When Patience Isn’t your Virtue: The Three Things You Can Do Right Now to Improve your Mental Health

I can’t tell you how many times people have told me that mental health recovery is a journey, and how hearing that makes me want to scream. I feel so anxious, and so down, and I really just want immediate recovery. Hearing that things take time can feel more than a bit discouraging.

The good news is, for those seeking instant gratification (like myself), there are three things that you can start doing right now that will improve your mental health.

1. Accept. When we feel anxious or depressed, our natural instinct is to go into ‘fight or flight’ mode, constantly fighting back with our mind by asking ‘why’ and judging ourselves for the way we feel. The more we fight, we are actually giving more power to the downward spiral of these negative feelings inside of us. So much power comes from accepting our own feelings. We may not understand them, but we do have the power to accept them. Simply saying “I am anxious” takes away so much power from the anxiety that is trying so hard to control you. Simply saying “I am depressed” automatically takes you from the defensive and allows you to feel more empathy toward yourself.  It’s time to take your power back. Accepting yourself is the first pivotal step to regaining your inner strength.

2. Breathe. When you’re anxious, breathing is often one of the first things that gets compromised. Your breath feels very short, and it’s scary, because you feel out of control. The truth is that your mind is just telling you that you are not in control when you actually are. Whether or not you feel like you can, simply try to extend your breath. While breathing in through your nose, expand your stomach (sometimes it helps to place a hand on your stomach to make sure it’s rising up). Next, as you continue to inhale, expand your chest (you can place the opposite hand on your chest to assist you). Breathe out slowly through your mouth, keeping your hands in place as your chest floats back down, followed by your stomach. Repeat this process a few times. The more you practice, the longer breaths you will be able to take.

3. Meditate. Telling an anxious or depressed person to be alone with our thoughts is like telling a person who’s afraid of heights to go jump off the high dive. People have been suggesting meditation to me for years, and I adamantly avoided their suggestions like the plague, as the last thing I wanted was to be alone with my thoughts. However, I was able to find a workaround. I began listening to free guided meditations online. Turns out, there are many free guided meditations that focus on anxiety, depression, stress reduction, and more. At first, it’s a bit of a guessing game as there are many to choose from and some will resonate with you more than others. If you keep trying, however, I guarantee you will find some that really help. I am now a happy subscriber to a few guided meditation channels on YouTube.  I find guided meditations much less intimidating when my mind is actively racing, as I am able to tune into someone else’s voice easier than I can tune out my own thoughts.

As much as I would love to tell you that you will instantly recover (that’s what I always wanted to hear), I won’t sell you on false hope. The hope I can give you, however, is that when you are feeling frustrated or down, using at least one of the three steps above will make an immediate positive difference. Consider them to be your foundation, and if you ever feel like you’re about to fall, remember that your foundation is there to catch you.