keeping on the fight

[shiznit76]

Hi, what helps you guys continue the fight against anxiety/depression?

[Fishmanpa]

As with any illness, mental or physical, consider the alternative. My daughter has a semi colon with wings on her wrist to remind her of just that.

"Life is 10% what happens to us, 90% how we handle it." Charles Swindoll

It's all about attitude.

Positive thoughts

[Tangaroa]

Re-connecting with nature for me. I think the power of the natural world to help people with a variety of mental health issues is still underestimated.

I was walking through woodland last week watching a wren build a nest - and for that period of time my mind and body felt relaxed.

[Buster70]

I've felt for long time you can't fight mental illness it's like fighting Mother Nature you will always lose you just have to go along with it and accept it then it slides in to the back ground so you gradually don't notice it's there , I agree with the getting back to basics and looking and listening to natural things that are around us when you are young you don't notice the birds in the trees and the sound of the leaves blowing some mornings I just stop walking and take it all in for a bit , what is this life if full of care we have no time to stand and stare ( I nicked that bit ,

[Holds1325]

Healthy diet, exercise, taking time to have fun and focusing on what I enjoy everyday helps keep it at a manageable level.

Also for those times when it peaks, it helps to practice putting mental stops to certain activities such as I refuse to be in this unnecessary situation/conversation/mood etc. because I KNOW what the end result of this will be.

And even if the circumstances are necessary then its helpful to find some time alone to just breathe and collect your thoughts, recognize they are there, and then just dive into the task completely ignoring any of those thoughts and getting things done and out of the way.

Mental health is very important and should be taken seriously, but with practice it gets alot easier to manage but it also takes some conscious effort to make sure you're not slipping back into the dark places our minds can take us to.