Today I want to talk about happiness and healthiness and the things that keep me happy and therefore healthy. Through the past few months I've been eating a lot more chocolate than normal. I haven't had chocolate for the longest time before all of this anxiety and depression came back, but now I can't get enough (when my appetite is good enough for it at least, which is rare). 

Being healthy doesn't always mean eating lots of greens and exercising, although the latter is great for mental health. 

And here I shamelessly plug my boyfriend who is a qualified Personal Trainer who wants to help people struggling with mental health. He also has a blog if you want to check it out, there's a link at the top of the page.

Let's go through some of the things that keep me happy and (excluding chocolate) healthy.

Water

Well this one is obvious. Water is good for literally everything. I've been trying to increase my water intake because I've been drinking a lot of fizzy drinks recently and since I started drinking more water my skin has got clearer, I'm less fatigued and I feel a little more motivated to get on with the day. It's always a good idea to have a bottle of water nearby so if you're lazy like me you don't have to constantly fill up a cup. Water is good. Drink more water.

Pencil Case

More symbolic because I couldn't fit my drawing pad in the picture. Art is a really good outlet for pent up aggression, or sadness. It doesn't necessarily have to be drawing, it can be a blog, it could be creative writing, painting, writing music... literally anything that promotes some sort of creativity is great. When I was struggling with self-harm one of the things my therapist suggested was drawing on myself instead. That morning I'd just bought a pack of 20 different coloured sharpies. That night I drew all over my thigh and it honestly helped. It took a while to come out but it's nice to do something therapeutic and take your mind off whatever is making you stressed.

Headphones

Another symbol really, although this one is slightly more obvious. When I was first diagnosed with depression I listened to so much music. It took me into another world and also drowned out the silence (which sounds like something an angsty teenager would say I'm aware) and also helped me distract myself from the negative thoughts constantly floating around in my head. It can be loud, it can be quiet, you can sing or just listen while you do other day-to-day activities. It doesn't even have to be music, it could be a Podcast, or a livestream. Anything that you can listen to instead of your own thoughts is sometimes a massive help.

Chocolate

This one is obvious. While yes, it is bad for your health, chocolate is scientifically proven to make you happy (or something like that). As I mentioned earlier, I've been eating a lot more of this stuff since my mental health got bad again. Is it helping? I honestly couldn't tell you, but I'm enjoying eating it if that means anything. If you don't like chocolate, then find something you enjoy to eat and don't be afraid to overindulge from time to time. There's no such thing as 'naughty' food. If you enjoy it and it's going to make you feel slightly better by eating it, then knock yourself out. Just keep your diet proportioned. I'm not trying to tell you to stress eat your way to morbid obesity. Keep those treats in moderation but don't be scared of enjoying them. I think I made my point.

Notebook

In October I started my degree with the Open University. While my focus and self-motivation has been very come and go for the past couple of months, it's something that I have to focus on, and it's something I know I have going for me in those times where I feel like my life is going nowhere. Education is great, and there's always new things for us to learn. I'm not telling you to put yourself in a huge amount of debt and do a degree you don't know if you want to do, but there are lots of free courses online you could do, you could learn a new skill for example. Learning is good. Also it doesn't even necessarily have to be learning, if there's something you want to do, that you've been putting off for a long time because of lack of motivation, then just take the plunge and stick your head down. If you feel like life isn't worth living, or you have nothing going for you, give yourself something to do and something to enjoy.

Drugs

Prescription drugs obviously. I'm not promoting illegal substances. Those are my antidepressants. While I'm over a month into them and I'm not noticing a massive change yet, some things are slowly getting easier. It's a slow process and I'd be lying if I said it was an easy transition, and it definitely wasn't easy for me to admit that I needed them, but it's a process to getting my head together again. It's not admitting defeat, it's admitting that you could do with some help and there's no shame in that. I'm currently on the lowest dose, and also taking Beta-Blockers to help with my panic attacks. I have another check up before the end of the year, and I'll probably get the stronger dosage because so far it's taken a lot longer than I would have liked. My point though is don't be afraid of admitting you need help. If you're going through a rough time, then help is help. There's nothing wrong with taking antidepressants, if it makes you feel better then why not!

I hope this post has been somewhat helpful. It was a bit of a spontaneous idea but I'm kind of into it. Don't forget to check back on Wednesday for a brand new post, and until then, stay safe and drink water.

Until next time,

-M x