Oh boy, another post about mental health, after a few months without them I’m back! Mental health is so important and with all that has been going on in my life lately, mine got a little rattled. As I said to my husband “I’m in a funk”, only, I knew what that funk felt like. It felt like the beginnings of something much worse, something that I needed to act on as soon as possible. My warning signs were clear. It was time to shape up my mental health, here’s how I’m approaching that:

Talking about it: Whether you do it with a therapist or with a trusted friend or family member, talking about your mental health is important. It not only makes you feel less alone but it also helps you untwist your feelings. The same way journaling is good for discovering what is really the root cause, talking helps you get to the bottom of your feelings. As I spoke about “my funk” I figured out some of the key things that were causing me to sink. It was important information!

If possible treat the root cause: Sometimes what is causing us to sink is treatable with a lot of effort and TLC, sometimes it’s not. Sometimes some of the problem can be treated but some can’t. That’s where I found myself. A lot of my life stresses couldn’t be mended, but my self esteem had been sinking like crazy and as I talked I realized that a big part of that was my weight gain. So I started cutting the snack and being mindful. It hasn’t fallen off yet, but I know that it will, and the simple act of working towards a goal has helped me feel better about myself.

Overload on the good: What makes you feel good? You should know by now what makes you happy. Sing along to happy songs in the car even if you don’t feel like it. Find some way to move your body. Spend time with people who love you and with animals who do. Surround yourself with the good things in life, your hobbies, your good memories. You might not want to, and depending on how quickly your sinking into depression, the chances are that you really don’t want to. That’s more reason to do it. Force it upon yourself why you still have the willpower to. It’ll make a huge difference.

Make a mind map: Okay, a mind map has different means to different people and I don’t really know if mine matches anyone else, but follow your reasoning. The big things that you can’t solve in life can be neutralized. You might not be able to get rid of them, but you can try to find a silver lining, or even work through all the details to the point you realize that you will get through it. Rationalizing that you will get through something is an important step and it’s one that we do, feel better, than forget a few days later and go back to being upset, so make a mind map. Follow the exact same path of reasoning over and over again. Become one with it, know the path with your eyes closed, and walk it, often.