Mental health, Routines, Anchors and Blah

I started talking freely about mental health a couple years back. Initially I used to have enough lack of confidence that I was not even able to share that I have issues. Gradually, after seeing people around me and finding others who share, I started sharing. It has been quite a few years since I went through multiple sessions of counseling, which have helped immensely.

Mental health is a repeating topic for those who have mental health issues. We can not simply shove them under the carpet and assume everything is nice and colorful. Being mindful helps a lot. Sometimes is is easy to get feedback or support from peers, friends and family but other times is is very difficult. The Covid-19 situation has made a lot of people feel very uncomfortable in isolation to say the least.

I have been a workaholic most of my adult life but I do not relate to that lifestyle at all anymore. I like a more active traveling lifestyle where I have plenty of time for friends and family. Work used to be an escape for me and it is still a great way to get a routine. But it is not the only way. I try to come up with new routines to daily life and these elements can be as simply as "clean my clothes every third day". It sounds boring but it breaks the week into chunks I can tackle and feel I have done something. A very important bit to note is that my routine activities nowadays focus inward on myself. So things I do to stay mentally and physically health. Friends are usually not part of "routine".

Work is still extremely important for me. I find a sense of purpose in my work and I always have a mission I am chasing. That gives me an anchor, a private place of peace where I can easily return to from other conflicts. I am easily drawn to conflict so the anchor helps a lot. I feel people can not be anchors, because they might need their own space when you are dependent on them. Art, music, work, sports, some form of creativity are all great anchors in my opinion.

Lastly, things can always go wrong on even regular basis. I have insomnia and I suffer from anxiety. This is a lethal combination in a way. Lack of sleep robs much from my life but I keep trying different things to help my sleep cycle. And sometimes they work well. Other times, it is a Blah... and that is fine. Life is like that. I am mindful and I suggest others to be. Meditate if you can, it is a really potent tool to see yourself in a third person point of view. As if you are the director and the start of your own movie. It helps in introspecting too.

Till next time, happy health!