Mental health support services are at an all-time low, whilst demand for such services surges due to the current climate. So self-help techniques for your psychological wellbeing are more crucial than ever. Learning how can we help ourselves whilst waiting for much-needed support and putting relapse prevention in place to protect ourselves must become a way of life for you.
Coping with mental illness really isn’t easy. But with the right response mechanisms, you can do it. It takes time to identify what you are suffering from. And whilst this diagnosis really helps us read, research, and understand. At the end of the day, it is just a label. What is most important, is recognizing your triggers, your behaviours, and putting in place processes, learnings, and structures to help pull you out of that hole as quickly as possible!
Mental Illness Self Help
Here, together let’s layout an action plan to help get you back on your feet fast when you lapse. Regardless of whether you are suffering from Bipolar Disorder, Borderline Personality Disorder, Depression, or an illness that “requires medication” to recover. Or you are coping with high anxiety issues, OCD, or a combination of different issues. All mental disabilities take a lot of self-understanding and discipline to manage and live with to the best of our ability. And whilst it is easy to feel the only way out is through medication, your mind is stronger than you think. And relapse prevention is key to a happier you. So, take action, take control and start changing your life for the better.
But what can you do? Here are some self-control, recovery actions to aid in coping with mental illness:
1. Physical Wellbeing & Structures
Firstly, it is absolutely essential we look after our physical wellbeing. This means putting structure and health into our lives. This sounds simple, but in reality, requires incredible discipline! And it astounding how reluctant we are to do this and take control of our suffering. But I promise, if you do, your life will change for the better. And here a good place to start:
– Get up every day at the same time.
Sounds easy? I challenge you to do this for the next 4 weeks! No more lying in bed all day, trying to hide from the world. You can set what your time is going to be but get out of bed at that time, every day, regardless. Even at weekends! No more hitting snooze and sleeping the day away. Structure and routine are really important. And pushing yourself out of your comfort zone to face your issues is also. Many of us hide in bed to numb the suffering.
– Stick to Daily Routines
Secondly, eat 3 staple meals and healthy snacks at the same time every day. Structure and routine are essential. A physically healthy body aids a strong and healthy mind. Plus, you have the added benefit of the focus this brings. Routine and structure require focus. And this gives purpose to your mind. So, every morning, noon, and night eat at the same time and eat well.
– Eat Better
So, no more pizzas from the freezer. Processed crap that’s easy to grab. Drive through’s or snacking on rubbish. Cut that crap out. Yes, it’s ok to have a treat, but you need to refocus your eating habits to healthier options. This means eating a non-processed and balanced meal before you have your treat. You don’t have to or going hungry, but add more fruit, veg, and structure to your diet. This is harder than it sounds. Especially if you aren’t a good cook! But we are trying to make a big change to your life. So, do some Googling and write out a weekly plan each week for your 3 meals for daily. Cook these ahead if need be, ready to reheat. Not only will this get better food into your body to aid a healthy mind, but it brings structure, routine, and focus. Three core ingredients to your path to recovery.
Simply by taking these three positive steps will make you feel more in control of your terrible situation. And control brings power!
Mini-Me
This may sound crazy! But it really works! Especially for those suffering from anxiety or depression. And let’s face it. Almost every mental illness touches on these!
Find an old toy, or order yourself a little beenie bear that you can relate to. This little toy is going to become your companion. No matter where you go, what you do, or who you are with, keep this toy close. Call it “Little your name“. So for me, it would be “Little Jen”. Now, every time your struggling, or you get into a difficult situation, get your “Little me” out.
Project your situations and feelings when you are struggling on to your “Little me”. Pretend it is your toy telling you about the situation they are in. How they are feeling. If it were your “Little me” suffering your feelings, situations, and issues, what would be your advice?
It is almost impossible for us to solve our own problems. But by removing yourself and projecting these on to someone or something else, in this case, your “Little me”, it is so much easier for you to find your answers. Console “Little me”. Give them the answers and help them through your struggles.
Look For Good
Start small. Firstly, look for the littlest things to can bring a smile. And really, take time to appreciate them. From a blackbird singing outside your window to a strangers kindness… Someone holding a door open for you, or letting you out at a junction. Work really hard to ignore the negatives in life – your feelings of road rage, annoyance at rude people, feelings of anger. Don’t let them have any place or any power in your life. After all you are only hurting yourself by dwelling on these feelings. Live with the motto “It’s nice to be nice”. And keep repeating this to yourself hourly. Make it your mantra! By forcing yourself to be nicer, in turn, will actually make you feel sooooo much better! And so much more positive.
