hApPY hUmP DaY, gals!
It’s the first Wednesday of the month so that means it’s time for another Wellness Wednesday, 06.2018. Time for another update on my progress on the wellness goals I set back in January. You can read that first Wellness Wednesday post, here. Cardio tips and goals update in February, fav exercise gadgets for March. In April, we wrote about our favorite natural wellness tips and May was another goals update accompanied by skin and beauty tips.
Today, after we do a quick goals review, we are sharing mental health care tips. This is an aspect of wellness that greatly interests me. Probably because it hits close to home. More about that later. First, let’s see how I am coming on my goals.
Wellness Goals Update
Rating my progress again this month on a scale of 1-5, where a 5 means I have fulfilled my goal completely, here’s how things pan out mid-year, on this Wellness Wednesday, 06.2018.
Exercise 4.5
Oh, yeah, baby! We have become some exercise nuts over here lately. Really upping our game. Working out at least an hour at the gym approximately 4X a week. Lifting weights, cardio, stretching, squats and crunches. I have begun walking Monday-Saturday for at least 20 minutes. And the pool is open, girls. Swam my first mile on Sunday.
Diet 4.0
Let me be upfront by saying I am not tracking my Weight Watchers points. But have decided to move from a diet mindset to a healthy eating mindset. Limiting sweets, alcohol and increasing fruits and veggies. PC says I am cooking more than ever. Talked him out of going out to eat last night! Had a grilled chicken and blueberry salad. And convinced him to let me cook breakfast this morning. Prepared scrambled eggs, turkey sausage, fresh fruit and whole wheat toast.
Staying Well 3.0
Wearing sun screen better than I’ve ever done. Every single day. Even wrote a post about it, here. Have an appointment to get an appointment for a skin check. Still seeking that elusive peace I was so hopeful for in January.
Mental Wellness 2.5
Backsliding a little in this department. Have felt depressed, sad, worried. So this post is right on time! Hope I can take my own tips to heart.
Spiritual Wellness 3.5
Another area of regression. Have been floundering a little with my devotional time. Still struggling through a book of 365 devotional messages that doesn’t particularly speak to me. Kind of leaves me feeling banged up and bruised. Not worthy. Probably need to dump it, huh? Would gladly accept recommendations for something new to try.
Relationship Wellness 3.5
Yeah, backward here, too. Not unplugging by 9:00. In fact, I have 13 minutes to finish writing this post in order to unplug by 9:00 pm tonight. Have an idea for the ole love life. Stay tuned. 😉
Seems I am kind of cha-cha-chaing with these goals. One step forward in one category, 2 steps back in another. Encouraged by my exercise and diet goals and looking forward to bringing everything up to a 4 by this time next month.
Mental Health Care Tips
Mental health issues and medications have such stigma surrounding them that I feel like I have to whisper this part of my post to you. Not sure how many of you know that I have struggled with OCD, obsessive compulsive disorder for most of my adult life. Sadly, I wasn’t diagnosed until I was in my late 30s, though. So I spent too many years before meds, worrying, trying to be perfect, cleaning, and cleaning some more. Have been on 2 different drugs for OCD but the one I have taken longest and found most effective is Fluvoxamine or Luvox. I take a 100 mg controlled release capsule in the morning and am a much better version of me with it on board.
However, I sometimes wonder if I need a higher dose or something more, something in addition to the Luvox. I can swing like a pendulum at times. Happy and content, then lost and sad and angry. Like this whole retirement gig which has become my entire life’s description. I am retired and some days, I am quite content to be. While other days, I feel like a shadow of myself, with little purpose in life. Really hard on my emotions and my family, especially PC.
In preparation for this post, I did a little research on tips for boosting mental health. It appears I am doing a lot of things ‘right’. See what you think.
From Mental Health America‘s article “31 Tips to Boost Your Mental Health”:
- Track gratitude and achievement with a journal. Yup.
- Start your day with a cup of coffee. I don’t do this everyday but will start.
- Set up a getaway. Having something to look forward to can boost your happiness. But I have been out of town so much for less than pleasant circumstances lately. I long to be home for awhile and settled back into my routine.
- Work your strengths. I don’t know what they are any more. I was a good librarian. Now I am not.
- Keep it cool for a good night’s sleep. The article suggests a bedroom temp of between 60-67*F. Ours is too warm. And there are nights, at least one a week, where I count my concerns rather than my blessings.
