Everyone has mental health. You don’t have to be diagnosed with schizophrenia to take care of it. If you take medications, continue to do so. I do. But there are some other things I’ve picked up over the years that foster mental wellness. Strike a balance in your life with them and I promise you will see improvement even if you have no diagnosis.
Social: take time, hopefully every day, to really connect with at least one or two people. It could be more. And if you are an introvert like I am, make sure you take some “me time”. You can use social media or texting if that’s what you have access to. Make sure you aren’t doomscrolling though! Have a conversation. Try to really connect. It could be family. It could be friends. But make some time for other people in your life.
Physical: invest in your body. You could exercise for a few minutes every day. You could start eating healthier. Or it could be you decide to take your prescribed medications or go to the doctor when you need to. Take time for your physical health.
Psychological: take time each day for personal growth and development. You could start each day by telling yourself that it’s going to be a good day to set a positive, healthy mindset. Think about what makes you tick or why you are the way you are. Think about family dynamics or traumas you experienced to work through them. As Socrates said, the unexamined life is not worth living. Really examine yourself and work toward health.
Values/Spiritual: healthy people have a strong sense of values, morals and/or spirituality. You may work to improve your moral standing. You may decide to stick up for people in a sense of justice. You may work to be a person of integrity. You may take time each day to pray. You may go to church, mosque or synagogue online or in person. You may decide to start voting for policies and people who encourage a healthy society. Take time to explore your values and work toward the good.
These are my tips. I use them for myself, I used them when I was a mental health case manager, and they were recommended to me by my counselor. It’s important to strike a balance and invest at least a little bit of time each day to every one of these. If you are deficient in one or more of these areas, you may need to purposefully schedule time to do the work. I started out several years ago with a daily tracking sheet. If you make time for each of these, you’ll see your mental health improve!
