This Is What I Do To Keep My Sanity

Last week, Mark asked a question on Facebook, “What mental health tips do you have? What are you doing these days to keep your sanity?”

There were quite a few responses. 

Here are some things that I have been doing.

It’s important for me to guard my thoughts.

I am a pretty even person (I think), but I have found myself in the past few weeks really anxious or even tearful, and not knowing why.  When this has happened, I stop what I’m doing. I take a break, put it on a shelf for the moment and then think about what was bothering me later. 

I challenge myself to stay present. 

I am a planner and like to have things planned out way ahead.  But right now that just isn’t possible in some circumstances. 

For the past several summers, our grandson James, comes to visit us from Mississippi (for several weeks).   Right now, I’m not sure if that is even going to be possible.  If I start thinking about this and obsessing about it, it just fills me with sadness.  So, the best thing I can do is not think about this summer. I will see him again. He will visit us again.  I just don’t know when.

Take care of myself.

This is a big one.  For about a week, I wasn’t going to bed at a decent time, wasn’t eating normal and certainly not getting any exercise.

I realized that there are four things I need to do every day for me:

• Get enough sleep.
• Drink less caffeine and more water.
• Continue eating healthy food – vegetables and fruits.
• Exercise – One thing that I started doing was walking on the treadmill every day.

Do things that bring me comfort.

When things are uncertain, as they are these days, it helps to have things you can fall back on, that bring you joy or comfort.

I take comfort in God, my favorite verse: “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation.  Having believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promise of the Holy Spirit.” Ephesians 1:13

I take comfort in talking with my family.  My Mom lives in Michigan and I call her several times a week – mostly to make sure she doesn’t feel she has to go shopping.  I talk to my grown kids to see how they are and what is happening this week.

I keep in contact with my grandkids too.  I like the pictures they send me.

(Andi sent me a picture she drew of her cat, Chaplin and Chaplin’s baby kittens – Chaplin does not have any kittens.)

And, this is a weird one, I take comfort in cleaning my kitchen floor.  As I thought about it, it is something I can control and I am left with a feeling of satisfaction. 

These are just a few things that I found help me.

What are you doing that helps you?