How to Take a Mental Vacation
I used to be that person who would ignore every
warning sign thrown my way that it was time to slow down
or step away and take some time to focus on my mental
health. However, after clawing my way out of a deep
depression, overcoming suicidal thoughts, and dealing with
high anxiety on a daily basis I have learned to seriously
listen to the signs that a mental break is needed. (You can
check those signs in this article.) Here are some things I have
found helpful to me over the past few years and hopefully they
can be helpful to you as well!
Ways to Take a Mental Vacation:
Talk to Someone
Whether it is a friend, family member, or a licensed
professional talking with someone about everything you
are feeling and going through can actually be extremely
helpful. It can feel like a weight has been lifted as you let
go of everything. You know you aren't alone and it may even
be beneficial for your friends and family by helping them
better understand and figure out what they can do to
be there for you in more effective ways.
Journal
If you don't feel comfortable talking with someone
another great way to keep things from getting bottled up
is to write them out. Find a journal, or even a laptop, and
write down everything that comes to your mind no matter
how small. Let it all go. I started doing this daily about a
week ago and it has already helped immensely. There's no
one to judge what I say or offer opinions, it is just my
raw, unedited thoughts and feelings.
Special things I do for my journal:
-mood tracker
-write in color to brighten it up
-do small "assignments" such as:
Determining triggers
How to stop overthinking
Find something to occupy your mind
99.9% of the time my anxiety stems from thought spirals
where one small thought grows and grows until I am
completely consumed by it and it is the only thing I can
focus on. Trying to distract my brain by maybe watching
a show/YouTube video or reading a book, helps keep
me from going down that path and is the best
way to avoid an anxiety attack.
No social media
Looking at people bragging on social media about how
great and perfect their lives are while you feel like
yours is falling apart, stalking someone who
is always a trigger for you, or comparing your
followers to someone else's are things that
are never going to help. Turn off that phone.
Determine your triggers and avoid them
This is a concept I actually heard about from a friend
of mine who is also doing therapy and let me tell you
it is an important one. Anything that repeatedly causes
you anxiety or stress is considered a trigger. For me I have determined
my biggest triggers to be some specific people I know and
of course lovely ole social media. I have already started
drastically reducing the amount of time I spend on social media
and even reducing the amount of time I spend either around
these certain people or looking at updates on their socials, especially
on days when my mental health is at a low point.
Workout or Do Yoga
Before my anxiety gets really bad and I can't even leave
my bed for the day, it usually starts building by making
me feel frazzled and angry. When this happens I try to get
in a run or a nice boxing session (I installed a punching bag
in my gym for this sole purpose) to get it all out
before it becomes a bigger thing. I also find
that sometimes doing yoga is just what I need to
decompress, destress, and clear my mind
of everything. Albeit, mainly I am too busy focusing on the fact
that my body doesn't bend the way that "Yoga with Adriene"
is telling me to bend it than focus on what triggers
may be causing me mental stress at the time, but I still
find it effective and oddly relaxing.
Take a day (or even just 30 min) for yourself
This day is all about you. No kids or husband, no friends
or family, no cleaning, cooking, or any other responsibilities.
That will all be there tomorrow. On this day your sole focus
is your mental health. So do something you love like have
a movie marathon, do some crafts, read a book or two, or
even go on a hike or fishing trip. Only do
whatever makes you truly happy.
Pray
I grew up in a family that wholly believes in the power
of prayer for any and everything you are dealing with so
anytime it all just feels like too much I remember what my
knees are for. My go-to prayer that has always been one of
great comfort for me is the Hail Mary and the Bible itself even
has a lot of great passages specifically for dealing
with anxiety and stress.
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Good ones to start with:
Phillipians 4:6
Psalm 55:22
Psalm 118:5-6
Isaiah 35:4
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If you or someone you know is going through some
rough times mentally, I hope this article can help you find
methods to cope and get yourself on a better mental track.