How do you take care of your mental health?

[S.B.G]

Daily exercise and meditation are my active ways of taking care of my mental health. My passive method for better mental health is spending much time with my cat, and listening to my favorite music.

Last year I made a goal to meditate everyday and I firmly achieved that goal and I am still doing so each day. This year I chose to do yoga everyday for exercise, with some weight lifting here and there. My body needs to be stretched out and yoga is the best way I know how to do that. Plus it builds strength, balance, and teaches me how to breath in a controlled manner.

Yoga goes hand in hand with meditation. So each day when I get home from work I change clothes, go downstairs to my home gym, do an hour session of yoga, and then afterwards I move into 15-20 minutes of meditation.

Then I like to cap off the evening with some nice music and relaxation.

 

[roguester]

I used to eat >3x daily. So first 30 days I reduced my food intake to 3x daily eating at 8am, 12nn an 4pm for 16/8 IF.

Day 31-onward I ate 12nn-12:30pm daily. I tried pushing it to 30 hour fasting with 3-4 hours daily active calories but I started seeing spots. Weekly active calorie burn is 12,000+.

Vinegar helps... for my bean salad the dressing is made from scratch of olive oil, vinegar, spices and herbs.

Mind you I am macro/micro complete WFPB without simple carbs at ~1,200kcal daily. Food's about 0.5-1.0kg daily depending on how hungry I am.

Meal prep is weekly. I rotate recipes every occasionally when I get fed up with a dish.

When I don't cheat meal, sleep early and longer and do weekly 25.5 hours weekly active calories I can reduce BF by 1kg every 3 days or 10kg monthly.

I have a Apple Watch Series 10, Withings Smart Body Scale and Omron Smart Blood Pressure Monitor to measure my biomarkers.

I also started to do bi-annual blood chemistry labs to monitor my improvements. It all improved from above range to range or even desirable/ideal/below range.

I upload all my health and nutrition data onto A.I. and have it spit out suggestions on areas I need to improve further with the wanted outcome of longevity, reducing odds of getting NCDs & metabolic syndrome and avoiding any major surgery or therapies.

Starting in 2008 I've had hypertension and diuretic pills and 2018 added cholesterol. Last October my personal cardio removed a hypertenson pill. I look forward to having the remaining 2 pills being removed when I hit BMI 20.0 @ <10% body fat.

I used to be BMI 43.1 @ ~50% body fat.

This week's market list

- 1kg garlic
- 1kg red onion
- 250g dried Chickpeas/garbanzo
- 250g dried Red kidney beans
- 250g dried Navy/white kidney beans
- 1kg tomatoes
- red cane vinegar
- olive oil

- chicken eggs
- fresh sardines
- coconut oil

- 250g cauliflower
- 250g broccoli
- 250g carrots

- 500g squash
- 250g okras
- 250g green beans
- 250g bitter melon
- 250g eggplant

- 125g orange sweet potato

- 2kg papaya
- 1kg frozen strawberries

- brown rice

Thank you, I'm currently eating at 12-1pm, then dinner around 6pm. The lunch is usually some fruit and a chicken salad (just chicken with salad not chicken mayo-ey slop).

 

[green_diyos]

Thank you, I'm currently eating at 12-1pm, then dinner around 6pm. The lunch is usually some fruit and a chicken salad (just chicken with salad not chicken mayo-ey slop).

Baby steps to where you want/need to go.

Quarter century ago my dad's cousin passed away because of CVD.

He stopped his hypertension pills even when he did not eat clean, active calories or sleep better.

Why? Because of ED.

I experienced ED when I was BMI 43.1 @ ~50% BF... scariest thing ever.

Hence the drastic lifestyle change. I even stopped seeing certain people in person because they eat ultra processed crap that will harm me.

 

[roguester]

Baby steps to where you want/need to go.

Quarter century ago my dad's cousin passed away because of CVD.

He stopped his hypertension pills even when he did not eat clean, active calories or sleep better.

Why? Because of ED.

I experienced ED when I was BMI 43.1 @ ~50% BF... scariest thing ever.

Hence the drastic lifestyle change. I even stopped seeing certain people in person because they eat ultra processed crap that will harm me.