Exercise & Hobbies
No matter how hard it feels, you must force yourself to do the things you enjoy when you are well. If this means asking for the support of a family member or a friend, you must do what you need to keep moving forward. Be it a sport, getting out for a walk in the countryside, doing art and crafts or gaming online with friends. Find something you used to enjoy and keep doing it now. No matter how hard or mundane it may feel! Whilst you may not enjoy this right now, it will be key to getting you back on the road to recovery.
Don’t Rely On Others
So many of us look to others for our happiness. Or worse, blame the ones we love for our negative feelings. It’s time to stand on your own two feet. No one else can make you happy, fix your issues, or resolve your mental and physical state. Only you can do this. So it’s time to get tough on yourself. Don’t allow yourself to self indulge anymore. As soon as you notice a negative thought, a panic of anxiety, a feeling of anger hit your brain… SQUASH IT! Squash it by instantly looking for something positive. Look straight out that window for a little bird, a break of sunshine in the clouds, or think up thoughts of something positive. Things you love… your dog, your cat, your kids, your family. Re-train that brain. Only positivity from today on! Okay?!
Bring Some Positive Thoughts
Turn that frown around by looking for the positives in your illness. It’s who you are after all, and there has to be some good in that. If there wasn’t, you wouldn’t be reading this article. Looking to take a positive step and turn your life around. No, at the end of the day, you are who you are. And what we feel and struggle with is part of why you are special. Find the positives in your mental illness with a little help from our article, “Can Mental Illness Ever Be Good For You?”.
Learn Mindfulness
Find a way that works for you to learn new coping strategies. Be this listening to self-help tapes, going on motivational courses, or attending meditation or mindfulness courses. Although very hard to begin with, learning how to do a body scan will really help settle a struggling mind. It will help you sleep better, think clearer and gain control over negative thoughts. Whether you want to learn to do this in a class or by listening to a recording in your own space, it’s something you must do. Learn this technique and use it to gain control of your mind. Its power is immense, but it will take a bit of practice to master.
Self Visualisation
Again, this takes a lot of practice. It won’t work at first, but keep doing this daily and in time you will begin to notice improvements. A good tip is to do this in the bathroom! Believe it or not, this is a great space. A place no one will interrupt or bother you. And somewhere you can hide to regroup your thoughts no matter where you are that day. We are all so good at self projecting negative thoughts. It’s time to reverse this. Let’s project positive thoughts and rid ourselves of the negative ones. And here’s how…
Take a seat and close your eyes. Take three great big, slow and deep breaths and imagine yourself blowing all the negative energy out of your body as you exhale. Now, complete a mini body scan to completely relax and focus your mind. Now, imagine yourself reaching into your head or body and pulling out all the negative things you no longer want in your life, one by one. Throw each negative item far away. Do this action physically. Once you have removed all these, it’s time to start replacing them with what you would like in your life.
Build A Positive Forcefield
Jack Black’s Mindstore disks on his bell jar technique can help with this and how to do a body scan.
Now Envisage yourself surrounded by a forcefield. Or a bubble of positivity. Reach out in front of you and grab what you want in your life, then put this physically inside your force field. Fill your bubble with all the positive feelings and things you want in your life and feel the positive energy buzzing inside your own little bubble. In time, with lots of practice, you will be striding out of the toilet (or wherever you practice this) feeling brave, empowered, and in control of your future. Do this each night at bedtime too.
You can also write positive post-it notes with these good vibes. Stick them all over your bedroom walls, your office – wherever you will see them and read them regularly.
Self Organisation
Finally, it’s time to reorganise your life. Like setting and sticking to daily routines, bringing a crazy level of organisation to your life will be a huge turning point. Wheather you want to use a good old fasioned paper diary, wrote notes on your phone or manage a google callendar, just do it! Plan every minute of every day. And as you hit Friday, make sure your week ahead is completely planned in before you get up for work on Monday morning.
This will help eradicate those Sunday night sweats as well as keep your struggling mind focused and ordered. You have no idea how much this structure in your life will help your state of mind. It’s like the (very true) saying, “a tidy desk is a tidy mind”. So is “an organised day, an organised mind”. And this organisation will help you battle anxiety, lack of mind control, depression, fears and derailment!
So go get em. You CAN and WILL do it!
