What are low-cost methods that's been helpful to your mental health?
DISCLAIMER: this isn't a substitute for therapy and/or medication. Sometimes therapy isn't accessible. Sometimes we have a bad week and need to recenter ourselves.
I think we can learn from each other and find methods we didn't even know about! What's helpful to another may be ineffective to another, and I think learning about an array of methods would be valuable.
What's been helpful for me:
- Spending time in nature
- Journaling (I would google journal prompts pertaining to my predicaments)
- Guided meditations on Youtube
- Free worksheets: https://www.therapistaid.com/therapy-worksheets (my therapist who specialized in CBT used some of these during our sessions, I'm glad they're free)
17 replies
Meditation is the biggest one for me. For so long I thought it just wasn't for me and then I got an app with guided meditation tracks and I have never been more calm, focused, and generally happy with the way things are since I started. I feel really lucky I gave it a chance and highly recommend it for anyone to try.
Same. I kind of have issues with my mind wondering when meditating (though also just in general lol). But I then tried guided meditation and it just clicked. Maybe it was having someone kind of guiding and reminding me to stay focused, but it's been amazing. And I agree, I think everyone should at least give it a try at some point.
This might be more darkly humorous than you are looking for, but at the onset of WWII I've read that many civilians suddenly had a full or partial remission of symptoms for the duration of the war.
Being part of a society in crisis that's all pulling in the same direction can take your mind off your own problems, at least for a while. Call it the Ozymandias effect?
It's not enough to hope a war breaks out, but maybe there's something at the heart of it we can grasp. Maybe what some of us really lack is purpose, or a sense of belonging. These aren't easy to solve for, but I'm sure it's worth a look inward.
That's beautiful and horrifying at the same time
Humanity in a nutshell innit
Adding to the excellent suggestions of others:
Bicycling by far!
You can get a cheap used bike if you don’t want to nerd out about parts etc.
The way my mind is cleared when I’m going for a ride is something that I have not achieved by any other means. Also the mood boost lasts quite a while for me.
Just make sure the bike fits your body and also get a helmet.
Lemme toss in here the symptom management checklist in DBT:
Doing these things consistently should reduce the likelihood of your symptoms getting unmanageable (mileage will vary).
I like the free Yoga with Adrienne videos on YouTube. But there are tons of others out there also. Yoga breathing helps me feel grounded when I’m anxious and stressed.
I want to point out there's free options in the us for lots of support groups, and so many are accesible online now! I joined SMART recovery about a month ago now, found one in person facilitated by a licensed counselor. She offered to see me individually for free and it's incredible what a few sessions can do!
I can only speak for my self but gardening has really helped me find my center
@CantSt0pPoppin @phonecase Me too. Knitting gives me a sense of focus and presence too.
You've got a good list.
For me I'd add.