What has helped your mental health?

[lovelifenow]

Are there any therapies, practices, meditation styles etc that have helped your mental health? Perhaps you have anxiety, depression and it's helped.

Exercise and healthy eating change a lot. Not only because of endorphins and vitamins/minerals etc but because it changed my body for the better and gave me a great confidence boost, too.

I struggle with that now that I live with my partner, as he loves takeouts and snacks, and it's so easy just to say yeah okay, I'll have what you're having.

And I struggle to go to the gym with my current job, as I need to be available 9-6, have hobbies in the evening, and on the evenings I don't, the last thing I want to do is go to the gym!

Hot yoga - feels punishing at the time but very exhilarating afterwards. It’s been a great way to work through stress and build stamina.

Saying no to people who are taxing or toxic.

St John’s Wort and starflower oil - definitely felt better after taking them but crashed massively after not taking them for 5 weeks during travel.

Traveling a lot - the new experiences and people make me feel so alive in a way that being in London doesn’t. I can walk 20000 steps a day with ease.

Having the realization that I can’t change how others deal with situations and so I don’t respond to their messages when they are being shitty. Previously, I’d have argued and argued. It consumes so much energy. I realized this was an ego thing. Now I just accept and stay silent. This has helped in reducing the “noise” in my life.

I don’t buy any crap food and so no tempatation at home.

Look after my appearance - self care is so important.

Running and ditching alcohol.

I've just come off anti d's after 10 years by getting a dog. Best antidepressant ever.

I'd say most of the above but also learning about and understanding my illness. I feel more in control knowing what is going on in my head and why.

A consistent bedtime/sleep time. No staying up late for tv, see it on catch-up later.

Learning to like and accept myself.

Exercise and eating better food.

Exercise, being outside, coming off the pill (why I let the nurse talk me into going on the mini pill when I know how I react to synthetic progesterone, I’ll never know), and making sleep a priority.

Counselling has helped me. Being able to offload all my upset and anger with a counsellor that I actually enjoyed talking to has helped me enormously.

Coming off Facebook - I have a tendency to compare myself and my life unfavourably with others and it just makes me feel like crap.

Not doing things or speaking to people who I know will make me feel crap. Self protection.

Remembering all the amazing things I have in my life.

Eating healthy food

Exercising - 30 mins in the treadmill

Reading a good book or watching a food tv show - escapism

Nice clean bed linen and pjs - can't beat an early night and food sleep.

Not moaning. For me - talking about what I'm feeling sometimes helps but sometimes doesn't. If I'm talking to someone who although they're being supportive simply affirms what I'm thinking it gives my thinking pattern legitimacy and i run with it - making me feel worse. Sometimes I have to put a stop to the negative thinking.

Oh yes, totally changing who I follow on social media and not reading things like daily mail etc has helped a lot.
I now don’t follow anyone who only posts photos of themselves looking immaculate and don’t offer much else. I will only follow people who have positive things to say, or are funny or interesting.

I got a treadmill and started to do c25k on it. I run on it every night now, purely for my mental health, and it really helps. I feel exhilarated coming off it and being drenched in sweat I'm also sleeping a lot better because of it too.

Having a walk around the neighbourhood with my lovely dog is great, as well. He's so relaxing to be with :)

Exercise - outdoors not in gym

Having a hobby / interest

Changing working routine so I WFH two days per week & can do a countryside walk on my lunch hour on those days. Plus Having a day off work per week, I’m now 4 days.

Going to bed and getting up at the same time each day has massively helped insomnia

Are you looking for alternatives to medication?

For me what helped was accepting that I needed medication and that there was nothing wrong with that.

Lots of responses, thanks. I'll read through them all now. Yes preferably alternatives to medication.

Running. It is my saviour when things get tough. The fresh air, nature and endorphins - literally nothing beats it.