What’s the greatest mental health tip you’ve gotten?

Never evaluate your life when you’re tired.

This is so true. Ever notice things seem much worse at night when worries seem at their worst? The next morning your brain can think of ways to fix them and most times they aren’t there the next day.

Edit: My mother told me this once and I’ve never forgotten it.

Edit 2: thank you for all those awards. Very kind of you. Wishing you all well

My mental health tip is for those suffering from depression/loneliness.
Talk to someone, tell them how you feel. It can be a family member or a friend or someone from a mental health Team. Ideally talk to someone in person, but the phone is a great way to share your worries.
Talking really does help.

I suffer with general anxiety disorder which I’ve had for years even before caring. I get told a lot to try and go for walks. It wouldn’t be easy to have a short break in the long term as I would worry more. Also with lockdown my anxiety has been with me constant and things get to me more. Listening to music, a hot bath are other things to do as well.

Be kind to yourself.
If you are feeling extra tired, leave the washing up until tomorrow and rest, or even better, go to bed.

I’ll share 2 if I may.

When my ptsd was very bad I really struggled with supermarkets, panic would be unbearable. I was advised that once I got to the end of each aisle, go & look at the exit & remind myself I can just leave at any time.

When being treated for my ptsd more recently, it was noticed that I try to make myself small, invisible, even while sitting my toes curled up in my shoes. I was asked to stand up & make myself as tall as I could. Arms up in the air & walk around the room tall. Spread my arms out wide.
Sounds strange but it worked, amazingly well,sometimes the mind will follow the body.
I still do it now.
X

That’s a really good point.i will definitely act on that…today I feel mentally and physically worn out…husband took to his bed again.not eating and not talking to me just irretable so I have learned to leave him be and ride it out…it gives me a break to just breath and think of myself…I am in desperate need of this too.his mental illness is affecting my mental health so much.i used to be able to cope much better when i was younger and fitter but now ime 65 and struggling with my health it’s becoming unbearable life is very hard.

I can’t remember who said it to me, but this really helped.

“Stop trying to be Superwoman and start yelling for Help until someone listens”.

I’ve done my very best for everyone in my family that needed my support. Now at 69 I just don’t have the energy I used to have. We cannot halt the ageing process in our loved ones, and it’s important to acknowledge that we can’t stop ageing ourselves either.

Our loved ones might want us to run around them, but at 69, we’d like some help too!

I will definitely stop trying to be superwoman as my poor brain is getting too tired and worn out for much more mental health torture…what ever years I have ahead of me I just want peace and tranquillity …it’s not being selfish I am learning to love and look after myself more now without causing my health to detoriate.l love my husband but hate what mental illness has done to our relationship over the 30 years.

Was once told that after a bad day, the next day you should dress smartly and wear your favourite fragrance.
Despite all we go through as carers, we are allowed one day when we feel special - even if you don’t leave the house!

And… I used to find that the lingering scent brought an internal joy to me for a couple of days!

Thanks Just enough. You raised a little smile with that.

Susie, one of our hardworking mods, has a comment at the end of every post that says

“It’s OK not to be perfect”.

Concentrate on the important stuff and be very aware of how you are feeling.
Has everyone eaten a sufficient meal?
It really doesn’t matter if all the housework hasn’t been done or the million and one jobs haven’t been done.

You know when you’ve reached the stage when you are too tired to be any good to anyone. Sometimes you just have to say “it will have to wait” and go to bed and rest.

Never compare yourself to others.

I tend to do this when I am feeling especially down and then it makes me feel even worse before I started. Then it’s just a downward spiral and I end up feeling useless and worthless.

Just say no.

You don’t have to do it all.

It’s easy to think you have to

But don’t be fooled into that trap

It’s very hard to get out of

The more you say yes to everything people will just expect more and more

Say no, and mean it

No negotiation

So true.

Caresuk doing great effort for those facing mental problems. we should support always