MY mental health hacks

July 19, 2021 by Gail Schimmel 6 Comments

So I’ll be honest – between Third Waves and the country falling apart around our feet I feel CRAP. I don’t feel resilient and I don’t think it’s marvelous that everything has gone to shit because now we can all hold hands and rebuild. I just think it is all awful and I want to cry most of the time. And no, I don’t have the energy to go and clean up the mess, but I am thrilled and inspired that other people do.

When I saw an article this morning telling me it would give me SEVEN hacks for my mental health in these trying times, I was THRILLED. I need hacks! I need mental health! So I opened the link, ready for my life to change, and instead found the biggest load of drivel I have ever read. Highlights include not exercising too hard (trust me, NOT a danger I face) and . . . actually, I can’t even remember anymore. I’m sure the word “meditation” appeared several times.

And I thought, “I could write a better article with better hacks even though I am a broken husk of a person”. And so that is exactly what I am doing!

1. Make a TO DO list. This is the bomb. Put crap on it like brush teeth and make supper (ha! like there was a choice as we endlessly feed the gaping hole that is a child’s stomach during online school). But really, ticking off a TO DO list is very good for your head. I made one this morning and look at me! Writing a blog! After years!
2. Get dressed. In clothes. If you are a person who wears make-up, put on your face. And the nice perfume. And try to mix it up a bit – wear a nice scarf. I mean, don’t get carried away and wear actual shoes if you are working from home. Obviously slippers are the only acceptable footwear. Obviously.
3. Go for a walk. (You should put shoes on for this part, to be clear). Honest to goodness, walking my dogs at the dam is keeping me sane. Fresh air, low-key exercise, and happy waggy tails. And space to think, away from online school and online work and best of all, online news.
4. Do small treats, according to your budget. A bunch of flowers, a cup of coffee OUT, a chocolate, downloading Not The Cheapest book on your kindle. I bought a bunch of irises and they made me happy for like a full 30 minutes.
5. Do something creative. For the first 100 days of 2021 I drew everyday and posted it on Instagram. It was really great until it stopped being great and started being a chore – but then I stopped. I write every day, and if I miss it, I can feel the difference in my mood.
6. Linked to number 6 – do something that ends in a physical product: a picture, a cake, a cleaned out drawer.
7. UNFOLLOW things. Unsubscribe from stupid emails. Block anti-vaxxers.

And speaking of anti-vaxxers, get vaccinated – I swear, I was happy almost ALL DAY on Friday after my first jab. It was the first time since this whole mess started that I felt like I was taking back control and doing something. Yes, for a moment, I felt RESILIENT! I mean, obviously I am NOT actually resilient and I am not going to try to BE resilient, but getting vaccinated was still very lovely.

So there. From my gloomy heart, to yours, are the things that work for me. Now if things go according to plan, as my blog is read, I will get little dopamine highs from the attention, and that’s also a pretty good mental health hack . . .

Good luck out there. . . it’s crap.