Lived Experience Forum

[Judi9877]

Good evening @LostAngel @outlander @Appleblossom @Shaz51 @Snowie @Former-Member @Paperdaisy @Former-Member @Daisydreamer and all forumites here. I'm so glad each of you are taking care of yourselves with lots of different self care activities like journaling and keeping in contact with the various mental health professionals with whom you deal with. Well done everyone👍🏻⭐️!

Over the past 4 or so weeks, my self care activities have been;

- completing my daily Calm app mood check in each night as a way of checking in with myself about my overall mood and journaling in the app how things have gone each day and why I chose that specific mood

- Posting my daily achievements on the Daily Achievements! thread as a reminder to what I've achieved each day, no matter how big or small the task was. This helps me with my depression as I'm forced to find something that was an achievement and recognise it as something positive and good in my day, no matter what the thing was, such as having a shower for instance which may seem small but to me, that can be a real achievement if all I've wanted to do is stay in bed all day in my pjs.

- Been in contact a week ago with my brilliant psychologist who has been helping me deal with my many mental health issues, including helping me during my recent hospital admission in September due to psychosis and schizophrenia.

- Working on my Mental Health Recovery Blanket that I started when I was in hospital and which I'm slowly working on completing slowly as a reminder of what I went through in hospital and what brought me into hospital and helped in my recovery from my episode l. 
- Knitting beanies for charity as a coping mechanism for stress and when things get difficult for me to deal with mentally. I find the beanie pattern to be calming and I like how I have to focus on the rib pattern especially as that's one very important section in the pattern that I can't afford to mess up.

Take care and keep on enjoying your self care activities!

Judi9877

[LostAngel]

Might do some Journaling and Listen to Relaxing music or watch a tv series take care everyone

[Former-Member]

I just love that this conversation is being had @outlander! 

So relevant for so many different times & I think that connecting with others around their own ideas & ways of self care can sprout new thoughts for myself, so thanks for bringing this up 

I enjoyed reading those that have been shared already.

For me, I’ve currently returned to a mindfulness practice which I used to do daily but haven’t done in years.

I really enjoy mornings & will do a short meditation & then jump straight into a small spontaneous mandala (circular patterned) artwork.

I use half an A4 sized paper & trace a circle outline on it - so it’s all contained to something that is quick & easy.
I prefer to use oil pastels/which are like crayons & the process is all rather intuitive so I try not to let my mind “think” it through - but rather just acting with impulses.
Like choosing a random colour to start with or drawing the first mark on the page.

So I have started this back up & only a couple of days in, but it has reminded me just how much it supports me in my day as I find it really calming & a nice way to start in the mornings.

[LostAngel]

today needs to be a rest day,I drank some alcohol last night in order to help me sleep ,yesterday was also a rather stressfull day and I was trying very hard to acheive alot,today is time for self care and rest to be at the top of my to do list,Ill spend the day doing things I enjoy like listening to mindfullness music,switching off from social media,Journaling,post on here as needed maybe some computer games,hot coffee ,watch a favourite series or movie,stay in bed,eat throughout the day,drink water just rest and be and relax key word relax,breathe,I did have a hot shower this morning which helped to make me feel refreshed now time to just to self soothe and be comftarble in my doona ,the world can wait for a while,am safe,stay safe everyone have a good day with whatever you choose to do for self care.

[amber22]

Hey everyone!

I have just come across this lovely thread that @outlander made a while ago and thought that we should bring it back.

I would love to hear anyone else's self-care activities or things that work best for them? 

Amber22

@LostAngel @Former-Member @Judi9877 @Appleblossom @Shaz51 @Snowie @Bow @ArraDreaming 

[LostAngel]

@amber22 thanks for the timely reminder @outlander thanks for the Original Post Todays Self Care Consisted of venting although not always in the best way,followed by Hot Shower,eating Regularly Throughout the day,Switching off Phone and social media to just contemplate current thoughts, Posting here on the Forums, after today Venting on Facebook, Doing Mindfullness

[amber22]

Oh wow I love those ideas @LostAngel 

Thank you so much for sharing, you have given me such good ideas for tonight, I am in need of some self-care recently. I am so glad that you find posting here on the forums to be a part of your self-care, that makes me really happy. 

My favourite thing would be going for a long walk with my dog, and having a hot bubble bath at the end of the day 🙂 

[Shaz51]

Great ideas @LostAngel 

@amber22 , @outlander , @Former-Member , @Judi9877 

I miss my my bathtub soak , 

[amber22]

How good is a nice bath time soak! I have been treating myself with some bubble bath recently, but I have been finding that having a nice long hot shower does the trick for me too @Shaz51 

[Shaz51]

Very  true @amber22 

And having a coffee under the tree or on the patio xx