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Ask HN: How do you work on your mental health?

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Re: Ask HN: How do you work on your mental health?

#81
- Journaling.

- Processing emotions via creative writing. I tend to write songs, others might prefer poems or stories.

- Learning a lot about psychology. No matter how weird your issues are, most likely you'll find some helpful resources online.

- Self acceptance and self-authoring. We tend to tell ourselves pretty dumb and limiting stories about ourselves.

- Guilt free play time. Not trying to always be productive.

- Setting and enforcing boundaries in private and professional life.

- Listening to music and podcasts that resonate with me.

And of course basics like proper sleep, food, exercise, relationships. I don't watch TV, I don't use social media. That probably helps, too.

Re: Ask HN: How do you work on your mental health?

#82

I have a motto, “It’s really hard to be depressed if you eat, sleep, and exercise well.” Whenever I’m struggling, I drop everything (within reason) and focus all my effort in those 3 areas. When I do that, it doesn’t take long to have the energy and clarity to deal with whatever other problems I may have in my life.

Sadly it's really difficult to do all three well :(

How so? lack of motivation? lack of time?

Re: Ask HN: How do you work on your mental health?

#83
I try to behave like the person I want to be, even though I know it's all a fraud. I try to see myself as I appear to others and try to exceed their expectations of me. I can't bury my ego, but I can hide it sometimes. Even from the people closest to me. Maybe that's not mentally healthy at all. But it helps me feel a little better.

Re: Ask HN: How do you work on your mental health?

#84
post #78

First, the physical: sleep well, eat well, practice sports Second, the surroundings: analyse your immediate surroundings, and what/who is causing stress. Toxic friends, too much alcohol, etc. Third: find a higher peace-bringing meaning. Wether it is a goal, or friendship/love, or even religion. Also: work on redundancy of your mental health. Have your 3 pillars of strength in a healthy state: work, belonging (love/fr…

Great advice overall !

Re: Ask HN: How do you work on your mental health?

#88
I suffered ill mental health for a long time. First thing I had to do was own it. Whatever the cause, I own me and I am responsible for me.

Second thing was meditation. This allowed me some control over my own mind after a good long while.

Third thing was exercise. This allowed me a way to clear my mind, reset my emotional state and improve my health.

Fourth thing was diet. For me this meant keto. I dropped about 40 pounds in three months, and another ten pounds over the following year. My allergies went away. Chronic pains went away. My emotional state became more steady.

Final thing, find love, either romantic or in a fraternal sense. Love is life changing. Humans are a pack animal no matter how much we may believe ourselves not to be individually, and the experience of profound and deep love will forever change you. Once you have a real understanding of what it is to love and be loved, your sense of self worth, and indeed your entire identity, may shift.

Re: Ask HN: How do you work on your mental health?

#90
post #21

Excercise, eat properly and sleep. You won't find a better answer, no matter how you differentiate your question.

No need to be reductive. There's lots of other ways people improve their mental health, like cutting toxic people out of their life, or going to therapy.

Or leaving a job that makes them miserable. I have friends with great eating and fitness habits but their jobs makes them unhappy.
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