Just like you, I have my own mental health journey. (Don’t we all? I mean, we all have bodies and brains and emotions and life!) While the details will be saved for my own therapist’s office, I do believe that an important step in breaking down the stigma surrounding seeking mental health treatment begins with one person having the courage to share part of their own journey. While not everyone needs to know all of the details of your life, I think it can be so powerful to be open about mental health in general, which is why I am never shy about letting people know that I, too, go to therapy. In fact, my belief about therapy is that everyone should have access. Therapy is not just for people who have experienced a major crisis or who are experiencing a severe mental illness. Therapy can be incredibly beneficial for navigating challenging relationships, managing daily stressors, stepping into adulthood, understanding your emotional world, and so much more…the things that all of us deal with at some point in life. 

While therapy is hugely important to me, it’s not the only thing I do to care for my mental health on a daily basis. In fact, my job as a therapist is to help you become your own therapist in many ways so that you, too, feel confident in managing your mental health outside of weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly therapy sessions. In order to help you start thinking about new ways you might begin to care for your own mental health outside of therapy sessions, I’ve listed 5 of the things I do on a regular basis below. 

1. Spending time with my pet. I have an adopted American Staffy mix named Janie. I adopted her two years ago, and my life has changed for the better ever since. I believe that my dog is helpful for my mental health in two ways. First, having a pet, for me a dog specifically, is so therapeutic. Not only is her presence and unconditional love comforting, but she motivates me to get fresh air and exercise daily. Prior to getting a dog, I loved going on walks, but it’s twice as nice to have a loving companion join me. Second, I am very passionate about pet adoption and specifically dogs who might more frequently go unadopted, such as “pitbull” breeds. So adopting and caring for my dog supports my need for companionship as well as my love of advocacy. Doing things that we are passionate about and that give us life is an important part of self-care. 

2. Intuitive movement. You may have read in many places about the benefits of different types of exercise for your mental health. While I do agree that exercise is beneficial, I have learned from my experience with chronic migraine disorder that not all exercise is beneficial for every body. For example, intense exercise can trigger a migraine attack for me, however, movement has also been a huge part of my healing journey. For me, intuitive movement means tuning in to what my body needs in any given moment. Some days, this means I enjoy sweating it out on the yoga mat. Other days, it means laying quietly in child’s pose for several minutes. I do tend to gravitate towards yoga, based on my background and experience, but the concept of intuitive movement can be used across movement types, from formal exercise classes to taking a walk around the block to dance parties in your living room and beyond.

3. Understanding my menstrual cycle. Those of us with ovaries in our reproductive years have an additional vital sign that can be an indication of our overall well being. Taking care of my physical body is a significant part of caring for my overall mental health. I highly recommend the work of Lisa Hendrickson Jack and her book The Fifth Vital Sign.

4. Managing chronic illness. Although I did touch on this in the previous points, I can’t stress enough how important it is for me to take care of my physical health in order to maintain my mental health. Much of my mental health journey has been the process of understanding the deep relationship between the mind, body, and soul. For me, this has most notably happened as I’ve worked on managing and healing my chronic migraine. I will certainly discuss this more in depth in another post, but the short version is that for me, migraine is directly related to my mental health. Thus, by learning about and managing migraine, I directly support my mental health.

5. Reading and watching TV. Yes, a therapist just said watching TV is good for your mental health. It can be, anyway. For me, intentionally watching TV - meaning, watching a show that I have chosen and that I enjoy, not just mindlessly scrolling or watching a show that actually makes me feel bad about myself - in moderation, helps me to decompress at the end of the day. I also love reading, and find that reading a book before bed helps me to relax and relieve my mind of racing or ruminative thoughts

Remember, we’re all unique individuals, so what works for me might not work for you. If you have ideas or recommendations about how you take care of your mental health, drop a note in the comments!

If you are intrigued by this article and would like to take the next step in your own mental health journey, I invite you to reach out to schedule a free 15-20 minute consultation with me.