Improving my MH

[ImprovingMyMH]

I'm just starting this thread for some accountability really.

So, things that make my MH better:
Getting enough sleep
Eating properly
Exercising
Mindfulness
Feeling on top of things (although this is a bit chicken and egg)

Things that make it worse:
Getting my period
Lack of sunlight

I want to do everything that I possibly can to improve my MH for ~3 months.

Does anyone fancy joining me?

Saloire, DS is unsettled at the moment as well - I've had to sit in his room a couple of times while he's been going to sleep, and he sometimes comes through to share with me in the middle of the night. I think it's starting the next year at school for him.

Chance, yay, I'm keeping up with meditating too. I'm probably not great at it, and I've been doing it for less than a week, but I'm sure it's helping .

Good things today:
Kind to other drivers
Ate well
Nice time with DS
Will meditate later

But I only had 6 and a half hours sleep last night, so I really have to try harder with that.

Hope everyone is doing well.

Good things today:
On top of laundry and ironing
Ordered some Christmas presents for DS
Keeping up with meditating
Ate well

I'd like to:
Trim and file my nails, and put clear nail polish on

Good things. Still doing headspace and did some yoga.

Not so good things, emotionally very fragile today. Slept terribly last night, but going to bed now to read my book (and put phone somewhere else)

Chance, well done on the meditating and yoga. and I hope you had a good night's sleep last night.

I just squeaked an 8 hour sleep last night before DS woke me up this morning. This is the graph of my sleep this week:

Can you get that sleep chart on a phone?

I find listening to Radio 4 and reading some blogs soothing. The shipping is especially soothing.

I love this...

1- stopped citralopam after a week
2- got lost on a dog walk
3- napped
4- conquered the phone

I've decided to conquer my health medication free so I'll be on the look out. I make post stick notes of what helps me and go to them but listen to your body most importantly. It's yours and you know it best even if your mind try's to bugger it x

I use sleep cycle

Hi Anthony and missphilipa.

I'm still keeping up with the good things generally - getting enough sleep, eating well, and meditating . I still need to sort out my nails though, I don't know why I have such a block on spending 10 minutes doing it .

Anthony, my sleep graph is from my FitBit app.

Anthony, my sleep graph is from my FitBit app.

I've only just caught up with electricity. Talk to me slowly please.
Is it on your phone or is it a thing on your wrist? If the phone (app means phone I think) do you have to put your phone on your pillow as you sleep? If I get a smartphone can I have one too?

Sorry Anthony - yes, I wear a Fitbit on my wrist which tracks walking / exercise / sleep etc. It automatically updates the Fitbit app on my phone so I can see how I'm doing if I want to.

I think there might be other smartphone-only ways to track sleep though - missphilippa, what is it you use?

Been really busy so fallen behind with headspace, but been keeping up with my exercise and doing some drawing and painting too.

Today I have done meditation and been to the gym, been at work and spoken to manager about mh and had some modifications to my shift pattern to reduce stress and fatigue, no nights for a while.

Just wrote long maiden post on here after being lurker (felt quite nervous trying to join in!) then realised I hadn't posted it and haf lost what I'd written
can I join please?

I realise the rest of you have sensibly stashed your phones and gone tp bed at a decent hour! Tomorrow im going to

1. go for a walk at least 30 mins
2. do 30 mins painting
3. bed by 11

Hi BettyBluebell, welcome.

I am winning with headspace, but slowly slipping back with screens before bed. Will get back on it. I don't know why this one is so hard?!

Hi Betty , welcome to the thread.

I've generally been keeping up with eating well, and getting enough sleep, but I haven't meditated for a couple of days. I need to get back on it.

Chance, I'm terrible at faffing around on the internet too .

Keeping up with my exercise, had a long swim yesterday and a generally chilled out day, didn't do headspace though, need to get better at fitting that in.

Been to see councellor and CPN today, looks like I have PTSD. Going to do headspace in a bit.

Anyone who is struggling with sleep try reading Sasha Stephens' book Effortless Sleep Method. Very insightful and I learned more from this than I did from numerous GP appointments (where I was prescribed more and more sleeping pills) and a course of CBT.

If you are struggling with sleep lie ins, naps and going to bed super-early are your worst enemy - I've managed to (almost) sort out a chronic insomnia problem and what really helps is going to bed and getting up at the same time each day (at least roughly) and no long lie ins. Also don't spend too long in bed - This can make things worse!

I'm still taking amitryptaline (small dose) but I'm off the Zopiclone / Zolpidem. Major progress for me. Would like to come off all pills but don't want to rush it and relapse.

I also stopped wearing my FitBit at night as I realised obsessing over my sleep patterns was making things worse.

I'd like to:

-come off all drugs in the next few months

• eat less sugar. This is a biggie for me as I am a total sugar addict
• exercise more
• lose a stone
• make some friends and laugh a bit more

Anxious, well done for sticking at it, I'm going to meditate in a minute too. I hope you're okay.

Tropicana, welcome to the thread .

Tropicana, sounds like you are doing great.

I'm strugling at the moment, been swimming after work and off to bed now will do headspace first. Determined to keep doing all the right things despite feeling worse and worse :-(

Right, I've started meditating again . And my eating and sleeping are still pretty good. I really need to make the effort with regard to getting enough sleep though.

So, good things:
Meditating
Eating well
Getting enough sleep
Chatted to a couple of friends
Listened to classical music on my drive to work
Work was okay

Anxious, well done on the swimming and meditating. And I'm really sorry that you're having a difficult time at the moment.

I wish I had a local friend that I could go to see the new Bridget Jones film with. I only have one local friend, and we don't really do that kind of thing. I know it's daft / not a big deal, but still .

Aww its a very funny film, could always go by yourself. Sounds like your doing well.

I've survived work again and been swimming again. Aiming to do headspace before bed.