How to Enjoy Recovering from Mental Illness.
None of us ask for mental health issues, I think it’s fair
to say that we don’t exactly go seeking it out. The diagnosis or various labels
stuck onto us may also be quite unwelcome and often, we’d do just about anything to shake
them off.
What we can all choose to strive for once we’re aware of the
issue, is recovering fully and living life free of the illness.
Of course, it doesn’t just go away, let’s remember that it
didn’t just arise overnight, so it takes a pretty hard grind to get rid of. With
the mind being the core solution to helping ourselves out and ironically where our negativity has also taken prime place, we have a significant task ahead to
change old thinking patterns and replace them with new positive perspectives.
So it’s a journey, a unique, challenging and transformative journey.
And it can be a pain in the ass. It can be tough, overwhelming and
irritatingly slow. The roots of the problem are deep and they’ve taken a hold,
so we need to both uproot them and plant new seeds whether we like gardening or not.
Getting started with recovery is a scary and exciting time,
but that initial enthusiasm can start to wane when we realise how much we
actually have to do. We get told of all the many wonderful benefits of seeing
it through, but the journey itself can start to feel like a bit of a drag.
I want to tell you that it doesn’t have to be. You can, and
I have found ways to enjoy the process. It’s not just rewarding at the very
end, it can be an enjoyable process throughout.
Here’s some suggestions I’ve found helpful in my recovery:
1. See it as
a journey. How we view it is very helpful. If it’s a pressure, an inconvenience
or just a means of becoming ‘normal’, it’s not exactly set up in our heads as
something fun is it? But it is a journey, it’s an exploration, a beginning of
discovery, the path to change. You know how people like taking road trips or
going travelling? It’s not all about the final destination, it’s about what you’re
seeing along the way. This is the same so stick your head out of the window and
feel the rush of air, life is happening here and now.
2. Let go of
shame. This is not an embarrassing process, there’s no shame in it at all. Deciding
to recover from a mental illness and sticking to that decision is admirable,
courageous and worth being proud of. Take pride in what you’re doing for
yourself. Embrace the new learnings and let go of any guilt. Shame keeps us
stuck, courage sets us free.
3. Take
actions. One of my favourite parts of my recovery has been challenging my
fears and stepping outside of my comfort zone. Taking actions that challenge
our negative thinking are crucial and so much fun. I’ve been to gigs, movies,
shows, on my own and otherwise, I’ve started new classes, I’ve gone to new
places, I’ve tried new things and I’ve discovered a newfound love for so many of
life’s little pleasures. And I used to refuse to leave the house! Putting yourself out there means breaking out of the
bubble of fear and negativity that we can get stuck in. Pop that bubble and
step on out into the world, that’s where the real fun begins.
4. Embrace Personal
Development. This is essentially a journey of personal development and
growth. I really and truly enjoyed this aspect of it too because there is so
much to each and every one of us that we don’t even realise. We’re way more
than a label or illness. Our identities are incredible intricate stories about
ourselves that we get to delve into line by line. And do you know what you get
to do when you find out what you like and who you are? You get to nurture that
person and fill your life with all the good stuff that you, the person, actually
want. The diagnosis can’t compete with that, this stuff is real and substantial
and oh so satisfying.
5. See Yourself
Grow. There isn’t just one magical moment at the end of this process where
everything is suddenly okay, and that’s a brilliant fact. Because that means that
there are loads of magical moments. When you start to notice the change in
yourself, regardless how small, it’s a really uplifting experience. You can
look back and see how much easier life is now or see how you’ve changed some
part of your own life. Looking back for me now is fun too because I can see the
distorted and irrational things I thought and did and take such pleasure in the
fact that that’s all in the past now. That’s enjoyment, that is satisfaction
and that is part of the journey.
6. Becoming
Aware. Going through this process kind of forces us to wake up a little. We
get out of own little worlds and into the real world. It’s hard to put a word
on how much joy I have taken from becoming aware of the world around me. My
world used to be confined to my mind, or the four walls of my room. I didn’t
want to go anywhere, do anything or look around. Bit by bit throughout the
journey, I’ve fallen in love with sunsets, flowers, nature, and the beauty that
is everywhere that I ignored before. I’ve become aware of the great people,
experiences and sights in the world that are open to everyone. When you’re
training your mind to look for the good, it’s pretty pleasing to the eyes and
your environment quickly becomes full of it.
7. Building
Self Esteem. A great part of the journey for me was learning to take
compliments and give myself credit. In typical Irish fashion, compliments were
brushed off, my achievements were never enough and I’d quickly try to change
the subject if anyone tried be nice to me. But along the way, I had to learn
first to notice and then to take compliments. I had a little notebook to write them
down and all. It might sound weird but making a point of accepting the nice
things people say to us, is really enjoyable. That’s probably why people say
them in the first place because they’re not deluded or wrong or anything, they’re
just sound. Giving myself credit now and taking it where it’s due just makes
everyday tasks more enjoyable. It’s rewarding and it’s enough. I can notice
that what I’m doing counts and give myself a pat on the back.
There are so many parts of the journey that make me smile.
There’s so much that I’ve done, learned and challenged that made it enjoyable.
It’s not a tick the box process, it’s one we need to live, breathe and own.
The fact that you want to do this means you’re determined,
don’t let apprehension deter you, there can be fun along the way. It's not all the
time (cos that’d just be to easy for someone so determined ;) ) but it
definitely doesn’t have to be a struggle the whole way.
This list isn’t extensive, it’s just some of the top ones I
thought of, but everyone’s journey is different so seek to find your own source
of fun and enjoyment. There’s plenty there, we just need to look for it.
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