice as my tendency to self isolate and “rot” when I am feeling bummed. Not to mention, my friends were counting on me to be at dinner, and I was not okay with letting them down.
So I got into my car, drove in traffic, and forced myself to chat with my friends over some delicious Italian food. And guess what? I had the best time. It completely turned my day around. I got to tell my friends a bit about my challenging day, which helped me to feel less alone. They were super supportive and made me laugh a ton. There really is nothing like connecting over some delicious food! I went to bed that night with my cup full.
Conclusion: Of course these five little things did not magically fix my anxiety or banish my propensity for seasonal depression, but they helped get me through the week. These tools ground me in my purpose and help me reconnect to joy and comfort. What’s in your toolbox?
If you are interested in setting up a consultation or have further mental health questions, please reach out to me at eada@morningbirdtherapy.com.