5 ways I make myself “okay” again 🤍

this is an extremely transparent post but if it helps even one person than I’ll be happy 🤍 I have struggled with depression and anxiety for as long as I can remember. I have tried SO many antidepressants and anxiety medications and have worked through so much in therapy but I still get in little “ruts.” usually my ruts begin with higher levels of anxiety than normal then I crash into my rut. sometimes they last just a few days but they have lasted weeks at times… it’s so hard to get out of it. If you know, you know. I am a mental health therapy graduate student intern currently where I work with clients daily that have similar issues that I do. below are 5 ways that I have learned over the years that help make me feel “okay” again 🫶🏼

1. Identify triggers- I know when my rut is coming and I have became very self-aware to try to identify my triggers before it’s too late. By triggers I mean how I start to feel and what I begin to do before the rut hits. Personally, I start hyper focusing on eating and my body, begin isolating and become super irritable! By identifying these I know when I need to start taking extra care of myself.

2. Spend time outside- being outdoors helps me so much. Regardless if it’s walking alone or just making myself sit in the sun it helps me kind of ground myself to where I am able to think straight and gives me a few extra endorphins.

3. SELF CARE- I can not stress this one enough! do your favorite things even if you don’t want to. When I get in my rut I do not want to do anything for myself. Shower, exercise, skincare, nothing. I have to literally make myself by using opposite action technique and after awhile it does begin to help sometimes. Currently my favorite self-care activities are exercising, doing an “everything shower” and reading!

4. Clean something- you will need to utilize opposite action here as well friends. When my rut happens, everything becomes a mess which makes my rut become deeper and deeper. I force myself to clean something whether it’s a big room or just the counter top- anything to try to feel normalcy again.

5. Ask for help- I attend therapy regularly and am so lucky to have a boyfriend that listens to me and understands my mental health situation. Asking others for help and talking to someone about what is going on can be so scary but it’s okay- they love you and want you to feel okay again.

If you would like to see more mental health related content or tips whether it be stuff I learn in my classes/career or personal experience please let me know below. I love you all and remember, mental health MATTERS. 💗

#mentalhealth2023 #mentalhealthawarenessmonth