Ask HN: How do you manage your mental health? • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: How do you manage your mental health?

#31

Post by rodrigods » Tue, Jun 12, 2018, 6:28 PM UTC

pauljaworski wrote: post #18

Primarily with preventative measures: - Exercise: weightlifting 4x per week - Meditation: 15 minutes daily in the AM - Diet: Paleo-ish, I initially did the "4 Hour Body" diet to lose some weight and noticed I felt better all-around not eating bread/heavy carbs. On the other hand, bread is delicious. Mostly, I just try to avoid tons of sugar/insulin spikes. Being disciplined about these things is pretty critical for m…

I follow almost an identical routine and works for me. I also find important to try to reduce the amount of time I am "thinking" about work.

Re: Ask HN: How do you manage your mental health?

#32

Post by yesimahuman » Tue, Jun 12, 2018, 6:28 PM UTC

I've found some of the stoic teachings to be really helpful (A Guide to the Good Life is awesome). Good to realize that I'd be fine if my company cratered, I'm just thankful to be on the journey, building awesome shit, and learning as much as I can. As some others have mentioned here, I've been fortunate to experience psilocybin as well which really impacted the way I look at the world and gave me a much deeper appreciation for everything good in my life.

I also picked up photography and love being humbled by how great some people are at it, and it relaxes me knowing that it's something I can improve on yet never really care about being exceptional at.

Finally, I spend a lot of time observing "successful" people (since I realized a lot of my mental health is affected by ambition), and when you actually dig into the lives of the people so many of us look up to, there's a lot of things in their lives that are either undesirable, or not any more figured out than most of us have it. Some of them are downright awful people. So, that helps in a weird way.

It's a daily effort to stay mentally healthy, one that I doubt will go away, so it's something I try to work on. I know I have it easy though since I don't have major depression or other challenges.

Re: Ask HN: How do you manage your mental health?

#33

Post by motdiem » Tue, Jun 12, 2018, 6:29 PM UTC

In order of importance, everyday : - Sleep - Exercize - Breathe - Keep a non work routine (kids, family, etc)

Regularly - Keep a non work hobby (something manual, non digital for me) - Read fiction - Journal - Checkin with my therapist every 6 weeks

Re: Ask HN: How do you manage your mental health?

#34

Post by buss » Tue, Jun 12, 2018, 6:30 PM UTC

I see a therapist regularly, and starting that habit was the best thing I've ever done for myself. Also, weightlifting and running are both essential to me feeling my best.

Re: Ask HN: How do you manage your mental health?

#35

Post by agitator » Tue, Jun 12, 2018, 6:30 PM UTC

So I agree with everyone who says if you are having an issue, or a struggle, you should see a mental health professional. First and foremost, get the help you need to get your life stable.

But as a secondary aside, there has been an awful lot of talk about mental health on this forum as of late. I hear about it daily in articles. You see increasing rates of suicide. People I talk to are generally miserable. Some more than others, but the trend seems to be a general dissatisfaction with life.

Does anyone else think about this? It has been on my mind for sometime. I have a feeling that there is something about the way our society, culture, technology is changing that does not jive with our biology. Maybe the level of interconnectedness that is causing our competitive nature to make us feel like perpetual failures. Maybe its the technological isolation or lack of social interaction and contact with other people. Maybe its the economy, lack of faith in our future economic wellbeing. What do you guys think?

Personally I feel a constant tension, being constantly pinged by my devices "so and so just got a house"... "so and so is on vacation"... "see what so and so is doing, thats more interesting than what you are doing".... "so and so just got promoted to a more prestigious title than you"... and then you want to say screw that, I'm unplugging, but everyone else is plugged in, and stuck, so when are you ever going to interact with them otherwise?

Re: Ask HN: How do you manage your mental health?

#36

Post by zzenzzee » Tue, Jun 12, 2018, 6:32 PM UTC

SSRIs to numb the depression and benzos to manage the panic attacks. Coffee to manage insomnia, and alcohol for socializing. Unfortunately despite trying 6 therapists with many techniques including CBT, drugs are the only effective way for me.

Re: Ask HN: How do you manage your mental health?

#37

Post by djohnston » Tue, Jun 12, 2018, 6:32 PM UTC

exercise weed and drums

Re: Ask HN: How do you manage your mental health?

#38

Post by busterarm » Tue, Jun 12, 2018, 6:36 PM UTC

oprah2018 wrote: post #16

I don't :(

This is okay. Sometimes it's all you can manage. Honestly I've been going through a bout of something for about a year.

I'm fully functional 5 days a week at work but not when I am home and not on the weekends. At the moment, my apartment is a mess. I keep saying I'll get to it and at some point I will.

The thing that I had to learn to do was to not punish myself for failing to meet my own expectations. It isn't helpful.

Re: Ask HN: How do you manage your mental health?

#39

Post by inp » Tue, Jun 12, 2018, 6:37 PM UTC

rodrigods wrote: post #31

pauljaworski wrote: post #18

Primarily with preventative measures: - Exercise: weightlifting 4x per week - Meditation: 15 minutes daily in the AM - Diet: Paleo-ish, I initially did the "4 Hour Body" diet to lose some weight and noticed I felt better all-around not eating bread/heavy carbs. On the other hand, bread is delicious. Mostly, I just try to avoid tons of sugar/insulin spikes. Being disciplined about these things is pretty critical for m…

I follow almost an identical routine and works for me. I also find important to try to reduce the amount of time I am "thinking" about work.

Totally agree. I go the work with my bike, it's good for mental and physic health. When I go back to my home - and if I don't have extra-urgent work, then I shutdown my laptop, my mobile phone, and enjoy the evening with my wife or with some quiet reading as story (not too technical stuffs to have good nights). Yes, of course, take breath and sleep as much as possible.

Re: Ask HN: How do you manage your mental health?

#40

Post by throwaway987909 » Tue, Jun 12, 2018, 6:37 PM UTC

My biggest challenge to my mental heath was an undiagnosed personality disorder (BPD), sex addiction, and coming to terms with childhood trauma I was largely in denial about. All the exercise and diet and medication in the world will not help you if you have buried trauma (which many of us do). I couldn't even accomplish those external things on a regular basis because my internal emotional system was so blocked up.

Be brave and do the healing work. Whether that is through spirituality, religion or mental health professional. Our society is badly in need of healing and it starts with each individual. It's a long (seemingly never-ending) process but it's worth it and you get quality of life improvements all along the way.