We know that exercise, friendship, sunshine on our faces, getting enough sleep and eating well are all key to our mental wellbeing. This mental health week I wanted to highlight the other little things I do to make myself feel better.
Acts of kindness
Big or small being kind to someone else makes you feel good too. it doesn’t have to involve money and buying things either. In our house we have “little acts of love”, things like restocking the painkillers next to the bed on our partners’ side so they are there in the middle of the night, or putting their favourite essential oil in the living room diffuser just before the end of the work so it smells relaxing or uplifting for the evening. You could also write a letter, send a text, or even just thank someone for their time at the end of a call or wish a cashier a good day when you’re finished at the till. Even really small acts can lift both of you up a little.
Houseplants
You’ll have seen from our recent post that we have many, many houseplants around our home. We have a subscription with Bloombox, and while it’s no cheap – especially when we’re on one income – we get so much out of opening the box each month to see what plant and pot awaits and deciding where it will live most happily. We move the plants and change their pots regularly to appreciate their shapes and colours anew, and take pleasure in watching them grow, especially when life otherwise can feel static and stagnant.
Laugh Out Loud
At times laughter has felt in short supply in recent months, but there’s a reason why they say that it’s the best medicine. Whether it’s an online improv group, a funny book, or binge-watching a comedy series, if it helps you laugh and relax then it can help. We’ve loved watching things like Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Schitts’ Creek, and Taskmaster.
Make some plans
I don’t know about you but it’s been so long since I’ve made plans that go beyond going to do the food shop next week that I’ve stopped remembering to plan ahead so I have things to look forward to. As we get vaccinated and things open up, try to make plans for things you’ll relish the idea of. If you think there’s a chance you’ll need to cancel, don’t make the plans detailed, maybe just a date and a provisional booking so it’s not an involved and difficult process to cancel, but it still something to look forward to nonetheless. Wales in the summer here we come!
Learn something new
There’s no doubt about it, Chronically Awesome has kept me sane over shielding because I’ve been learning new things. There are so many ways to learn new things these days, whether it’s an app to learn a new language or teaching yourself to cook from YouTube, there’s something out there for everyone. My husband has spent shielding learning to code and use illustrator, things he’s always wanted to do but never had the time before.
Set yourself goals
It’s so easy to feel like we’ve lost time, achieved very little while we’ve sat at home. Setting goals is a great way to feel like we’re moving forwards. Your goal might be to learn something new (see above), but it might also be to complete that crafting project you started, to cook a meal from scratch twice a week, or actually do your physio exercises each day (that last one is for me!). Once you’ve achieved a goal, increase it or pick a new one!
Carve out 5 minutes
All too often a whole day can go by and I haven’t done something just for me. I’ve taken all my meds and done my rehab and cleaned and walked the dogs and all the stuff that has to be done, but none of the stuff that really makes me feel good. Whether it’s taking a cuppa back to bed for a bit, or sitting in stillness outside in the sunshine for a few minutes, a little break that’s just for you can recharge us more than we’d think.
Reach Out
I’m not someone who likes making phone calls, in fact I avoid it where possible. But I recognise that can cut me off in times like these and I need to be proactive about keeping in touch with friends and family. But calls aren’t the only way to keep in touch. Voice notes are more personal than text or WhatsApp messages and save you the effort of typing, but aren’t as intense as a call. Sometimes I put a note in my diary just to reach out to a friend, and on that day I scroll through my phone and see who I haven’t spoken to for a while. Then I just send them a note to say hi, that I’m thinking of them and I hope they’re well. Who wouldn’t want to hear the voice of a friend saying that?!
(Hypno)Therapy
Early last year I decided to embark on therapy and started CBT. Honestly? I hated it. It just didn’t suit me. After years of illness and pushing things aside to get through the day, I decided to try hypnotherapy. With shielding it’s been a bit stop and start but honestly it’s been amazing. I’ve made connections and had revelations I could never have imagined, and it’s allowed me to lay down some very heavy baggage I just didn’t need to be carrying around – life with chronic illness is heavy enough! I recognise that I’m very privileged to be able to access a therapy that’s not offered by the NHS, but I do encourage you to experiment with different therapy forms if you can and if the first (or second, third or fourth) approach doesn’t work for you. Everyone and every mind is different, and expecting one type of therapy to work for everyone and every set of situations and experiences is frankly bizarre. But laying down your armour working through what you don’t need anymore is so worth it, even if it’s hard work.
