Tips and tricks to use for bettering your mental (and maybe physical) health by Me:
1. water, water, water. it's very important to drink enough water. Dont like the taste of regular water? Add flavoring, bc remember its better to drink 2 to 3l of flavored water then drinking only a l of regular water (or sprakling water, thats what i do)
Cant remember to drink water? Me neither. place water bottles around your room and house, sitting at a desk working or relaxing? place your water bottle on top of your phone (or any other thing you pick up a lot) and take a sip every time you touch it, take multiple water bottles if you feel like that once you're done you wont fill it up again. Watter bottle (or just a mug if you drink tap water) in the bathroom, every time you go there take a sip. Bottle next to your door, everytime you pass it? take a sip.
2. Food. Im someone who can't eat in the morning cus i get sick, so eat a bigger lunch! bring a snack that you like and eat once you feel okay! make sure to not eat at least 1h before you sleep, a full stomach can cause sleep issues.
Cant remember to eat? alarms, 10 if you need. keep snacks at all times somewhere you can see it.
Walk after eating, can be outside, can be just circles in your room, it doesnt have to be hours, just 5 to 10 mins to get your stomach moving, this can help bloating and overall make you feel better (plus getting your steps in). Cant walk for long? me neither dude, sit down and just move your legs up and down as if you were walking.
3. Sleep. so important, but remember not to oversleep, that can make you feel more groggy. Cant fall asleep? yea i can't either so here are some things my life long insomniac dad does to be able to go to sleep at 11pm every day.:
Put phone and other screens down at least 30 mins before you sleep, an hour preferably. Cant sit alone with your brain? read something or listen to something, preferably something boring to help shut your brain down and not think. Wanna move? put on some music and dance, walk around.
hungry? milk. honey and butter is great to add, helps you relax. Absolutely need food like right now? something easy for your stomach to handle, soup, broth, cooked vegetables (COOKED, your stomach has a rough time with uncooked veggies).
i wont tell you to do that meditation bs bc it doesn't work for me (but if it does for you, do that)
cant sleep without noise? turn on the fan (afarid of waking up sick? turn that mf away from you), put on calming music, preferably one with no lyrics, podcasts. I like listening to those dumb ass AI reddit stories, but you might wanna also see if you can find some children books that are recorded.
take sleeping meds? take them roughly 30 to 10 mins before you plan to sleep so they can have tome to kick in, turn off or lower the light in your room to make your brain realize its sleepy time.
Schedule. doesn't matter if you go to sleep at 1am or 3am or 8pm, choose a time that will let you sleep at least 7 to 9h before you need to wake up and stick with it. so so important you stick with it, even on weekends (obvi if its a party or a special occasion you can stay up or go to sleep earlier, once will not change anything).
4. struggle to wake up? dont pick up that phone, get up, even just SIT up and chill for about 10 mins, preferably in daylight (or if you have dark until 9am like we do in winter) turn on a light, let your body realize its time to get up. Still can't? cold water on your face
5. exercise. you don't have to go to the gym, you don't need to work out till exhaustion every day, take a walk once a day, ride to work/ school on a bike, do some stretching once a day while watching something. have limited movement or energy? me too girl, bed workouts. best part? you can stop at any point and chill till you feel better to continue.
6. fresh air. dont need to walk, dont need to move, just open a window and sit by it for a bit to get some fresh air in.
7. part take in things you like, video games, drawing, reading, painting, walking, singing, playing anything you can immagine (even if it's something others would call "useless" or "not good hobbies") if it brings you even a little bit of joy, do it.
8. take. your. meds. meds make you feel worse? do NOT cold turky and decide that no meds will ever help you, as someone who has been on like 10 different medications and currently has to take 4 a day to function, PLEASE see a doc and tell them your symptoms while on thsese meds and they will switch you. do NOT expect meds to start working immediately, most can take up to 2 weeks of regular use to see effects. also do NOT think meds alone will help. They won't. you have to take steps to better yourself, meds are just another tool to get you feeling good again, and do not be shamed into needing medication. you wouldn't shame a cancer patient for needing meds would you? well your mental illness is the same, its an illness, and its okay and good to take medication to treat the illness.
9. write. dont wanna write in a diary cus you're afraid of someone finding it and calling you pathetic or a lier? write on a piece of paper, then tear that up or burn it, you'll still be getting things out of your head and you won't have to feel embarrassed or scared that someone will find it.
10. and for the love of god, cry, be angry, be sad, be happy, be miserable, don't lock these feelings away, they will only come back stronger and worse.
11. And remember, it will pass. All that you're feeling will pass and you'll be better.
~someone who is diagnosed with bpd, autism and adhd and all the lovely things that go with it, as well as someone who is chronically ill and struggling to even graduate highschool, remember you will get trough it, you will move on from that ex, you will move out of that house, you will find your own place in this world, dont let anyone tell you otherwise.