I can feel a downward spiral starting how to turn it around?

[Hoolahoophop]

For people with up and down mental health when you can feel yourself slipping down to a low mood what do you do?

Do you have thought out plans or strategies to turn it around, are there ways to catch yourself before you go to far and it's hard to pull yourself back?

Can anyone share any ideas please.

Thank you

Make a plan today for the summer with your children OP (if you have any?)

book up some nice treats for the next few weeks

Message a friend, explain that feeling down and suggest a meet up imminently

Get lots of fresh and move lots

It sounds cheesy, but I try to get outside. A long walk at a national trust does wonders for me. It’s not a magic cure but I find it helps. I also make sure I eat good food. Not junk (though that’s what I want) but fruit and vegetables, plenty of water. Ice lollies are my treat if I need them. I try and read a good book. I try and watch a good film too.

Great that you are recognising the pattern before it becomes much harder.

Can you pinpoint what sets it off? (And why your mental health dipped the very first time). It is situational, linked to your hormones, triggered by certain memories? If there's no apparent cause then it might be a good idea to get bloods check for thyroid, etc.

In the here and now try to flip your thought patterns. This could be medium/long term – giving yourself something to look forward to by making plans for trips or new experiences when your mood improves – or simply laying in some grass and watching the clouds float by and insects going about their day. Daydreaming doesn't cost anything and your body doesn't know the difference between real and imaginary so just thinking of good things can make life feel much better.

Thank you all,

Being outside and exercise has definitely helped in the past. I try to walk my commute. I used to run but life has been so hectic that I haven't managed it for about a year.

I have always been a 'tired' person, suffered a lot from painful joints, mouth ulcers, poor concentration in phases, generally run down, while I am fit, and healthy on paper I generally always feel run down, ever since I was a child. I have had all the tests and nothing has come back. Best guess about 30 years ago was a mild form of ME. More recently I am trying to convince the doctors to look more closely at my blood tests as I believe I am anemic (they say borderline and fine).

I self referred to the NHS talking therapies a couple of years ago and they thought I had stress related depression. So I did the silver cloud program.

I know that if I do too much I get stressed and if I don't balance my load then I will suffer. I do have a lot of general stress in my life (company director so quite a bit of responsibility). I also have a child with some very serious health issues. I find situations, especially with lots of people overwhelming, so a party will take me a while to get over.

Recently we have had a lot on at home (renovations so most of our stuff packed into boxes etc.). This week I think the 'push' to get things done, accompanied by a party at home and one at work, and the school holidays. Its all too much.

I want to have a day off a week over the summer to stay at home and do crafting with my kids, but people keep asking for mine or my children's time, and all the craft stuff is packed away. My Dh is a busy very energetic person and just keep booking more things up and making more elaborate plans which take time and effort.

I guess it feels a bit like everything i do is for everyone else and I am so, so, tired.

Sorry, that's quite a rant.

I've no advice Hoola, but I could have written that last post. I just want time to recharge and everyone wants me to attend parties or go for drinks or whatever. We're lucky to have people that want us but sometimes just work is too much talking.

I generally always feel run down, ever since I was a child

Did you have glandular fever by any chance?

I want to have a day off a week over the summer to stay at home and do crafting with my kids, but people keep asking for mine or my children's time, and all the craft stuff is packed away

If you had a board meeting and someone asked for your time would you send your apologies to the other board members? Block out the crafting day in your diary and treat it as important as a business meeting. No excuses – this is your and your children's time.

@Eyesopenwideawake no glandular fever, no big childhood illnesses I don't think. Maybe whooping cough, had tonsilitis a lot.

I can book a day off work, (will work extra hours another time to make up) but then when I am at home family want to come round and see me and the kids, or to run errands, or dh thinks i should arrange for the kids to see their friends as they don't on days i am working. Then there are all the outstanding jobs to do at home. I start to feel incredibly guilty using that time booked off to actually just sit and craft with my children.

Tell family you're going out. Tell dh to do one. Who assigned you to the bottom of the pile?

@Eyesopenwideawake Thank you.

I've done a few things.

I wrote out a 'shitometer' on a scale of 1 - 10.

10 being all the things that are signs that I am at my worst. 1 being the beginning signs.

I've also written out lists of what has helped me get back on track.

To be honest each dip is different so not as simple. I've sometimes tried things that helped before and not found them rewarding.

I think sometimes a helpful thing is to sit with the crap feeling until I get sick of it.

Then look realistically and say what ONE thing that would make the biggest difference, what is the biggest issue. Just pick one thing.
Sometimes that will be a practical thing to get something off my plate. Or asking for help.

More broadly would be getting to the root causes which involves looking carefully at what you value in life. Whenever I've dipped, I've usually stopped investing in what I value.

Your posts resemble my life over the last few years- even did the Silver Cloud program! I learned I was hopeless at setting boundaries and have noticed Board Level directors I work with take time out without feeling the need to explain/apologise. The phrase ‘No, that doesn’t work for me at the moment’ is liberating!

If you feel yourself on a downward trend can you get your worries down on paper and talk through the biggest challenges/priorities with your DH. What can he help with/ take off your hands. If he has so much energy can he take the kids out whilst you go for a run, read a book, do something for yourself?

Definitely exercise and fresh air. B complex Vitamins, iron, vitamin C and D.

Take unnecessary pressure off immediately, so shelve anything you can that causes stress but isn't essential in your life.

Avoid news, crime documentaries and dramas. Watch feelgood comedies and romance.

Do small new things. Try walking a new route, listening to new music, making or tasting new kind of food, trying a new class that isn't too demanding- tai chi or a craft workshop.

Gratitude journalling. Not with the attitude 'you have all this why aren't you happy' but more 'I will permit myself to remember all these good things in my life to help me through this rocky patch.' It can be very helpful to do this day by day. You feel rough but remind yourself that the DC enjoyed the dinner you made and a blackbird was singing in the garden.

Also I remind myself that I don't actually have to do anything at all except breathe. I wasn't put in this world to achieve achieve achieve. We're all just mammals, bumbling around on the third rock from the sun, and if we do nothing but breathe from time to time, our existence is perfectly justified.