Self Compassion and Mental Illness

It’s easy to feel alone when you have a mental illness. You compare your inside feelings with others’ outside appearance, and feel like you’re lacking an essential part that will make you function correctly. I, myself, suffer from Bipolar Disorder and PTSD. Without going into too-specific details, day-to-day life can be a challenge for me on certain days. What I’ve found that really helps me out when I’m in a bad space is some good old self-compassion.

Below are a list of things that I do that help me out when I’m in a bad spot. I’m not a therapist (please go see one if you feel you may need help!), but these are some tricks that help me to boost my moods when I’m struggling with loving myself.

Get a Routine

When I was first diagnosed, staying in bed was so tempting. While shutting out the world outside of you may be a lure that you feel that you can’t resist, it’s dangerous. I can speak from experience, the longer you stay in bed, the harder it will be to leave it. Make a clean break by setting an alarm to get up and following through with it. It seems like a silly thing, but preparing to “do the dang thing” is as important as doing it.

Be gentle with yourself but firm. “I’m going to get up at 8 am and complete everything in my hygiene routine.” By this I mean, get clean and dressed and ready to face the day. This may seem ridiculous, but if you suffer from a mental illness, you understand the lure of pajamas all day long. I tell you, it totally doesn’t help that there are onesies for adults now. Honestly! Stop making it easier for me!

Leave the Nest

You may not have any plans today, but you need to go outside. At least for 20 minutes. Take a walk, or just sit out on your porch, but get outside and get some fresh air. I promise you it helps. Not only does the sun improve your mood, (vitamin D), but so does exercise! Get those endorphins going and get your groove on. Listen to your favorite tunes and boogie down the road for a bit. Sit in the sun and soak up the rays. Whatever you do, though, go outside at least once a day.

I put on music and try to take a walk every day. It’s good for me, and good for my mood, too! For more detailed info about how exercise fights depression and other mental illnesses, check out this blog post from the Harvard Medical School. Science!

List Your Accomplishments

While it seems kind of funny to go through all the things you did manage to accomplish in a given day, I find it helps me out immensely. Forgive yourself for the things that you didn’t get done and focus on the positive! You got up, left the nest, and now you’ve maybe done some laundry or some vacuuming. Celebrate your achievements every day, even the little ones. You’re up, doing the dang thing and you deserve the appreciation for it.

This is a great way to practice self-compassion. By appreciating your accomplishments, no matter how little, you are building good habits. Pat yourself on the back for the things you get done every day, and forgive yourself for the things that fall by the wayside. By acknowledging the positive , it’s easier to deal with the negative things that crop up.

Listen to Your Doctor

Here’s the last one, and probably the most important one. Listening to a professional and follow their advice is key in getting some relief from your mental illness. Doctors go to school and deal with mental illnesses all day, that’s their job. They are infinitely more qualified to make suggestions and treatment options for your specific situation. Take some free advice from me, listening to the doctor isn’t always easy, but it’s necessary to get better.

Also, a lot of people are turned off by medication. I’m not saying that medication is the answer to your individual issues, but it may be. Take your medication as prescribed, it’s been given to you by an expert in the field. Trust that your doctor wants what is best for you and do what they say to do! The stigma of medication has gone on long enough. If a doctor says you need it, you do.

For more resources on self-compassion, check out our theme page.

These are some things that I do to practice self-compassion in my life. What are some things that you do? What are some things that you struggle with? Share your experiences, strengths, and hopes below. Until next time.

Photo Credits:

Exercising – George Tan

Happy Doctor – Lisa Brewster