I consider important to tell some things that have worked for me so far. I believe this will help me keep track on my feelings, emotions, progress and it also may help someone.
Since the past months I had been feeling sad, down, without energy or motivation.
I was not feeling myself, I was struggling inside my head trying to find a cause or explanation. I did some research, I read about different mental health issues like anxiety, depression, panick attacks. I related to some of the symptoms of some of them.
I looked for counseling online, I talked to a friend and those helped a little. I knew I needed to let things go. I cried a lot, more than one day, for no reason. I didn’t know what was happening to me but, now I’m beginning to feel myself again.
I started a book (the one I talked about in my last post) and it has also helped me to care less, to worry less, to be patient, to not overthink. I think that was my main big issue, I overthink everything always and that was killing me.
I started to do the following things and I don’t know if the good results are due to all of them, some of them, the combination or anything else but it’s working and I want to share it in case you wanna try.
1.- Exercise. I went back to the gym, (after a year or more with no exercise other than work), constantly, 3 days a week. Maybe it is not a coincidence that my sadness comes when I’m not active. I need it, it reduces my stress and consequently my colitis disappears.
2.- Meditate. Be in silence, do not think, see your thoughts passing by, don’t imagine things happening just “let them go as air balloons”.
3.- Be healthy. Eat healthy, when you do that your overall wellness improve, you feel better, you feel more confident, happy to take care of your body. But EAT, really, don’t forget to do it. If you don’t do it you are weaker, you’re not prepared for the day by day challenges/tasks.
4.- Sleep well, enough. At least 8 hours or whatever works for you.
5.- Go out. Or if you go out often then stay home. I’ve done both when I need that change, I am either too tired of crowd or too trapped in my head. I personally enjoy the change, not the routine.
6.- Learn new things. New knowledge is addictive. Every time you have doubts, questions or curiosity read, do research, the more you know the better prepared you are. Learning new things keeps me interested, awake, and of course my brain working.
7.- Communicate. I didn’t know how important it was to me to have social interaction. Speak, not only chat, have real conversations with people you love. It always makes me happy to feel connected to them even at distance but hearing their voice is comforting. I often get tired of small talk and I enjoy having real conversations with people I love, I also want to be heard.
I’m talking from my personal opinion and personal experience, empirically not scientifically. I know this may not work for everyone, I know we sometimes need more than just an advice, or need professional help. I haven’t had the opportunity to meet with a professional but I’d love to.
If you have any advice bring them on! I’m all ears.
Bienvenido a mi mente 