There are days where life can be hard. You wake up, your head in a fog, just wanting to go back to sleep. You sit in your bed until you absolutely have to get up. You slug through your morning routine, looking into the mirror as you make yourself presentable. You start your commute, grind your teeth, and a knot in your stomach starts to form as you begin another day dealing with the daily stress of making a living.
For people who deal with anxiety, depression, and a myriad of other mental illnesses, how do you combat this? How do you break the pattern? How do you stop the feeling as you pace in circles, digging your feet deeper into the rut that you feel your life entering? Routine can be the key to happiness and practicing the following 5 tips each day can help to make your life feel a little less draining and can help to brighten the dark days.
- Spread a Positive Message
When it comes to making your days feel worth-while, it comes down to changing the pattern, and making an impact. I personally have begun to send out a daily snap to my story (@Spidermojo on snapchat), in which I proclaim something positive, and tell every one of my followers to have a good day. This snap serves not only as a way to brighten someone else’s day, but is often therapeutic for me as I begin my morning with a positive mindset. This can extend into my day as I try to make someone smile through each of my individual actions, which in turn, makes me feel as though my day is impactful and my purpose is being fulfilled. - Give yourself something to look forward to Be it a simple walk down your favorite road, time spent reading your favorite book, or playing your favorite sport, make sure that each day has something scheduled in it for you. Often I will schedule in days where I can give myself a treat, like a coffee, or a donut. I do not take part in eating unhealthily often, but I like to treat myself when I know that I am working hard and that I have earned something sugary. Additionally, scheduling healthier activities that you enjoy is much more beneficial as you start to look forward to brightening your days with these activities that not only help your mind, but help your body as well.
- Diet and EXERCISE For someone that struggles with their mental health, this can be one of the most difficult things to do. It is hard when you feel constantly tired to build up the strength to get out of bed and get onto the treadmill or over to the gym. The way that I combat this is by rewarding my dieting with some cheat days (Usually Sundays), and by exercising in a way that I truly enjoy. I find that basketball is something I can partake in that I can do for long periods of time. I push myself to play harder and longer every time so that I see improvement as I go. Exercise can be as simple as walking, but should involve moving for at least 1 hour every day. A personal goal of mine that I recommend is 10,000 steps a day. Split up your work day with walks around the office, or go for a jog after work, but maintaining 10,000 steps is a easy way to start exercising for someone that has not been to the gym in a while.
- Take Advantage of the SUN The sun does not shine every day. But for the days that it does, you should maximize your time soaking it up. For me, I like to walk every single day regardless of whether the sun is out or it is raining. But the days in which the sun is shining, I walk a little longer, and make sure to plan some outdoor activity for after work. I personally make sure to go to the beach every weekend that I can so that I get as much sunlight as possible before the days start to shorten. The sun can naturally boost your energy, and can often be therapeutic. I personally have invested in a therapeutic lamp that mimics sunlight with full spectrum light. This lamp helps my days feel brighter as the dim glow of fluorescent bulbs in the office or in school can often be a drain.
- Remind Yourself of the POSITIVES The final tip for this piece is to remind yourself of all of the positive influences in your life. Whether it is just the fact that you are alive another day, or you are experiencing good fortune in the day’s activities, remind yourself that there is always a bright side. Always remind yourself of your personal attributes that you enjoy. So often, we find ourselves critiquing our own actions throughout the day, and we do not praise ourselves enough when we do something great. Remember to accept that everyone makes mistakes, and to give yourself credit for trying. Also remember to praise yourself for all of the good traits that you possess and to remind yourself each day of the positive impacts you have made throughout your life. This simple trick can help to keep and maintain a truly positive mindset. I myself keep a list of my personal traits and I add to that list each time I think of something that I like about myself. I read this list every day so that I keep thinking about what makes me special or what makes me happy. This helps to boost my confidence, and make me excited to show the world what I have instead of what I lack.
There are many little ways for you to impact your own day and to make it easier to get out of bed in the morning, but at the end of the day, for those of your who are struggling with anxiety, depression, or other mental illnesses, remember that the number one most helpful thing you can do is to reach out. Remember that you are not alone in your struggle, and that there are resources out there to help you. Reach out via the recovery page or the propositivity facebook page, and we can help you find psychiatric or psychological aid. So often we think we can just change our mindset, but I know that these tips only truly helped once I addressed the issues I had and found help through medication and therapy. We encourage all people to find help for their illness, and to maintain a positive mindset in all of their pursuits.
Thank you,
Gene Grella
Propositivity