Its the Little Things...

A common thought for people in recovery from any mental illness revolves around the idea of what more can happen to make you “better” now that you have started various therapy forms and medications. When in early stages of recovery, we are commonly oblivious to what recovery will really entail – and we see a simple route from A to B, but this is sadly not the case for the majority of us. Recovery has twists and turns, unexpected situations and challenges to overcome, and it can be common for us to need more than just the therapy, medications, and nutritional advice. The simple things of what makes humans ‘healthy’ can commonly be overlook and underestimated in their effect – we live in a society which favours treating the direct symptoms of illnesses and not looking at the bigger picture and wider contributing factors toward our health and well-being. So here I am, stripping things back to the basics and letting you in on what I have found and been informed on what simple things slip through the cracks that could really benefit your health and well-being along with the effectiveness of any treatment or medication that you are on.

1.Are you getting the quality and quantity of sleep?

We can all feel when we have not given ourselves enough rest at night – we feel groggy, a bit down, and are overall not in the best of moods. For me, I go into a “don’t talk to me” frame-of-mind and find that tackling the events of the day to be that much more mentally taxing. So, after experiencing this, I make sure that I get at least eight hours of sleep each night, and take some medication to ensure that this sleep is as restful as possible. I try not to use my phone while in bed, and have electronics either on a blue-light filter or on the lowest light level possible to ensure that my mind enters a ‘calming’ phase before I try to sleep. If you are sensitive to light or noises, I would seriously recommend investing in some ear plugs or an eye mask.

2. Do you have social toxins in your life?

When I say this, I mean, are there relationships in your life that are more harm than they are good? Are people encouraging or promoting behaviours or ideas that are not in line with you? Are you feeling used or taken advantage of? As much as you may enjoy that friendship at times, it is important (albeit hard) to put yourself and your health first and cut ties (or at least lessen contact) with those people who are really impacting on your recovery or feelings toward yourself. Doing this is not a selfish act, and is not something that you should need to feel bad about (you may feel this way but know that you shouldn’t) – you need to put recovery as a priority in your life and if it means making some sacrifices to get there, I can tell you that not making those sacrifices is not worth risking your life, quality of life, or time suffering from whatever illness you have.

3. Do you have a good work-life balance?

It may be a good coping strategy in the short term, but diving into work or schooling is a very risky move that can cause your worth to become too dependent on your success in your work/school. I agree that having commitments and motivators are important in recovery and life in general; however, you need to keep things in perspective and realise that busting yourself in excess of 10-hours a day, numerous days a week is rather taxing and is not maintainable in the long-term. If your job or schooling requires such intensive hours, I would suggest to talk to your employers or teachers and see if it is possible to reduce the intensity of what you are doing for the benefit of your health and recovery. These changes do not necessarily need to be long-term but could really help improve the effectiveness of your various treatments.

4. Are you too invested in the online world?

A notorious time-waster and is almost guaranteed to leave you feeling like absolute rubbish as soon as you look into any celebrity, or health/fitness pages, people, and hashtags. Be careful not to place too much worth on the number of followers, friends, or likes that you have – why should such numbers be so important to someone? Are you not worth more than that? Instead of spending hours in front of a TV, phone, computer, or tablet screen – why not get some shoes out and get some fresh air, get crafty, cook up a storm, or pick up the phone and give someone a call; these will be much better for you than looking at that “build-a-booty” video, Kardashian nonsense, or online gaming.

5. Are you moving your body enough?

I am not only talking about making sure you move enough, but also ensuring that you do not move too much. When used in the right way, exercise can give a good “feel good” buzz and release some endorphins that can put a really good spin on your day; too much and you are on a one-way road to burnout, extreme fatigue, and a damaging relationship with exercise. Also, moving yourself by being a part of a team adds a great social factor which can be a brilliant added bonus.

6. Do you get enough vitamins and minerals from your diet and lifestyle?

Despite all the efforts that you make, the body sometimes is naturally low in some key nutrients that, if when in the right range, can have real impact on your life and the way you feel. Ask if you can have some bloods taken at your next doctors appointment to have a good look at all of your base levels of key nutrients and you may be surprised at the results. If you are vegetarian or vegan, pay particular attention to your iron, Vitamin C and B12 levels as these can really impact on your energy levels if they are too low. If you have trouble sleeping, give magnesium a whirl – I found that this really helped in conjunction with my other medication (and meant I did not have to be on such high levels of my psychiatric medication). Getting your Omega’s in are also really beneficial for brain function so you may want to try taking a fish oil tablet or vege/vegan alternative, or look at specific foods that are good boosters for your levels. You may also want to consider taking a daily multi-vitamin to cover your bases, these are cheap enough from your local pharmacy.

These are only a few suggestions that you may be surprised what results they could deliver. Give them a whirl – try them for a couple of months and see if you notice a difference. Medication and therapy does not need to be the be-all-and-end-all of improving your mental health and your recovery – the wider picture is often overlooked; and is something that really shouldn’t be…

Your friend,

Rawing Meg

xx