• Back to Center

    Back to Center: Update 4

    The Recovering Pessimist: Back to Center Update 4 -- Mental health is just as important as physical health. | www.therecoveringpessimist.me #amwriting #recoveringpessimist #optimisticpessimistBeen gone for a minute, but I’m back with another Back to Center post (see here, here, here, and here for earlier posts). For this update, I wanted to discuss the other end of my lifestyle journey: improving my mental well-being.

    Mental health is just as important as your physical health. Actually, for me, mental health is a little more important. Negativity takes a toll on me physically and that’s the absolute last thing I need.

    So I wanted to share two things that are key components in improving my mental well-being: mindset and relaxation. These have worked wonders for me and I hope it does the same for you. With all the chaos that life entails, we need all the optimism we can get.

    Okay, enough of me blabbing, let’s get started, shall we?

    Mindset

    I want to have a more positive outlook and have a better way of approaching life’s curveballs. Initially, I cut the toxic people out of my life because if you don’t contribute to my awesomeness, you can go.

    Once I got rid of the toxicity, I realized that I needed to remind myself how awesome life really is. That’s where Instagram comes in. I started following Purple Buddha Project & Think Grow Prosper.  I love how their accounts are inspirational without being a bunch of bull.

    Then I ran across Self Love Mantras, Mind Body Green, & ckelso on Instagram’s Explore page. I’ve never been a big fan of affirmations. The ones I saw were totally unrelatable to me. They were too soft and sort of overly positive. I relate better to tough love and I find these three Instagram accounts much more my style as far as affirmations are concerned.

    Relaxation

    I still work a 9-5, so I work on this blog after work. Many evenings I’ve come home too wound up from work to decompress properly. After many sleepless nights started messing with my after-work productivity, I realized that I needed a relaxation plan so I can work on my side projects and sleep well.

    Here are a few things that contribute to my relaxation plan:

    Decompression Period

    After spending 8-10 hours at work, I HAVE to decompress from the day. I usually begin this during the drive home. When I get home, I shower, catch up on my YouTube feed, drink an alcoholic beverage, and sit on the couch. That 45 minutes to an hour really does wonders for my spirit.

    Have a “Do Nothing” Day

    My energy tends to wane as the week progresses. I like to have a day where I don’t do anything writing-related. This is usually Friday evening into late Saturday afternoon. During this period, I catch up on TV shows, read, hang out on social media, etc. If I decide to do a little work, I use my Clear Focus app to make sure that I only spend 25 minutes on the task.

    Tell me, what tips do you have for changing your mindset and/or relaxing? You can leave a comment, or hit me up on social media. I look forward to hearing from you! In the meantime, be good to yourself, okay?