Thank you for the tips

 

[green_diyos]

Thank you for the tips

You're the average of the top 5 people you spent your time with... if they're fat sick and nearly dead....

Tip: Use ChatGPT to ask about macro/micro complete WFPB nutrition without simple carbs and how you can adapt your taste buds to it. Eating foods that I look forward to eating helped a great deal.

 

[iHorseHead]

I used to eat >3x daily. So first 30 days I reduced my food intake to 3x daily eating at 8am, 12nn an 4pm for 16/8 IF.

Day 31-onward I ate 12nn-12:30pm daily. I tried pushing it to 30 hour fasting with 3-4 hours daily active calories but I started seeing spots. Weekly active calorie burn is 12,000+.

Vinegar helps... for my bean salad the dressing is made from scratch of olive oil, vinegar, spices and herbs.

Mind you I am macro/micro complete WFPB without simple carbs at ~1,200kcal daily. Food's about 0.5-1.0kg daily depending on how hungry I am.

Meal prep is weekly. I rotate recipes every occasionally when I get fed up with a dish.

When I don't cheat meal, sleep early and longer and do weekly 25.5 hours weekly active calories I can reduce BF by 1kg every 3 days or 10kg monthly.

I have a Apple Watch Series 10, Withings Smart Body Scale and Omron Smart Blood Pressure Monitor to measure my biomarkers.

I also started to do bi-annual blood chemistry labs to monitor my improvements. It all improved from above range to range or even desirable/ideal/below range.

I upload all my health and nutrition data onto A.I. and have it spit out suggestions on areas I need to improve further with the wanted outcome of longevity, reducing odds of getting NCDs & metabolic syndrome and avoiding any major surgery or therapies.

Starting in 2008 I've had hypertension and diuretic pills and 2018 added cholesterol. Last October my personal cardio removed a hypertenson pill. I look forward to having the remaining 2 pills being removed when I hit BMI 20.0 @ <10% body fat.

I used to be BMI 43.1 @ ~50% body fat.

This week's market list

- 1kg garlic
- 1kg red onion
- 250g dried Chickpeas/garbanzo
- 250g dried Red kidney beans
- 250g dried Navy/white kidney beans
- 1kg tomatoes
- red cane vinegar
- olive oil

- chicken eggs
- fresh sardines
- coconut oil

- 250g cauliflower
- 250g broccoli
- 250g carrots

- 500g squash
- 250g okras
- 250g green beans
- 250g bitter melon
- 250g eggplant

- 125g orange sweet potato

- 2kg papaya
- 1kg frozen strawberries

- brown rice

I barely eat 3 times a day. I should start with that. Unfortunately my life has once again collapsed.

 

[goldmac2006]

Joined a reading group, where we meet monthly in person. Online does not count

Same here. My school organizes a book club every semester. The library selects a novel that explores life-changing experiences and provides motivation. They host three lunchtime events where we have book talks and the author visits to speak about the book, engage in discussions, and answer questions. We also get free books that can be autographed by the author. Additionally, we receive free Starbucks gift cards for attending the event. I was a winner for one of these prizes in last semester’s Once a Warrior book.

This semester’s book is “Harvesting Dreams” by Erica Alfaro. I received the book in advance and had read it halfway through during the Christmas break. I intend to read it more thoroughly since there’s an upcoming event centered around the book talk in a few weeks.

Going to follow this for some tips.

I'm always feeling down, depressed during the winter months. Being lonely etc.

Sure, I know of an Apple Watch series 10 user who bought his first Apple Watch the Apple Watch Series 8 SS 41mm for his mental health purposes on launch day.

Tom @The Cockney Rebel , an avid collector of all Apple Watch bands mostly centred around sport bands, sport loops and all solo loops released by . Definitely refer your friends to check out these tips from folks here, too!

 

[green_diyos]

I barely eat 3 times a day. I should start with that. Unfortunately my life has once again collapsed.

I replaced dopamine from food with dopamine from Crossfit, Yoga or Pickelball daily.

 

[roguester]

I barely eat 3 times a day. I should start with that. Unfortunately my life has once again collapsed.

