Sometimes you can suddenly realize you don’t feel like yourself. Your thoughts scatter, words are hard to find and your energy feels nonexistent. Even mild stressors make you increasingly irritable. You’re not sure what’s wrong, but you do know you can’t keep living this way.
These signs indicate you may need some support. Recognizing that you may need help with your mental health, whether through changes to your daily routine or professional counseling, doesn’t mean you’re doing anything wrong. If you’re wondering how to fit mental health support into your life, here are a few suggestions to try.
Seek Professional Guidance When Needed
You’re not meant to have all the answers. It’s also hard to be objective about yourself and the changes you’ve been experiencing. Seeking professional counseling or therapy can provide an objective voice and direction. Nonetheless, finding a therapist and rearranging your schedule to attend in-person sessions can be a barrier to getting much-needed support.
Affordability may also be a concern. Will you be able to pay the costs associated with individual or group therapy? Even with insurance, there could be out-of-pocket expenses. Options such as online therapy can help address several of these challenges.
With online therapy, it’s easier to find vetted therapists by specialty. If you want to focus on depression, anxiety, complex trauma or PTSD, you can filter counselors this way. You can also attend virtually. Furthermore, you can communicate with a therapist through online messages between sessions.
Switching between therapists if needed is seamless and you can use your insurance, which could involve zero co-pays. Some employee assistance programs even allow the employer to pay for a certain number of therapy sessions per year.
Start With Small, Routine Changes
Supporting your mental health isn’t one-dimensional. It involves multiple areas of your life, including physical activity. Sleep is another area, as are nutrition and mindfulness. What you do each day can potentially help you manage life’s challenges better.
While exercise won’t completely address underlying mental health conditions, research suggests that regular physical activity can help reduce symptoms of depression. Increased physical activity also augments mental health treatments, including therapy and medication. If you’re already exercising, try adding in an extra day, a longer workout or a different type of physical activity.
Say you currently walk your dog every morning. You could add a 10- to 20-minute strength-training session a couple of times a week. If you’re not currently getting much exercise, start with incremental changes. Add in a 20-minute walk after dinner three times a week. Work your way up to longer walks or more days as you build endurance.
If the weather isn’t favorable for outdoor activity, consider looking for free exercise videos online. There are plenty of free options to explore, from quick dance workouts to beginner-friendly aerobics.
Stay Connected
Not surprisingly, relationships have an impact on mental health.You don’t need a large social circle to feel supported. A few meaningful relationships can make a difference. Staying connected with others reduces feelings of isolation. Feeling isolated and lonely can exacerbate underlying mental health conditions or symptoms.
Friends and family can be a place to start nurturing the relationships you already have. However, for some, maintaining or rekindling relationships with family or friends can present challenges. It may not be beneficial to keep a connection alive with someone who might have been a contributing source of trauma. Reconnecting with someone who previously disregarded your boundaries can also be difficult.
There’s nothing wrong with maintaining new boundaries now by deciding to keep those connections in the past. In these cases, seeking out new social connections can be more appropriate. Community groups tied to hobbies such as reading or social causes can be worth looking into. Attend a meeting to see if the group is a fit. You could also try virtual community discussions if you’re not ready for in-person interactions yet.
As you make new connections, pay attention to how those interactions leave you feeling. If those interactions become more draining than helpful, you may try something new. For example, reduce the number of book club meetings you attend. Maybe get together for a meal with a former colleague once a month instead of once a week. Check in with yourself and a professional, if needed.
