Self-Care For Anxiety And Depression
Living with anxiety and/or depression can be overwhelming at times. On days when it all seems too much, it’s important to have coping skills and self-care tools you can access to help your brain calm down and focus.
Self-care is different for everyone. Some people might give themselves an at-home “spa day,” while others might go for a walk in the woods. Self-care can be as simple as washing your face and brushing your hair. Whatever you choose, self-care is an important part of living with mental health issues.
I thought I would share some of my self-care rituals, along with a few contents of my mental health safety box. Perhaps my coping methods can help others put together their own mental health kit.
It’s pouring rain and storming where we live right now, so a walk in the woods-one of my favorite activities-is impossible. But I know from experience that exercise helps me feel better. So when I can’t go outside, I watch an episode of “Chopped” and work out with a resistance band and hand weights. It’s an easy way to increase the good chemicals in my brain while wondering how the “Chopped” chefs are going to make a dessert with duck confit and gummy worms.
Music is a very important part of my life, and I have specific artists and videos I go to when I need a boost. If my brain is flooded with anxiety, I listen to Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons.” If depression is making it impossible for me to remember feeling happiness, I have many songs and music videos that help. These include “Stupid Love” by Lady Gaga, “Love Song Love” by AJ McLean, “Permission To Dance” by BTS, the entire soundtrack to “Hairspray,” and nearly every song Pink has recorded. And I will sometimes dance around my house.
Movies help, although my choices may not be for everyone. Sometimes I will binge on romantic comedies, sometimes it’s a musical, and sometimes, I watch “Silence of the Lambs” for the fiftieth time. It all depends on what my brain and body tell me I need.
I am not a very fancy person when it comes to skincare, clothes, makeup, etc. A “spa day” isn’t in my safety box. I do love perfume, however, and have been known to spritz Mitsouko or Origins Ginger on my skin, simply because scent helps me feel better.
So this is a partial list of my coping skills, the things in my safety box I use to help manage my chronic depression and anxiety. I feel it’s critical for anyone living with a mental health issue to have coping skills readily available at all times. Work with your therapist to come up with things you know help you feel better, and make sure you can easily access them.
Always remember: You have permission to be happy, to love and be loved, to feel joy, and yes, to dance.
