Unapologetically Abby

Life has been full of ups and downs… the usual. I’m working two new jobs, I’ve took a year off university and will hopefully be finishing my masters come September, my relationship status is… extremely complicated? I turned 24! And that’s about it really.

In terms of my mental health, it started to decline around November time, something about that festive period. By the start of February something clicked in me. It was like my brain just said “no, enough is enough” and I decided to change my life around. I say change my life around – that’s a little dramatic… I decided to change my debilitating habits into healthy habits.

Certain things I was doing simply were not serving me anymore. I’ve always found it hard, as someone with depression, to stop using unhealthy coping mechanisms to deal with it. To no surprise the unhealthy coping mechanisms are usually a lot easier to put into place, they don’t require much effort. For example, using excessive alcohol, suppressing feelings, avoiding the world and shutting myself away, etc.

You know the saying, “you can’t keep repeating the same behaviours and expecting different results” or something along the lines of that. So I changed my habits to healthy ones.

I started going to the gym and exercising more consistently, with a minimum of 4 sessions a week, as a way of putting my emotions and feelings into something positive and releasing them that way. I also started spending more time in nature, I’ll include some pictures in a later post!

I stopped drinking altogether. I’m very much an all or nothing kind of person, so for me it was easier to just not drink at all. And the biggest challenge for me was I started talking about my feelings. Well, sometimes. When I feel particularly overwhelmed, irritated, angry, etc., I write my feelings in my notes on my phone, or in a diary. Sometimes even the process of just getting the thoughts and feelings out and onto a page feels like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. When I feel upset I’ll try to talk to someone about it and use them as a shoulder to cry on.

I’ve also started reading more than usual. I’ve always loved to read but I struggle to find the motivation for it when I’m having a hard time mentally. My latest read was John Gray – men are from Mars, women are from Venus. A very good book if you want to understand the differences between men and women and relationships.

Right now, I’m ok. I’m trying to find happiness in each day and I’m trying to focus on the present moment than constantly looking into the future.

One of my new jobs falls under the job title “mental health recovery worker” ironic isn’t it – I need a me for me!

Have a great week and enjoy the featured photo of this post which really has nothing to do with the content of it!

Love,

Abby x