My life was destroyed by alcohol and it took a while to get things back together again. I am confident you will be able to regroup and become a better version of yourself.

 

[goldmac2006]

Spring is here, and guess what? It’s the perfect time to get outdoors and explore nature! Head to a big nursery in town or somewhere in your neighbourhood and admire all the beautiful flowers, trees, and other plants. You can even bring some home to brighten up your space. I use this opportunity to share my favorite photos on the photo of the day threads. Here’s the link to this month’s thread: https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...5.2450471/page-13?post=33803947#post-33803947

Feel free to bring your iPhone and take some macro shots and Portrait Lighting photos of the plants and trees. I recently told @The Cockney Rebel who’s going through a tough time, to get back on doing things outdoors, like walking around the park or any other nature spot. Even a stroll through a nursery or a beautiful garden like Bellagio Conservatory or Huntington Library can be a great way to enjoy the outdoors and capture some stunning photos. Share your beautiful shots of blooming flowers and buds growing on trees and shrubs on the thread I linked above. You can also post your photos of botanical gardens on the threads specific to each iPhone model. Pick the thread for photography specific to which iPhone you have and post them there. I’m always around the photo of the day and the iPhone 15 Pro users only photography thread. Happy exploring and happy snapping!

Some shots I have taken:

 

[Reverend Benny]

Hello and happy new year to everyone!
As the new year is around the corner and I really want to change my life and myself the next year but am suffering from a crippling depression and suicidal thoughts and therapy hasn't really helped and apps like Tinder and Bumble etc make things just worse I wanted to ask how do you guys take care of your mental health? Travelling doesn't really help either.

Any tips for everyone of us? Even the smallest tips help. I recently saw a reel where it told you to look in the mirror when you wake up and tell yourself "I love you". I'm going to try that.

Just stumbled over this post. It's one of the more important topics that we should really talk about a lot more.

First off I'd just like to say that there's always a good thing to seek medical help. Not saying that meds and therapy will solve everything but it can stop the downward spiral and give you a boost to get life back on track.

This is my goto list I try and look at if I feel things are going in the wrong direction:

* Exercise, If I can't make it to the gym I can take a 5 minute walk, fresh air and just a bit of movement can break the negative thought pattern you currently feel.
* Listen to music.
* If I do feel its a temporary dip, convice myself that it is just a temporary dip and that how I view things at the moment might not be true.
* Healthy eating, not a quick fix but something that I try to think of when I go shopping.
* No social media apps on the phone, I do use linkedin, but when I need to look into it I need to log into it via a webbrowser. That makes me look less at it.
* Already brought up but keep news consumption to max 10-15 minutes a day, and focus on both good and bad news. There's a lot of good things that goes on too.
* Accept that there is good and bad days, if its a ***** day, accept it but don't waste it. We need bad days to appreciate the good ones.
* Avoid alcohol if you are feeling low.

And again, don't be afraid to see a doctor if you feel you have suicidal thoughts.

 

[Huntn]

Spring is here, and guess what? It’s the perfect time to get outdoors and explore nature! Head to a big nursery in town or somewhere in your neighbourhood and admire all the beautiful flowers, trees, and other plants. You can even bring some home to brighten up your space. I use this opportunity to share my favorite photos on the photo of the day threads. Here’s the link to this month’s thread: https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...5.2450471/page-13?post=33803947#post-33803947

Feel free to bring your iPhone and take some macro shots and Portrait Lighting photos of the plants and trees. I recently told @The Cockney Rebel who’s going through a tough time, to get back on doing things outdoors, like walking around the park or any other nature spot. Even a stroll through a nursery or a beautiful garden like Bellagio Conservatory or Huntington Library can be a great way to enjoy the outdoors and capture some stunning photos. Share your beautiful shots of blooming flowers and buds growing on trees and shrubs on the thread I linked above. You can also post your photos of botanical gardens on the threads specific to each iPhone model. Pick the thread for photography specific to which iPhone you have and post them there. I’m always around the photo of the day and the iPhone 15 Pro users only photography thread. Happy exploring and happy snapping!

