I’ve always struggled with mental health. And I’ve tried various things over the years. There are lots of articles out there, around how you can help your mental health. But you have to find what works for you. These are some of the things that have helped me.
- Meditation. I do a short session every day, and it really helps. Its more of a sensual technique, where I listen to some ambient sounds – rain and the sea – with some music and I go back to somewhere I love being – beside water, the River Ness, Brighton beach – and I imagine all the sounds and scents, drawing myself back there. I imagine myself sitting by the water with a coffee, thinking things through and throwing my worries into the water.
- My own bubble, being a conductor. Sometimes, imagining I’m in my own bubble of light and sound can help, a place where I am safe and can control my space, and not let in anything I don’t want. In loud crowded staff events, often pretending to be a conductor and visualising myself turning down the dynamics in an orchestra is a game changer.
- Fidget toys. I have a selection of fidget toys, which I use when restless or anxious or nervous or need to focus, fiddling with them until I feel better. These include some fidget bracelets, a fidget box, a small Viking desk figurine, a stress ball shaped like a strawberry, and a soft toy dinosaur.
- Tapping. There’s an app called Tapping Solutions, who have deep meditation exercises, and when I’m anxious about change or uncertainty, I use their sessions, and they really help.
- Writing. Writing always helps my mental health, with every word. When written down, my worries don’t seem so big, and if I’m nervous about a project, I can write a flash about dragons or a poem about colour, and always feel better after. I also had a series of flashes where I visualised my mental health conditions – insomnia, anxiety, depression – into characters, writing out what they would say and how they really think, which was super helpful, and I still do that when I’m trying to make important decisions or am anxious about Moorfields in advance.
- Access to Work. I used Access to Work last year, and it really helped. I was matched with a lovely lady who supported me through regular phone calls and sent resources by email. I learnt a lot, was a real year of self-development and grew over the nine months. I worked on building my confidence and assertiveness, and how to ask for what I need to support me/my mental health. I learnt a range of tips and tricks to support me both in and outside of work, as well as a sensory self-care plan and how to be kinder to myself. This made approaching situations which I previously struggled with a lot easier, such as large meetings, airports, and Moorfields, as well as when meeting new people, contributing to meetings, and asking for passenger assistance. Now I feel completely different, and able to face most things in life, and feel more like myself.
- A sensory self care plan. This was something I made with Access to Work. With sensory overload, you often focus on the things your brain doesn’t like. But this document lists all the sensory items that my brain does like, a guide to get back on track, and all the ways I can make things better. Its also a great way to see what I like and need, and has helped me become more appreciative of my minds odd quirks, and more accepting of these conditions when they flare up.
- Breaking things down. Sometimes things and tasks, particularly at work, feel too big and I get overwhelmed, or struggle to get started, worrying I will mess a task up or be nervous about what I need/have to do. In these cases, what really helps is breaking it down into a series of steps, or a task list of actions I need to do. This helps make things more manageable, and by breaking it down into smaller chunks, I can achieve wonders.
- Ear accessories. I love my Calmer earbuds, which muffle the world slightly and make things more manageable, and use them all the time. I have a favourite set of headphones, which I use for meditations and listening to music, so I can focus or block out the world if its too much. I also have a set of ear defenders, which are really good at reducing sound from noises like fire alarms and sirens and fireworks, which cause intense anxiety. A pair of Bluetooth headphones also worked super well for blocking out fireworks, on Bonfire Night this year.
- Knowing I am definite. For a long time, my sight loss condition was unknown, a mystery to science. But now its been confirmed, its eased off that anxiety, and made my mental health much better. Of course, I still have bad days and I will lose more sight. But having that definite diagnosis really helped, with the knowledge from that doctor to go forward with my life and do wonderful things.
This is not exhaustive, and I will always be discovering more ways. But it all helps, and right now, I feel more like myself than ever.
