What techniques have you tried to improve your mental health?

1. I have a lot of different techniques, but one of the most effective at the moment is a 1 day rule. When I notice I'm on a downward spiral, I let myself have one day where I don't try and fight it. So I end up staying in bed all day, ignoring friends, feeling sorry for myself etc. And then at the end of that day I ask myself how it felt. The answer is always "fucking horrible". That lets me make a conscious decision to say I don't want everyday to feel this terrible. I remember what that's like and I don't want to go back there. I set a goal for the following day. It's usually something really small like getting dressed or brushing my teeth or whatever. Once I do that small thing, I praise myself and remind myself that I'm already having a better day, and things seem a little easier. Also writing down all your small goals. Like making the bed, opening the window, drink a glass of water etc. Then every time you finish one, you tick it off and really consciously praise yourself for getting it done, like "well, I'm really glad I just opened the window, I can feel the breeze and it feels nice. I wonder what else on this list I can do". Praising yourself is really key. It doesn't have to be a patronising celebration or anything, but just take a second to acknowledge that you're managing to do something that seemed impossible. After 3 or so of these tiny tasks, you kind of feel on a roll and even if you're too tired for anything else you know you've managed more than if you'd just stayed in bed. If you stick to this, you notice that you can get more and more little things done. Then you notice that they get more and more advanced. Like maybe a few weeks ago you were glad when you opened a window, and today you've managed to eat a healthy meal you made for yourself.
   — wordlessmango95


2. There are already a few good answers on this thread so I'll post one that I haven't seen yet : keeping a journal. Step 1, buy a notebook. No need to get something fancy, just pick one you would be comfortable writing with (like none of this metallic spiral crap in the middle if you are a lefty like me). Step 2, start writing about you. Yeah, everything you can think of. You might not feel comfortable writing down your every thought and feeling at first, so just start writing about your day or whatever. Try to write everyday at the beginning. Eventually, you'll get tired of writing only about what you ate for lunch and you'll start to ask yourself real questions : how did I feel today ? What did I do to get better ? Why did I feel that way ? Don't try to tell a story : the goal is to get what you can out of your chest, not to be read. From time to time, you can try to write on one of the following : * describe yourself as you think someone meeting you for the first time would do. * Try to imagine what you would say to someone in your situation. * Whatever, if you have any ideas I'm listening, I'm no expert. It's going to sound cliché, but it really helped me put things into perspective. Contrary to a therapist, you can't really avoid the difficult questions because you will not feel satisfied with half-assed answer. Of course, I'm not trying to say that it is better than a trained therapist, but it was a first step for me and really helped me try to actually answer the question I was asked in therapy instead of avoiding the points I knew were problematic.
   — Skolopandr


3. Got the fuck off Facebook. Cut out my toxic family (though they still live in my head rent free too often.) I spend a lot of time practicing awareness, being in the moment. I've started doing yoga and going for long walks just so I have specific time to practice disconnecting from my internal narrative and instead focusing on my breathing and surroundings. I make effort to recognize my accomplishments and stop talking shit about or judging myself. I cut out sugar, started eating better, and working out. So I feel better, sleep better, and am far happier with my appearance and how strong I feel. I work hard on my posture and presenting with confidence, even if I'm totally faking it. The phrase "Fake it 'til you make it" really works. I've established healthier boundaries with people and recognize that I have every right to stand up for myself, speak up, or just tell people "no." I recognize that it's not my job to make people happy. And I try to adopt the saying, "Not my monkey, not my circus." Not everything is *my* problem to stress and fret about. And I recognize that nobody thinks about me or judges me nearly as much as I do.
   — ambedextrous






4. Learn to acknowledge that feelings are just that...feelings. There doesn’t have to always be a reason why you are feeling a certain way, just accept that’s the way you are feeling at the moment and keep about your day. I used to focus way too much on WHY i was feeling anxious.
   — haligirl420


5. I use to commute 2 hours a day round trip for work. Between the accidents, stress driving on 24/495 (Massachusetts highways), and just being forced to focus for so long doing that, it was super refreshing to just get a place right next to work. I really did not understand how much I use to hate myself doing that because I "liked the area". Used to read a chapter of a book letting my car warm up before heading home to remove work stress so it didn't stack with driving stress. You can always find a new area to like. You can't get back the wasted time and relieve all that pointless stress on good wishes alone.
   — VanquishedVoid


6. Mindfulness, yoga, and getting a good night's sleep.
   — _Hopped_






7. I went to a therapist. Then I went to a psychiatrist. They've helped me set up a plan and a path to manage it.
   — tgpineapple


8. This may sound crazy but the first thing I do the moment I wake up in the morning is take three deep breaths and psych myself up. I talk to myself. Before I start my day, I need to make sure that I have the proper mindset. Usually, I say "You got this. It's another day, another battle. Be strong and just go through this. Time will pass by fast enough and soon enough, the day is over."
   — AmorPowers


9. I started caring about my outward appearance. As a guy I never got many complements on my looks. One day I wander into a suit store and end up buying a blazer. I got so many complements and it really boosted my self-esteem. Eventually I started slowly figuring out my own style. Looking good helps me feel good. I don't let it become a source of stress and become obsessed by it but I put in just a little work and it provides a huge lift in my spirits.
   — rsgamg






10. Avoiding fixation and obsession over thoughts, and just letting them sweep in freely. After that, my intrusive thoughts abandoned me.
    — ArchiboldReesMogg


11. Meditation clearly helped me more than anything.
    — Arianis-


12. Have alternated between anxiety, depression, addiction, for last 14 years. Tried and failed one after the other: Exercise Drugs Seeing doctors Seeing psychologists Meditation Changing jobs Changing cities New friends Only being around positive and healthy people Getting into nature Learning new things Going to new places Meeting new people Tried and succeeded: After talking to a friend of mine who is a veterinarian, they told me when an animal is depressed/anxious they treat three things at once. 1. They are medicated 2. Their habits are changed by owners 3. They are taught new skills and stimulated in new ways. After hearing this I realised I had only ever been trying to change one thing at a time. (A reasonable approach when everything is fucking hard.) But what if these things were all most effective when done in combination? What if this was a recipe for getting better and I'd only been eating each ingredient separately? I made a plan of how if could pick the three most effective (what I was told was most effective from my research) changes to make, and planned when I would throw myself in the deep end and try those things all at once. I chose: exercise, medication and being around positive healthy people. I went to the doc and got on a new SSRI (had tried one a few years ago and it just made me groggy), I invited some of my mates to go for runs with me in the mornings (I have been very unfit so this was a challenge but some of them were in to struggle with me for their own gains, some just like the company while exercising), and organised some bush walks with friends out of the city (ticking off added criteria). I have kept doing that and it fucking works. This is the best I have felt in a long time. And now with my added energy and health I find myself doing more of the ingredients on the original list. 👌👌👌
    — rip_start






13. Exercise, and I know it's the most irritating answer but if you can force yourself to do some stretching even when you're feeling down it can boost your mood up quite a lot. Add to that some fast music and it makes wonders.
    — Jorsli


14. Making the bed every morning. Easiest way to make a room look tidier, immediate feeling of productivity right out the gate, and the routine of it can be cathartic.
    — byacolate


15. Go to the gym
    — Chilen1