4 Tips to Maintain Mental Stability

As I discussed in the last blog post, a key to overcoming a battle with mental illness is to advocate for yourself. To know when things are not working in your favor, or when they are. To understand how your body and mind are reacting to treatment plans or daily activities. I struggled with this concept for years. I failed to understand how simple things like regular exercise or being mindful could have a positive impact. Over the last few years, I have found several things that have helped in my recovery. With that said, let us look at some tips and ideas on how to maintain mental stability.


Be active

Exercise is important. It helps to maintain weight, improves cardiovascular health, and clears your mind. Starting off, I walked twenty to twenty-five minutes a day because that was all my out-of-shape body could handle. After months of struggling around the indoor walking track at my gym, I moved up to thirty minutes. Followed by more months of a little less struggling, I started to ride a stationary bike and lift weights. Combined with calorie counting, I started losing a significant amount of the weight I had gained. Soon, I could tie my shoes without struggling and I put my socks on while balancing on one leg. These noticeable pieces of progress boosted my confidence and made me crave exercise more. Now, exercise is a regular part of my routine. I feel energized, motivated, and most importantly, healthier--both physically and mentally.


Practice mindfulness

Mindfulness is a new technique that I have started to use in the past year or so. The idea is that instead of judging or analyzing thoughts, you acknowledge the thought, describe the physical and emotional reaction it causes and then accept it. In my final 12 weeks of therapy, my therapist and I used a workbook called, A Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Workbook by Dr. Bob Stahl and Dr. Elisha Goldstein. This book guided me through the stages of mindfulness with different meditation and journaling exercises. Before, I had been skeptical of mindfulness and often resistant to similar therapy techniques, mainly out of sheer stubbornness. In the spirit of my last blog post, I chose to be proactive in my treatment and gave it a shot. The results shocked me. By simply participating during therapy sessions and doing the homework assignments in my free time, I noticed a new sense of calmness. My patterns of overthinking minuscule details decreased and for the first time in years, my mind was quiet. I am not saying this will work for you, but it is worth trying.


Disconnect from technology

Technology surrounds us everyday and everywhere we go. Whether it be for homework, scrolling through social media, or watching a movie, we are glued to a device. It can become overwhelming and can affect thoughts or sleep patterns. The best way to combat this is to disconnect from it from time to time. It does not have to be for an entire day or hours on end. Half an hour a day or more works the best for me. Perhaps do breathing or meditative exercises. Personally, I choose to read a book for 30 minutes before I go to bed. It allows me to take my eyes off my phone screen and lets me unwind. On the nights I do this, I notice a difference in my sleep quality. I fall asleep faster, do not wake up multiple times during the night, and I wake up more rested.

Avoid isolation

When depressed, it can be easy to isolate yourself. Unfortunately, this feeds depression and can make it worse. As my best friend has told me numerous times, “being alone with your thoughts is a dangerous pastime.” By avoiding contact with other people, you are left alone to overthink and overanalyze your thoughts. As someone with OCD, the problem is magnified because I have nothing to prevent the eventual rumination that sends me on the path to a deeper depression.

That is why avoiding isolation is an integral part to maintaining mental stability. For example, I try to eat lunch at Subway once a week. I order my food and interact with the staff, then instead of leaving, I sit down at a table and eat. For the most part, I never interact with anyone while eating, but the fact that I am eating in public makes me feel like I am part of society. I have done this often enough that the staff now knows me and has my order memorized. It is a great feeling--to know people remember you.

Another way to do this is to interact with friends often. I do not see my friends every day, but I text them or I schedule weekly hangouts. This helps me stay on a routine, too. Now, I understand that some people do not have the luxury of having tons of friends or reliable friends who want to interact frequently. My suggestion for that is to check out activities at your local library or community center. Join a book club (I did) or a writing club, or even a recreational softball league. If all else fails, check out meetup.com. The website is filled with local, organized meetings based on common interests.

Remember, not all of these tips will work, but much like the medical treatment side of mental health, this process is trial and error. The key is to find what works and stick to that. Make tweaks to my suggestions or use this list to brainstorm ideas that work better for you. Finally, remember to continue being your own advocate.

Follow us on Twitter and check in next Friday for the next podcast. I will discuss the connection between mental health and music, movies and television shows.