I have found that managing my mental health can be tricky, and it involves constantly taking care and looking after myself. I guess, it only makes sense that this would be the case considering that this is what we do with our physical health.
I tend to suffer from the occasional migraine headaches, and for those of you who are fellow suffers you will agree with me when I say that they can be terrible and can incapacitate you for some time. Therefore, I have learnt over the years how to prevent them from happening when I sense one coming on. That is not to say that I don’t have them anymore, but they are very infrequent now. What I do is ensure that I always have paracetamol in my bathroom cabinet in case I get a headache, then when I sense an episode coming on, I can have some paracetamol and rest before my situation escalates.
I Have learnt to do the same for my mental health, and I would like to share my formula with you. My formula is a combination of Perspective and Control.
Since my husband passed away, I have experienced some anxiety, sometimes mild and sometimes quite gripping. I have learnt to be open about my mental health and I have spoken to my GP which has been helpful, and because I am fortunate enough to have a fair amount of knowledge around the subject of managing my mental health I am doing very well.
Stress, Anxiety and Depression are usually exacerbated by a loss of hope and an increase in uncertainty, and I have seen evidence of this during the Corona Virus Pandemic. Many who have never had mental health issues before have found themselves experiencing poor mental health, and those with existing mental health issues have required more help and support due to their situation being aggravated.
The remedy for a loss of hope and an increase in uncertainty is perspective and control.
We need to look at the things that we can take control of in our day-to-day lives, and that can range from habits, mindfulness activities or asking for help. Doing anything is better than doing nothing. Then we need to put things into perspective. For instance, we will not be living in a pandemic forever or we will be able to see our friends and family at some point. This is just a general example. Our individual circumstances are unique, so look into your own life as an individual and think of something that you can put into perspective.
In life, no condition is permanent. Good times come and go, and bad times come and go. Life is a roller-coaster!
So my advice to you, which is the formula that I use is to:
- Control what you can because this will reduce and minimise the level of uncertainty that you are experiencing.
- Have some perspective because this will raise and maximise the level of hope as you ponder on things and look forward to a better day or improved circumstances.
CONTROL WHAT YOU CAN – (Minimise Uncertainty)
HAVE SOME PERSPECTIVE – (Maximise Hope)