This is my first blogging challenge and this one is to blog every day in November for the #NaBloPoMo challenge and I could not be more excited to be doing this. So without further ado here is my first post for the challenge.
I talk about it on here a lot, I struggle with anxiety. I get anxious, I cry I overthink, I think I have some weird health issue (hypochondria much?) I compare myself to other women who seem to really have it all. The list is endless. Some days I have really crappy mental health days and other days when the stars are aligned and everything is going my way, I feel on top of the world! Having a bad mental health day can really stir up your emotions as I know it does mine. Here are five ways I give myself a break and tell myself it's going to be okay. Because it will be, and today is just another day where things feel....off. I especially come into this problem right before my period, like today. I took a few photos of myself for a sponsored Instagram challenge I'm in, and when I looked at the photos, I thought to myself: "You're so fat and bloated in this pic. Delete, barf, gross." Well here's the first tip to dealing with a bad mental health day. Never call yourself gross! You may be having a bad day, but you're certainly not gross, or fat, or bloated.
Tip 1: YOGA, YOGA, AND MORE YOGA: Yoga does wonders for your mental health and well-being. It's calming, it relaxes you, it brings you to your center. It helps me physically "clear the clutter" out of my mind as I've been literally trying to do with my house for the past few weeks. When you feel the mean brain or negative self-talk come on, try yoga.
Tip 2: LIFT THOSE WEIGHTS: Weightlifting has been proven to have amazing benefits for your body and for keeping your mental health in check. Anytime I'm feeling even the slightest bit of stress creep on, I grab my weights, put on some Pandora, and lift way. I find doing upper body exercises especially helps ease my stress because I stronger with each rep I do. Lifting weights and working out in general really helps to boost those endorphins, gets your blood pumping and can make you feel like a badass when you're finished which is an added bonus!
Tip 3: READ A GOOD BOOK: Did you know that curling up with a cup of tea and a good book can instantly calm your anxious mind? Seriously, try sitting with a good book for 10-minutes, drink some tea, and read a few chapters. Transporting yourself into some good literature will take your mind some place else which will help calm stress. A few of my favorites right now are "You Are A Badass" and "The Girl on The Train" Both amazing books, one's a great self-help book to help kick your goals into high gear and the other is a fascinating thriller that I literally could not put down for hours.
Tip 4: DRINK A STRONG CUP OF COFFEE: Okay so this may sound counter-intuitive because you may think drinking coffee will make your heart rate and your mind race all over the place, but I find just the opposite happens when mean-brain is creeping in. Just the scent of coffee has been shown to reduce stress levels, so anytime (before 6pm) when I'm feeling angry, or upset I brew a fresh pot of organic dark roast coffee and I drink it up. It helps me focus on the tasks at hand, instead of letting my mind wander all over the place.
Tip 5: COOK A HEALTHY MEAL: One of the fastest ways to get out of your own head and to focus your mind on better things is to cook a healthy meal. Come up with something creative and fun and cook away. Cooking helps me de-stress, I find going through all of the motions and working hard to create something that not only looks good but tastes good too is so satisfying to me. It also makes me feel really good about myself that I care enough about my family and myself to cook a healthy meal.
The next time you feel mean-brain come rear it's ugly head, go back to this post and try any one of these tips to help calm your anxious mind and focus on the good things. What do you guys do when you're having a bad mental health day? Any tips you could give me? Comment below.
Betty Jo says
Love this post Genevieve! I can relate so much to what you've written. I would also like to add go for a walk/jog, take a mental health day by calling in to work and staying home, talk it out with a therapist and/or friend or go for a swim.