[Favorite Jeans]

So I've been thinking about what's been helpful in improving my mental health besides (or in tandem with) therapy. I mean there's exercise and good diet and all that wholesome stuff that you read about in every insipid lifestyle magazine: 10 surprising benefits to drinking water! An apple a day can reverse aging! Woo hoo! (Not to disparage of course, do tell if these have helped you...) But what else has been helpful to you?

Here's a few of mine in no particular order:
1) meds-- no question, helps a lot. I'm much less likely to stop eating and sleeping.
2)having kids. They also make me crazy, but I've never had better incentive to get it together or at least act as though I have it together. Also when I feel kind of floaty out in the big gray stratosphere, they bring me right back with urgent, concete demands.
3) my partner starting therapy. Our relationship is so much better now that she has someone besides me to work through her issues with her (no doubt she'd say the same about me)
4) severely limiting my caffeine intake. Consuming caffeine gives me a sense of impending doom. Even in amounts that most people would consider trivial.
5) putting the academic/research aspect of my life on hold. The deadlines, the pressure, the late nights--it was killing me even though I loved the work
6) limiting my interactions with my family of origin. I still interact with them daily, but in a more limited way. My main focus is on me, my partner, our kids, my work.

[stopdog]

Reading, pets, bicycling, and qi gong breathing come to mind.
Sacral Cranial energy work. Writing short stories about people who piss me off too.

[unaluna]

1, 5, 6, 1, 5, 6, 1, 5, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6!!!!!!

Learning to go home when the clock says its time to go home from work, not staying late
Reading a lot, taking naps.
Learning to set boundaries
My relationship with Jesus
Swimming laps in the pool
Taking up new hobbies
Learning to take care of myself

[rainbow8]

Yoga
Drawing and painting
Photography
The lake!!!!!
Pretty scenery
Singing and listening to music I like
Watching my kids and grandchilden grow up
PC!
Making new friends

[growlycat]

pet
work
calling friends
good night's sleep
exercise
eating right
a good read
breaking my routine
meditation mp3s

[growlycat]

Originally Posted by hankster

1, 5, 6, 1, 5, 6, 1, 5, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6!!!!!!

um, a sudoku reference??

[growlycat]

doh! I get it now

[critterlady]

Meds, for sure.
Swimming - it's both exercise and a kind of moving meditation for me
Massage

[elliemay]

Meds. Friends. Mindfulness. Animals. Charity work.

[Arha]

in order of effectiveness for me:
1. drugs
2. exercise
3. socialising
4. reducing work pressure

[content30]

I changed jobs.
I changed my living situation (no roommate)
I keep everything organized (very anxiety reducing)
I am better with my finances (debt free = so much less anxiety)
I have a sweet, miniature dachshund who abounds in joy and unconditional love.
I am involved with and volunteer at church and pray and read my Bible and various non-fiction Christian literature (highly recommend Tim Keller).
I make time for friends and family.

[LadyShadow]

My meds.

Quitting my job so I know now what I can handle.

Reading.

Psych Central.

Aromatherapy.

[feralkittymom]

For me, it's been a solidifying and building upon the gains since therapy, coupled with expanding into new experiences:

"hearing" my T in my head
pursuing self-created challenges in my teaching
engaging new cultural experiences as an ex-pat (as someone who struggled with depression and agoraphobia)
reiki
therapeutic massage
cats

[unaluna]

Originally Posted by growlycat

um, a sudoku reference??

I wish! I have yet to successfully complete one! Don't tell my alma mater - I'm afraid they'll try to claw back my math degree!!

Getting back involved in my church and my music has been the best therapy for me. I stayed too isolated for too long.

Photography.

[Perna]

Reading and writing.

[HealingTimes]

Originally Posted by Perna

Reading and writing.

Same here. Reading and writing has been a life line for me.

Writing poetry and short stories
Exercise (ish...depends on if i am over exercising or not)
Enough sleep
Having time for myself
Art (i am useless at art, but enjoy it)
Pampering myself (i have put my poor body through so much crap, i like to pamper it occasionally by painting nails, deep conditioning my hair, pedi and mani etc)

Reading.
Working as much as possible, especially on weekends. (It makes me feel good to get things done, and my work is something I am really very interested in - it's not a punishment to work. And weekends are the most difficult days for me, in general.)
Writing, sometimes.
Having cats.
Avoiding habits that are destructive for me.
Oh, and book binding, which I learnt this summer. Creating beautiful things with my hands!

[tinyrabbit]

Talking about how I'm feeling. I used to just keep everything inside but I've started opening up a little to my husband and friends. At church on Sunday I was feeling upset and instead of going off to cry by myself I went to the prayer ministry people and they sat with me and prayed for me to find peace, I was talking to my T today about what a breakthrough it was to allow myself to be 'seen'.

Also: reading, movies, my cat, playing my guitar, avoiding my family as much as possible. Like Hankster said: 6, 6, 6, 6, 6!