Taking care of your mental health…
If you’re in Central Missouri (Jefferson City) and you take a look outside…it’s cloudy, rainy and pretty miserable looking. Some days I like when it rains, a nice slow rain that’s calming, but yesterday’s storm was a little unsettling as it felt almost like a tornado came through.
I think some of us can chalk up our days and compare them to the different types of storms that occur. I saw an IG post the other day of 2 different pictures, one where it was sunny and he had a smile, the other it was rainy and he had a frown. π
What makes the dreariness overtake our moods? It’s our mindset! If we LET the rain/cloudiness bring us down then you can for sure set yourself up for a bad mood. If you make yourself think on the positive – like, we needed the rain, the temps are cooler now, I don’t have to run (in our workout today π ), etc…then this shifts your mindset!
Everyone has bad days, I for sure am one of them, but we don’t need to stay in those bad days…there are things that you can do to help shift your mindset where you can make things better. Speaking from experience of anxiety and depression, I KNOW it’s rough but there are ways to help and to make your mental health a priority…
- Seek medical help/advice – anyone who has not experienced anxiety or depression, it sucks! But there IS help out there…no one has the same chemical balance/makeup in their brain, we are all different and our brains receive things in a different way. So if you have struggled with anxiety/depression, talk to your doctor because there IS a way to help you with your “blues”.
- Get enough sleep; depriving your body of the right amount of sleep (7-8 hrs) is setting yourself up for lacking energy during the day, wanting to nap mid-afternoon and becoming irritable with family, friends and co-workers…No one wants that!
- MOVE your BODY! Exercise is said to be the best anti-depressant on the market…Do this little thing for me, set a timer for 30 seconds, put some music on and just dance…no one’s watching you so let yourself go to town! I bet it puts a smile on your face! Get it!
- Step up your Nutrition Game and fuel your body the RIGHT way! Stop putting crap in your body and you may stop feeling the same way! π
- Surround yourself with like-minded and positive people…Yes, I’m going to say it, don’t be a “Debbie Downer” or “Negative Ned” π When your bad mood affects the others in the room, that is a sure sign that an attitude adjustment needs to take place.
- Spend some quiet time reflecting on being grateful; something that I have been doing (not as regular as I should bc I forget!) is to add to my “Blessings Box”…I write down 2-3 things that I’m thankful for or great things that happened then toss them into my little box. I can then pull from them at a later time to reminisce and it for sure will put a smile on my face.
I for sure do not have all the answers for everything, but I have lived with mental health issues my entire life so I have a little bit of insight on how to deal with some things. I’m not a counselor, but I empathize with people who are going through a rough stretch, but remember – that rough stretch doesn’t have to be forever…seek the help you need and those rainy day blues will soon turn to rainbows π
Have a happy and bright Tuesday!
Work Hard, Eat Clean, Be Blessed!