- “You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.“ -Martin Luther King Jr. Think of something in your life you want to improve and do it. Which is kind of what this whole Wellness Wednesday series is about. And I have made positive change, haven’t I?
- Experiment with activities. Doing that and bragging about it to you each month when I step outside my comfort zone.
- Sometimes, we don’t need to add new activities to get more pleasure. There’s something to be said for just doing more of what we already love to do. Scrapbooking with my sister.
- Show some love to someone in your life. Several articles I read suggest the need for face-to-face contact with others. I don’t have a lot of that day-to-day. But I do interact electronically with family on a daily basis and with PC in person. At times, I interact too much. I lose track of myself by trying to be a good wife, mother, sister, daughter, pet owner and friend.
- Boost brainpower by treating yourself to a couple pieces of dark chocolate every few days. Every few days? How ’bout a couple times a day? And does milk chocolate count? I like it so much more.
- Do your best to enjoy 15 minutes of sunshine. Doing that these days with my morning walks. And sure enjoying them.
- Go off the grid. Here’s the biggie. This is probably the one I need to practice most of all. I spend so much time, here, on the laptop, answering emails, replying to or sending FB messages, looking up ‘stuff’ online, or texting on my phone, answering phone calls, making phone calls. Fifteen years ago, I would never ever have dragged the house phone around with me so I could be available to everyone at any given minute. If I missed a call, I figured I could call them back. Or if whoever was calling really needed me, they’d call me back or leave a message. Now days, I feel such pressure to answer texts immediately (or like a bad person if I don’t), to be available to everyone always. It’s eating me alive.
So, for my mental health, I am going to set some boundaries with my phone and my laptop. Going to get back to strictly unplugging by 9:00 pm (now 23 minutes late on that tonight). I am going to answer texts only at certain times of the day, emails and FB the same. And I am turning notifications off of my phone. My blood pressure goes up every time that danged thing ‘dings’. Hopefully, I will begin to feel an improvement to my mental health.
Your Turn
How do you keep mentally healthy? Do you have a tried and true tip I can try? Is there anything among the tips I shared, that resonates with you? Please share in a comment below. Or if you are a blogger, link-up your wellness related post with us below.
And check out the rest of this year’s Wellness Wednesday topics in the graphic below. Would love to have more gals join us for this series.
Becky
I am a retired academic language therapist. I taught children with dyslexia for 33 years. My sister owns a toy store and needed me to work part time. My condition was that she add children’s books and that I pick them out! Now we have a wonderful children’s book section and I am back with my beloved books and kids. So much joy in helping others choose appropriate and fun books! If you are ever in ft worth, check out the books in toy works. This helped my mental state.
Leslie Roberts Clingan
I am going to be in Ft. Worth next week!! Ha! If I can figure out a free moment, will be there for my daughter’s wedding festivities, I will try to stop by Toy Works. It is so rewarding helping children (and adults) find books to enjoy. I miss being around books and babies so much. My job gave me a sense of accomplishment and success. Now I struggle to find a purpose to my days. I have plenty of things I can do, and like to do but there is no positive feedback when I scrapbook a page from a recent trip, or spend time cross stitching. I miss that positive reinforcement I got from working. You are fortunate to have what would be the perfect job to me.
Thank you for sharing. Hope you will come by again. And If I can find a few moments, I will stop by the store.
Joanne Long
Mental health issues are difficult to deal to diagnose and to deal with. After many relationships, a shaky work history and hospitalizations for manic episodes, my husband was diagnosed bipolar. I deal with anxiety and depression in my own life. Our life together is affected by our moods. Friendships, walking, church and frankly, spending time alone help me tremendously. This year, I have enjoyed being back at school because I really enjoy “book work” and little children. I spend too much time with my laptop but…Like you, dings, phone calls or unexpected noises send me off. Quiet, healthy routines are best for me.
Leslie Roberts Clingan
Bless your heart, I am glad that you have returned to school. I really miss it and wish I could find a comfy part-time job that would give me some structure and routine to my days but still allow time for my hobbies, writing, reading and family. Not in that order. My daughter has been diagnosed with bipolar and says the apple doesn’t fall from the tree. Although, I have only been diagnosed with OCD and depression. And I am so anxious that I am bound to have an anxiety disorder, too. Anyway, it all makes life interesting!! I really have to figure out a M-F routine and stick to it.
