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Ask HN: How would you take care of your mental well-being?

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Re: Ask HN: How would you take care of your mental well-being?

#11

Post by NoReg »

cl42 wrote: post #8

Neither. Option 3: Opt for a long-term plan involving a counsellor trained in Adlerian psychology. It's not about delving into past life experiences but about working on emotion regulation, promotional thinking, etc. about the present and future. Sounds like you might be working on a product here. I can't find good Adlerian psychologists/counsellor and I am willing to pay for a good one.

Thank you for the idea from Option 3!!!

I agree; unfortunately, Adlerian psychology has not become a mainstream practice yet, and we don't have many professionals trained in it. I am working on some alternative solutions to what we currently have. Traditional counseling sessions are designed more for illness.

Re: Ask HN: How would you take care of your mental well-being?

#12

Post by Desafinado »

Working on my mental health involves the following:

- healthy, fresh food

- regular exercise

- no alcohol or drugs (none)

- staying on good terms with family and friends

I think counsellors can be helpful if you're in the early stages of a real mental health issue. But once you've learned something like ACT (The Happiness Trap by Russ Harris) they aren't really necessary anymore.

Re: Ask HN: How would you take care of your mental well-being?

#13

Post by NoReg »

Desafinado wrote: post #12

Working on my mental health involves the following: - healthy, fresh food - regular exercise - no alcohol or drugs (none) - staying on good terms with family and friends I think counsellors can be helpful if you're in the early stages of a real mental health issue. But once you've learned something like ACT (The Happiness Trap by Russ Harris) they aren't really necessary anymore.

I like the list you made for yourself!!! Everyone needs that list.

Thank you for sharing the ACT and I will check out that book.

Re: Ask HN: How would you take care of your mental well-being?

#14

Post by undopamine »

After ~4 years of doomscrolling, I finally uninstalled Twitter and Reddit from my phone (just minutes ago).

They were taking up 80% of my time, focus and energy while hardly adding 20% value on top of what I already know. Even if it weren't the case, delving into an activity would give infinitely more returns than reading yet another discussion on it.

I'm expecting to eliminate all infinite feeds from my daily routine by the end of this month. including HN.

Re: Ask HN: How would you take care of your mental well-being?

#15

Post by DoodahMan »

i'd like to get back into treatment but it seems futile at the moment. i've been trying to find treatment for many months to no avail. one receptionist laughed at me even - that was fun. i'm dealing with untreated bipolar2 and various anxiety disorders at the moment. it makes reaching out difficult, but i've been trying my best.

i prefer a long-term plan with the same care provider. i need some time to warm up to a provider. on-demand and remote doesn't mesh with me at all. i have the means; the problem is availability. since the pandemic things seem to be slammed...

in the mean time i've been trying to stay busy with my personal software projects. i'm planning to hike and exercise more, improve my diet, and cut back on my drinking. white-knuckling bp2 ain't no fun, i cycle quickly. hence the drink. but i know that is but a band-aid; a sometimes destructive band-aid at that. religion, stoicism, friends/family, etc alone ain't going "fix" me. unfortunately i need medication for life or my life falls apart.

i wish anyone else struggling nothing but peace. much love. ya ain't alone.

Re: Ask HN: How would you take care of your mental well-being?

#16

Post by nusl »

undopamine wrote: post #14

After ~4 years of doomscrolling, I finally uninstalled Twitter and Reddit from my phone (just minutes ago). They were taking up 80% of my time, focus and energy while hardly adding 20% value on top of what I already know. Even if it weren't the case, delving into an activity would give infinitely more returns than reading yet another discussion on it. I'm expecting to eliminate all infinite feeds from my daily routin…

Good luck. Resisting the impulse to open Reddit or Twitter every five seconds is hard. Then having a phone with stuff on but you can’t reflex-open those apps also takes a while.

Re: Ask HN: How would you take care of your mental well-being?

#17

Post by NoReg »

undopamine wrote: post #14

After ~4 years of doomscrolling, I finally uninstalled Twitter and Reddit from my phone (just minutes ago). They were taking up 80% of my time, focus and energy while hardly adding 20% value on top of what I already know. Even if it weren't the case, delving into an activity would give infinitely more returns than reading yet another discussion on it. I'm expecting to eliminate all infinite feeds from my daily routin…

Sounds like a good plan. Technology and social media make us stick to the screens. Self-discipline can help to improve the quality of our life :)

Re: Ask HN: How would you take care of your mental well-being?

#18

Post by giantg2 »

NoReg wrote: post #9
giantg2 wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Nah, I've done marriage counseling before. It can help change perspective/mindset, but doesn't change reality. There are always choices, but sometimes the best choice is to just trudge on since all the choices come with a price.

Absolutely. Counseling services are very expensive. Changing my perspective/mindset to regulate my emotions is exactly what I used it for. I have been in those emotional moments but the reality needs me to move on quickly. So, I have to reach out to the counselors for a quick solution for the emotion, not changing the realities.

Pretty sure I'm over-regulated.

Re: Ask HN: How would you take care of your mental well-being?

#19

Post by NoReg »

DoodahMan wrote: post #15

i'd like to get back into treatment but it seems futile at the moment. i've been trying to find treatment for many months to no avail. one receptionist laughed at me even - that was fun. i'm dealing with untreated bipolar2 and various anxiety disorders at the moment. it makes reaching out difficult, but i've been trying my best. i prefer a long-term plan with the same care provider. i need some time to warm up to a p…

Thank you for sharing your experience with us.

Everyone has a preference in terms of counseling methods and duration. The shortage of counseling professionals is a nationwide issue, so you are not alone in having a hard time finding a counselor. While you are still in the process of searching, you can try to use some self-help apps (some of them are good and free as well) or public helplines. During the pandemic, each state launched additional free public help services for mental health. So, it does not hurt to give it a try. Sometimes the specialist on the line can point you in the right direction.

Good luck with your software projects and stay positive :)

Re: Ask HN: How would you take care of your mental well-being?

#20

Post by NoReg »

giantg2 wrote: post #18
NoReg wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Absolutely. Counseling services are very expensive. Changing my perspective/mindset to regulate my emotions is exactly what I used it for. I have been in those emotional moments but the reality needs me to move on quickly. So, I have to reach out to the counselors for a quick solution for the emotion, not changing the realities.

Pretty sure I'm over-regulated.

Haha ~~~ See, that is option 1, maybe one session is enough in some life situations.
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