Day 12 mental health tips.
To those who have depression, some tips/coping methods:
Now, some of these might not work for you and that is okay. Everybody is different, no one is the same, that’s what makes you wonderful and beautifully unique. When I am having one of those bad days I might do/have been recommended to do some of the following:
1. Know that at the state you are in you going to be thinking mostly irrationally. No matter what you think, it is mostly irrational. The little voice in your head saying that nobody loves you? Telling you to do all of those horrible things to yourself? Breathe in, push them to the back of your mind and ignore them. I know it’s hard, trust me. But you just have to try to not think about it. The longer you do, a detailed plan can form inside your head and that is bad. Especially when you want to focus on the positives.
2. Focus on the positives. Before you all throw heavy objects at me and scream, let me explain. While it sounds like the most dumbass thing to tell someone with depression, you have to try to get into a happy mindset. Now, I have been told this when I was feeling so down that I could barely do anything (like I got given a book on how to think positive). You have to look at it like this, the world is an amazing place. It’s wonderful and one day, you’ll get to explore it. You’ll get to see all the things you’ve dreamed of seeing, but you can’t do that do that if you give into your thoughts. Then they have one.
3. Ignore people that tell you that you don’t deserve to be depressed because you have a roof over your head, you have food, you have parents who love you. These idiots don’t understand depression. This brings me onto my next point.
4. People who haven’t had depression will most likely not understand and say things like ‘it’s a bad day, not a bad life’ but in that situation, in your head, it doesn’t feel like a bad day, it feels like a bad life. I know, don’t worry. If you are one medication and someone tells you shouldn’t be taking it because you can cope without it, just never talk to them again. Seriously. Even if you are sure you’re just being dramatic, explain to them how it helps you and if they still don’t get it, ditch them.
5. Go to the doctors, they can either get you counselling, or give you medication. But they need to know things like this.
6. If your friends don’t understand, you are not the issue. I promise you, it is not your fault. You did absolutely nothing wrong to be told that you are just sad and to move on.
7. If you self harm, draw and doodle on your skin in a red felt tip.
8. Talk to someone, please. it could be a parent, friend, sibling, councilor, therapist, psychologist, doctor. Anyone, just don’t let them feelings of yours get bottled up.
9. If you are having one of those days where you don’t want to do anything, that’s okay. You don’t always have to do something. However, bare in mind that this could go two ways: one, you feel better the next day since you have had time to relax. Or, two, you wake up the next morning down, anxious and stressed because you couldn’t do the work that you were meant to do yesterday because you were so stressed. But you know you better than I do, so do what you think is best.
10. If you are having a day where you don’t even want to talk, that’s fine. I was told that if I don’t want to talk, that’s fine, I didn’t have to. So, I didn’t. I just didn’t have the energy to, and that was okay.
11. Surround yourself with people who care and love you. I promise you, those people are there.
12. Anything that keeps you here is worth it. It’s okay if the one thing that keeps you here is you cat, your friend, the one youtuber you love, mcdonalds, your parents, your siblings. Anything that you find helps keep you living is worth it.
13. My last tip on this is to remember that you are loved. I promise you, I know I ave said I promise a lot, but I mean all of them.
To those who have anxiety, some tips/coping methods:
Okay, so I have been told a couple of tricks that I have been told by some people I talk to that could help some of you and help me a little bit, so I though, why not share :)
1. Control your breathing. The one I have been told to try is the breathe in for four seconds, hold it til seven and then out for eight. This helps slightly, however, when I go back to breathing normally, I feel anxious again, which is when I try something else on this list.
2. Doodle. Seriously, go crazy, I have a whole notebook that I will turn to a clean page a just go mad and doodle. Sometime my doodles are effected by my mood, which helps me express myself. It’s great. I had a word with my teachers and they let me doodle in class as long as I get the work done and pay attention, maybe try doing the same?
3. Fold paper. Don’t worry if you can’t fold some swans or boats or whatever. But just folding paper that you focus on completely can help take your mind off of your worries. Obviously, if you fancy making a swan, then go right ahead, but don’t worry if you can’t, I can’t either.
4. Maths. Now, before you all start screaming at me for suggesting that. It doesn’t have to be things like algebra or Pythagoras, just simple things like choose four random numbers, order them by size, multiply them, or subtract them- just distract yourself. That’s what these techniques are all about, taking your mind off of whatever you are worried about.
5. Talk to someone. Like, anyone. It could he a teacher, a parent, a cousin, an uncle, an aunt, a tumblr blog, a friend, a pet. Just anyone or anything to get it off of your chest and face the issue. Normally people from an outside point of view can give great advice or give you some comfort.
6. Fiddle with something small. Some people that I know carry guitar picks in their pockets, or hair clips/pins, That way if you’re at school, teachers won’t really notice something you can keep in your pocket, I have not tried this yet, I am planning on it though, I have a guitar pick and everything.
Those are the ones I do mostly, but just because they work for me doesn’t mean they will work for you, everyone is different. If you have anymore please reblog and add them so other people can try them.