Carrie @ Curly Crafty Mom
Such a great post. I love that you’re exercising a lot and cooking at home more! I try to cook 5 nights a week and then we go out the other 2 nights. I’m trying to be good 6 days a week and then I have 1 cheat day where I’ll indulge a little more (or a lot! Ha!!). I had OCD as a teen, even was on meds for it… but, I have been ok since then for the most part. I’ll always be a little OCD, tho! 😉 I’ve been trying to unplug and stop blogging earlier in the evening, too. I would rather watch a movie with Brian or just be off the computer for a change! Especially with it being summer.
Carrie
curlycraftymom.com
Leslie Roberts Clingan
So proud of you to be unplugging and spending hubs time!! I need to get back with it. Will remember your good example tonight and set my laptop down early.
I am not sure what would happen now if I stopped taking my meds. I have forgotten them, at times, and that isn’t pretty. Maybe weening myself off would be good for a little break. But I might be crazier than ever. That wouldn’t be pretty either!
Natalie
You’re doing great, Leslie, so keep up your momentum and remember to be kind to yourself. The physical exercises and healthy eating will improve your mental health even if you don’t feel it immediately. Have a fabulous week!
Leslie Roberts Clingan
Thanks, Natalie! I appreciate your encouragement. My inclination is to hide under the covers when things are kind of crazy in my life, but I never do that. Will keeping plugging along at exercise and trying to take care of myself.
Dara
I’m happy to see that starting your day with coffee is included as something good for mental wellness!
Leslie Roberts Clingan
I rarely drink coffee here at home; maybe one weekend day but after I read that it is good for mental wellness, I have been enjoying it more often. And by George, I think it does make me feel better!
pat
LOL on many of your comments the list of things to do for mental health. Love the comment on dark chocolate. But your comment about your strengths made me want to scream — what? One of your strengths is inspiring others! (I’m sure you have others but this is the one I’m gonna call out.) Through your writing (and I’m sure IRL as well), you have the skill/talent to inspire others – to be their best selves, to explore new things, to face life head-on, to go outside their comfort zone. You are a role model and a thought leader on living life holistically. That is a strength. There are some great on-line tools to help you clarify your strengths that you might want to explore as part of self-discovery…because you are so much more than a great librarian.
Leslie Roberts Clingan
Good gravy, woman, I am so sorry it has taken me so long to respond to comments. Our house continues to fall apart in little ways and every day is spent calling repair people and monitoring them and puzzling over where the money will come from for the latest repairs!! Ha!
What a dear comment. Thank you so much. I could hug you. Your words came to me this afternoon as I puzzle again about my purpose, and what I should be doing with myself now that I am no longer a librarian. Thank you so much for thinking of me as inspiring to others. And for telling me so! Tucking your sweet comments away in my heart. So glad to have met you on this blogging journey of ours.
Sue from Sizzling Towards 60 & Beyond
Love this Leslie as you have so much info packed into one post. I’m sorry you haven’t been feeling bright and chirpy and I’m always here if you need a chat (even though I’m in the other side of the world). Asking for help is so important rather than struggling on your own. Sending a huge hug from Australia xx
Leslie Roberts Clingan
Thank you for the hug you sent me in a personal message and this hug here. I have good days and bad. Have thought about calling my old familiar family counselor for a tune-up. Not sure she is even practicing, though. We are out of town as of Thursday again and I will be gone for a week. It has been hard to be gone from home so much. Especially because I crave having a routine like I did when I was working. So, once I get home, I don’t want to budge for awhile!!!
Thank you for always being in my corner. XO
Debs
Dark chocolate and coffee? Well that’s good news! My favourite at the moment is dark chocolate with salted caramel chunks in it and, ahem, I don’t stick to one square a day 😉 I am a huge worrier and know my anxieties do sometimes get in the way of doing things. I am mindful of it and try to power through it as I know that afterwards it feels so good to have pushed through your comfort zone but … easier said than done sometimes eh?
I’m still very much a newbie at the retirement business but I can understand what you are saying. I don’t want to end up ‘just’ being at home, I need to cultivate new interests and maintain old ones – so I will be watching you closely for inspiration!
Leslie Roberts Clingan
Seems you like you are adjusting well to retirement. I think retiring at the end of the school year makes the adjustment easier at first, because most educators have summer off. And, for that matter, I retired in December, when we all have Christmas break. But then ‘they’ all went back to work and I didn’t. Hope these summer months will help you continue to ease into retirement without any problem.
Yay for dark chocolate and coffee, huh?