Some shots I have taken:View attachment 2492595

View attachment 2492594

I love nature, natural setting, I dream of it, and enjoy gardening on my little plot of land in suburbia. Spring is always fun. Yet I miss having a rural hideaway. I could have/can afford one, but compromises, and choices in my family life, have steered me away from this. My neighborhood has green paths in wooded strips, and walking there, I can almost pretend I’m out in an empty forest trekking along. Maybe in the next life. 🙂

 

[PhoenixDown]

First, I would recommend you start with comprehensive blood work.

Here are some labs you should request. Keep in mind that "normal" is not the same as "optimal" -- especially if you are a guy with testosterone on the lower end of the normal range.

• Total Testosterone (TT)
• Free Testosterone, DIRECT (FT)
• Standard Estradiol (E2)
• Complete Blood Count (CBC)
• Comprehensive Metabolic Panel (CMP)
• Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) and PSA Free
• Lipids (LDL, HDL, Triglycerides)
• Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG)
• Prolactin (PRL)
• Dihydroepiandrosterone Suflate (DHEA-S)
• Duhydrotestosterone (DHT)
• Pregnenolone
• Progesterone
• Insulin Growth Factor (IGF-1)
• Iron Panel (Iron Serum, TIBC, Ferritin)
• Vitamin D (Vitamin D 23-OH)
• Hemoglobin A1C (HbA1C)
• Vitamin B12
• Full Thyroid Panel (TSH, Free T3, Free T4, Reverse T3)
• Thyroid Antibodies (Anti-TPO and TgAB) Saliva Cortisol (not blood)

Next up -- proper nutrition and eating clean along with regular along with a consistent sleep schedule

There are also various books and resources for the emotional journey out there as well which can help

 

[goldmac2006]

I love nature, natural setting, I dream of it, and enjoy gardening on my little plot of land in suburbia. Spring is always fun. Yet I miss having a rural hideaway. I could have/can afford one, but compromises, and choices in my family life, have steered me away from this. My neighborhood has green paths in wooded strips, and walking there, I can almost pretend I’m out in an empty forest trekking along. Maybe in the next life. 🙂

Do you go hiking or walking with your Apple Watch Ultra?

Take photo walks with your iPhone?

 

[Huntn]

Do you go hiking or walking with your Apple Watch Ultra?

Take photo walks with your iPhone?

On occasion I take pictures in my yard but not lately on my woods walks. On one of those walks I was suprised stumbing across some passion flower vines, very extravagant bloomes. I have a green wooded area directly behind the house it’s about 40’ wide separating the house from a neaborhood road, and I enjoy doing my semi-annual battle of the vines. If left to their own devices these are big knarly vines with thorns will cover the canopy of trees.

 

[Richard8655]

Classical music and lap swimming. Really helps my restlessness and mental health. Would be great to do both at the same time.

 

[goldmac2006]

On occasion I take pictures in my yard but not lately on my woods walks. On one of those walks I was suprised stumbing across some passion flower vines, very extravagant bloomes. I have a green wooded area directly behind the house it’s about 40’ wide separating the house from a neaborhood road, and I enjoy doing my semi-annual battle of the vines. If left to their own devices these are big knarly vines with thorns will cover the canopy of trees.

You go to a nursery and buy all these plants for your garden? It’s also great if you have a big backyard to plant lots of vines and trees too.

 

[Huntn]

@goldmac2006, Our yard is small, most of the back yard is a pool. We do buy some plants. In this heat, during the summer, the roses, lantana, honey suckle, wild flowers and hibiscus are champs. In the house our kitchen window is full of plants. I’ve been experimenting with propagating African Violets from a leaf/stem cutting. I have one growing with new leaves popping out from the base. 😁

Backyard

Wildflowers by driveway

Poolside

Front

Gazebo

Pool​

 

[liam899]

For me, having a routine and staying off social media when I’m feeling low really makes a difference. I also started using CBD oil recently – it’s not a miracle fix, but it does help calm my mind when anxiety or dark thoughts creep in. But instead of just taking my word for it, you can check out these access cbd reviews – it’s where a lot of people share their own opinions and experiences.

