Surprised no one is saying... I don't.
I think those who don't probably don't reply? Or even click on this link just to say they don't.
Ask HN: How do you work on your mental health?
31–40 of 138 posts
Re: Ask HN: How do you work on your mental health?
#32Sex and massages.
Re: Ask HN: How do you work on your mental health?
#33I've been using SSRIs for a number of years, though I've tried to wean off of them a number of times I (and my family) find that the anxiety ramps up too much to bear when I stop, so I keep a minimal dose.
Exercise helps; I swim 3x a week, run about the same, and will bike commute when the weather is nice. Swimming is the one that helps me the most though, not only do I get the benefit of exercise I find the concentration to maintain good form and stroke discipline is quite meditative. Signed myself up for a triathlon to give me a reason to keep the habits up.
I was only ever a social drinker but when an ultrasound during an unfortunate episode of food poisoning showed evidence of non-alcoholic fatty liver syndrome my doctor asked me to give up alcohol for health reasons. That has also helped keep an even keel too.
Re: Ask HN: How do you work on your mental health?
#34My teenage daughter and I talk a lot about mental hygiene. We compare it to dental hygiene: you do stuff everyday to reduce the need to see a dentist and improve your experience when you do.
The big things on the mental hygiene list are:
- Morning pages - https://juliacameronlive.com/basic-tools/morning-pages/ - walking - intense exercise - keeping a daily/weekly/monthly planner - cooking good food that you like - eating meals with other people - an evening shut down routine
Re: Ask HN: How do you work on your mental health?
#35Friends, fruitful relationship, kids, if you are lucky enough to have those
Re: Ask HN: How do you work on your mental health?
#36I keep a detailed daily diary in excel that has a rating system for how I feel in am and pm and any new supplements or medications I take, exercise etc. Your mind changes with whatever you do and a written record you can interrogate later is the only way to improve how you feel and see what works and what did not. I’ve tried almost all supplements and they all have a negative effect when taken for more than a few day…
I use an app called Daylio for journaling and keeping a log of my mood and activities. It has weekly, monthly and yearly reports built-in. And it helps keeping up with my goals.
Re: Ask HN: How do you work on your mental health?
#37[deleted]
Re: Ask HN: How do you work on your mental health?
#38I'm currently struggling with parenting an 18 month old child as an introvert. As a 50 year old first-time parent who had the benefit of lots of quiet alone time for literally decades, and possibly got a bit too used to it. :/ My sanity is eroding and I hit a wall every day. I also found that I don't have time anymore to keep up with technological developments like I used to, which is unfortunately eroding my value a…
It gets better!
My youngest is now 3 and I'm slowly getting more time for myself (and to be with my wife). She goes potty on her own, she can play on her own for 15 minutes and not demand anything, and we don't worry about her climbing the shelfs or playing with knives.
It's still hard, of course, but so much better than 1 year ago.
I don't have any advice that you haven't heard a million times already, but:
1. Carve out time for yourself. Work with your partner so each of you gets 1 hour of uninterrupted time to yourselves per day.
2. Sleep when you can. If you try to be productive while tired, you will fail. Better to spend the time sleeping.
3. Be present with your partner. You're going through this together so you should go through it together. Share stories and feelings. And make sure to give an appropriate amount of hugs, kisses, and encouragement (especially if you're not feeling it).
4. Hang in there and enjoy the ride as much as you can.
5. And again, remember that it gets better!
[p.s.: Obviously this is 10x harder if you're a single-parent. I don't have that experience, so I can't offer anything except admiration and encouragement.]
Re: Ask HN: How do you work on your mental health?
#39My mental health problems are chronic, can get worse rapidly, and so far, nothing but escapism seems to fill me up in life, especially when I compare my life with that of others at my own age.
I have given up on hope many times over, today I saw a self-text from 5 years ago of me questioning if I would ever make it, and so far, I have not. I have seen a psychologist for many years, a psychiatrist, and have asked people for help.
I have nobody to blame for all of this but myself and the consequence of my own actions and decisions. I have no hope for my own future, but I wish everyone the best, and for people to know that I am the example on what not to do in life, so that future generations do not become who I currently am.
Re: Ask HN: How do you work on your mental health?
#40I've struggled with depression and anxiety issues for most of my life. Two things have made a huge difference for me:
Actually identifying with my body and taking care of me (it). That's the diet, sleep, exercise combo driven by a positive body image I identify with. The by far worst years of my life (so far) were when I clung to some kind of cyberpunky mind-body dualism and treated my body as a bag of meat whose only purpose is to supply oxygen to the brain in front of a computer.
Self-acceptance. For some people this is a given, seemingly achieved without any conscious thought at all, and I'm quite envious of those people. For others this takes decades or they repress until the bitter end (suicide in one way or another).
Therapy might be helpful and seems to be the default advice for questions like these. I've been sent to a handful of psychologist appointments due to anger issues in elementary school (don't recall any of that). I tried to get mental health help around a decade ago, only got some pills that made me feel even worse (adverse effects: suicide) and couldn't get a follow-up appointment. Real therapy is hard to access because the health system intentionally keeps capacity low (it's expensive). Basically only for people unable to work any more due to mental health issues, not for people that have quality-of-life issues. The US seems to be on the other end of the spectrum from my country in this regard.