What are low-cost methods that's been helpful to your mental health?
What are low-cost methods that's been helpful to your mental health?
DISCLAIMER: this isn't a substitute for therapy and/or medication. Sometimes therapy isn't accessible. Sometimes we have a bad week and need to recenter ourselves.
I think we can learn from each other and find methods we didn't even know about! What's helpful to another may be ineffective to another, and I think learning about an array of methods would be valuable.
What's been helpful for me:
- Spending time in nature
- Journaling (I would google journal prompts pertaining to my predicaments)
- Guided meditations on Youtube
- Free worksheets: https://www.therapistaid.com/therapy-worksheets (my therapist who specialized in CBT used some of these during our sessions, I'm glad they're free)
- Taking walks in nature
- Meditating
- Dragging myself away from the doomscroll box.
- Going out and seeing friends
- Seeing a therapist (OK, that one's not so low-cost...)
This might be more darkly humorous than you are looking for, but at the onset of WWII I've read that many civilians suddenly had a full or partial remission of symptoms for the duration of the war.
Being part of a society in crisis that's all pulling in the same direction can take your mind off your own problems, at least for a while. Call it the Ozymandias effect?
It's not enough to hope a war breaks out, but maybe there's something at the heart of it we can grasp. Maybe what some of us really lack is purpose, or a sense of belonging. These aren't easy to solve for, but I'm sure it's worth a look inward.
That's beautiful and horrifying at the same time
Humanity in a nutshell innit
Bicycling by far!
You can get a cheap used bike if you don’t want to nerd out about parts etc.
The way my mind is cleared when I’m going for a ride is something that I have not achieved by any other means. Also the mood boost lasts quite a while for me.
Just make sure the bike fits your body and also get a helmet.
Lemme toss in here the symptom management checklist in DBT:
- Take your meds on time, as per directed.
- Sleep eight hours a day (or the amount that works for you.)
- Eat square meals on a consistent schedule. Most of us work with three, with light snacking. Stay fluidated.
- Get some exercise, a bit of moving about should do (say a walk around the block).
- Engage in some social contact, ideally with a friend or loved one with whom you're not dealing with immediate drama.
Doing these things consistently should reduce the likelihood of your symptoms getting unmanageable (mileage will vary).
I like the free Yoga with Adrienne videos on YouTube. But there are tons of others out there also. Yoga breathing helps me feel grounded when I’m anxious and stressed.
- Journaling just random thoughts and feelings
- Meditating
- Nature hikes
- Making my bed each morning
- Going for a drive with the radio on
- Doing small DIY crafts
Meditation is the biggest one for me. For so long I thought it just wasn't for me and then I got an app with guided meditation tracks and I have never been more calm, focused, and generally happy with the way things are since I started. I feel really lucky I gave it a chance and highly recommend it for anyone to try.
Adding to the excellent suggestions of others:
- Organising to see friends regularly, even when I don't feel like it
- Having a "thing" to look forward to (often based around hobbies or upcoming events)
I can only speak for my self but gardening has really helped me find my center
@CantSt0pPoppin @phonecase Me too. Knitting gives me a sense of focus and presence too.
- Go to bed before 11pm.
- Get up before 8.
- Eat breakfast.
- Go outside every day.
- Exercise
Baking has been really good for me. Also I love hot water, but dont have a usable bathtub, so I got myself a shower chair. It's so relaxing.
Every evening I go for a walk. The fresh air nd bird sightings are as good for me as the exercise.
- Singing
- Crying it out
- Journaling
- Getting enough sleep
- Spending time in the sun
- choosing to avoid arguments