How I Conquer My Mental Illnesses Every Day...

I want to share with you how I deal with (& conquer) my mental illnesses each day. I have been diagnosed with depression and anxiety. First and foremost, every day is different. This means that you will have to handle unique situations daily with different techniques and tools. I personally struggle with confrontation in any way. I also lack confidence and that has affected just about every aspect in my life. I struggled with sports in high school, not because I lacked the skill but because I simply didn’t believe in myself. Depression and anxiety also come with those dark thoughts some of us know and love (HA; just kidding guys). You never know what thoughts are going to cross your mind. Therefore, it will take time to perfect the whole “conquer” your illnesses each day thing I am talking about. I was never this motivated to defeat depression and anxiety but once I realized my motivation can actually help people other than myself out, I knew I was doing this for something bigger and more significant.

If you’re having a bad day, try telling yourself, "Hey, this is okay; tomorrow will be better!" The bad days make the good days better, my friends. Remember that not everything is going to happen at once. It truly takes time to improve. IT IS OKAY TO NOT BE OKAY, but it isn't okay to accept your unhappiness. I like to use my bad days as self-care days. I do things for ME. Sometimes we get caught up putting ourselves last and our self-care just goes down the drain. This is EXTREMELY crucial you guys. You MUST put yourself first sometimes. It isn’t selfish. Believe me, I absolutely hated this part. I felt so conceited. However, my counselor helped me realize that without taking care of myself I couldn’t help others either, which is my ultimate goal.

On the bad days or during bad moods it also helps to do something as simple as changing your clothes. It symbolizes a fresh start. You can do things like making your bed, taking a shower, going on a walk, changing your clothes, or brushing your hair in order to help refresh your mindset. I personally think changing my clothes and cleaning my room help me get out of a funk quite a bit.

Surround yourself with people who will better you. I spent too many of my teenage years hanging out with friends that did not make me feel good at all. Since then I have realized it makes a HUGE difference surrounding yourself with people that genuinely want to see you do good.

If you’re in a crowded area or public place and suddenly your illnesses take over do the following:

Tell yourself that you are okay!

Relax and breath. If you feel uncomfortable doing breathing exercises in front of others, go to the restroom!

Distract yourself. Think about your favorite music or movie or your dog!

These things might sound weird at first but I swear they work most of the time.

This one is probably the technique I struggle with most. You guys should try to do something to benefit you, that makes you feel uncomfortable, every day. For me, it’s confronting people or being on my own in public places like coffee houses, etc. In the long run you’ll be doing things you never thought you would be able to do! It’s 100% worth it. If you read my previous journal, you’ll know that I couldn’t even go to college because of my fear of confrontation in any context. I am now moving to college this fall on my own and I am SO excited! Improvements do happen you guys!

If you need inspiration or just some positive vibes pertaining to mental health check out my mental health Instagram: healthymind_happysoul

Thanks for reading & I hope I helped!