 

[goldmac2006]

@goldmac2006, Our yard is small, most of the back yard is a pool. We do buy some plants. In this heat, during the summer, the roses, lantana, honey suckle, wild flowers and hibiscus are champs. In the house our kitchen window is full of plants. I’ve been experimenting with propagating African Violets from a leaf/stem cutting. I have one growing with new leaves popping out from the base. 😁

View attachment 2497168
Backyard


View attachment 2497169
Wildflowers by driveway

View attachment 2497170
Poolside

View attachment 2497171
Front

View attachment 2497173
Gazebo

View attachment 2497172
Pool​

Ooo that’s a big pool! Way bigger than the ones in my cousins house.

Been growing some dill in my backyard

 

[Digital Dude]

I got into the supplement and vitamin craze about a year ago—not really looking for any big changes, just trying to live a little healthier now that it’s nearly too late. To my surprise, I’ve actually noticed an improvement. I’ve also made a point to minimize interactions with crazy people, and that seems to be helping too. 🧠

 

[Clix Pix]

Getting back to the OP's concerns......

Questions to the OP: are you currently in treatment now? I really hope so, given what your initial post mentioned.

If not.....Well, from what I have seen here, there have been some potentially helpful suggestions made here but (IMHO) also not so helpful ones. Meeting with one's personal physician (if one has one) and getting a few suggestions of referrals to people who actually have professional and clinical experience in working with people struggling with depression (psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers) and choosing to schedule an (introductory) appointment with one or more of them would be a start. Each of them will have suggestions for dealing with one's life on a daily basis.

OP: Since my post is coming along rather a while after the initial one which began this thread, I hope that you are already doing better!

 

[Huntn]

If anyone is depressed regarding weight, check out my comments regarding fasting. This is like a miracle how well this is working for me, and it’s easy, at least for me it’s been easy. ☺️

Post in thread 'Health, Good Practises, and Exercise'
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/health-good-practises-and-exercise.1871030/post-33819584

 

[goldmac2006]

Getting back to the OP's concerns......

Questions to the OP: are you currently in treatment now? I really hope so, given what your initial post mentioned.

If not.....Well, from what I have seen here, there have been some potentially helpful suggestions made here but (IMHO) also not so helpful ones. Meeting with one's personal physician (if one has one) and getting a few suggestions of referrals to people who actually have professional and clinical experience in working with people struggling with depression (psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers) and choosing to schedule an (introductory) appointment with one or more of them would be a start. Each of them will have suggestions for dealing with one's life on a daily basis.

OP: Since my post is coming along rather a while after the initial one which began this thread, I hope that you are already doing better!

Hey Clix! You nailed it! I just finished my last session with my school mental health counselor two days ago. It’s been amazing having the space to talk about my personal challenges and struggles with my therapist instead of venting them out. I’ve also learned how to manage conflict without escalating and making it worse, stress management through mindfulness-based therapy, and how to navigate anxiety and anger issues as an individual on the spectrum.

Since my counselor is an intern working at my school’s health office, they only have limited time there. If they see that you need a little more therapy, they’ll refer you to resources for talking therapies and mental health services from your local area and providers based on your disabilities or disorders. They’ll also help you find affordable care and special programs or centers dedicated for youth or certain groups, and also if you want it in tele health or virtual format.

 

[Clix Pix]

Hey Clix! You nailed it! I just finished my last session with my school mental health counselor two days ago. It’s been amazing having the space to talk about my personal challenges and struggles with my therapist instead of venting them out. I’ve also learned how to manage conflict without escalating and making it worse, stress management through mindfulness-based therapy, and how to navigate anxiety and anger issues as an individual on the spectrum.

Since my counselor is an intern working at my school’s health office, they only have limited time there. If they see that you need a little more therapy, they’ll refer you to resources for talking therapies and mental health services from your local area and providers based on your disabilities or disorders. They’ll also help you find affordable care and special programs or centers dedicated for youth or certain groups, and also if you want it in tele health or virtual format.

When you transfer to the full four-year college or university to which you have previously on MR indicated you were accepted and will be going this coming fall (don't know if it is local to you or located far from home) you might want to check out that school's resources in terms of health services, including mental health. Many students do struggle with various issues and, yes, it is important to get help and support, preferably early-on if possible.