1

Mental Health eBook

Geared toward people with OCD and anxiety,

but can be helpful for anyone!

(By Julia Adrien)

First of all, take a deep breath. It’s gonna be

okay.

Table of Contents
Introduction…………………………………………………………………………2
Labeling/Noting…………………………………………………………………...4
Postponing and Limiting……………………………………………………….9
OCD and Anxiety Maxims……………………………………………………..12
Unwanted Feelings……………………………………………………………….25
Mindfulness…………………………………………………………………………..31
Meditation…………………………………………………………………………….32
Yoga………………………………………………………………………………………35
Trying New Things…………………………………………………………………37
Use Art as an Outlet………………………………………………………………39
Take Care of Yourself……………………………………………………………..40
Spirituality………………………………………………………………………………42
Journaling………………………………………………………………………………44
5-Minute Mood Boosters………………………………………………………..47
 2

Introduction

Hi there! Before we get started, I just want

to make it clear that I’m not (yet) a mental
health professional. All of these tips are from my
personal experience, and many or most of them
are from my therapist who I work with weekly
or biweekly. If you have a mental illness, I do not
recommend just doing self-help, as mental illnesses
involve distorted thinking and having a
professionally trained guide will really benefit you.
If you’ve had bad experiences with therapy
before, I’m really sorry and I know how that
feels. I’ve been there. In fact, I had so many
bad therapists as a child that I was very
hesitant to go to therapy as an adult. But I
realized that (duh) not all therapists are the
same, and I found a really great one who has
changed my life. You will too if you keep looking.
If you believe money issues prevent you from
 3

getting help, I assure you you can still get help.

Your insurance probably works for some
therapists in your area. If not, there are free
options—open-door clinics. There is also affordable
therapy online.
That being said, here are the tips from my
personal experience!
 4

Labeling/Noting

When you’re dealing with intrusive thoughts,

make sure you don’t just let them get away with
trying to sneak in among your normal/positive
thoughts. Label them as intrusive thoughts. If
you have OCD (or an eating disorder, or anxiety,
or depression, or any other mental illness), label
them as OCD (or whatever) thoughts.
When you have an overwhelming feeling, you
can simply note ‘feeling.’
Don’t try to push the thoughts away. Don’t
tell yourself that this thought is bad or not
allowed. Don’t tell yourself, “STOP thinking about
this!”
At the same time, don’t engage with the
thoughts. Don’t focus in on them like they’re
special, don’t do any analyzing, don’t rehash every
detail of your fear/anxiety over and over again.
You may think you can’t control your thoughts,
 5

but that’s not true. The intrusive ‘thoughts’

that just pop into your head, those initial words
and images that flash and try to get your
attention to go into deeper analyzing, aren’t really
thoughts—they’re thought proposals. When you
agree to zoom in on the thought proposal and
start analyzing (paragraph after paragraph of
inner monologue, going over things in detail,
basically any level of mental activity that is
intentional), that’s conscious thought. So let’s
refer to the pop-up intrusive thoughts as
thought proposals in this eBook from here on out.
I used to think I couldn’t control that extra
analyzing and zooming in, but I realized, to my
surprise and revelation, that I can. I can’t stop
a short phrase or a picture from popping into my
head, but I can choose not to go into greater
detail with paragraph after paragraph of
analyzing. I’ll reiterate: I used to think “I can’t
control my thoughts,” but I realized that in-
depth analyzing takes conscious effort (and yes,
it’s true that I can’t control thought proposals,
 6

those flashing images/words—at least not

immediately). You can control analytical thinking
immediately; it’s a conscious process. So don’t try
to stop the obsessions—try to stop the
compulsions (of which in-depth analyzing of your
obsessive content is one).
I know it may sound confusing, like there is a
thin line between pushing the thought proposals
away and moving on from them. You might be
asking, “What’s the difference?” I can give you an
example of a misguided approach to this
technique vs a proper approach below:

Misguided Approach:
“STOP popping into my head! Get out of my
head. I’m going to distract myself with
something and pray that I forget about this
already!”

Proper Approach:
“I accept that this might keep popping into
my head (thought proposal), but I don’t have to
 7

respond or engage with it at all (coscious

thought). I’m going to bring my attention and
intention to the present moment now, keeping in
mind that this thought may or may not keep
popping up while I’m doing this activity. It
might keep popping into my head and I might
just end up forgetting it; I don’t know what will
happen, but I accept either outcome.”

Anyway, once you start labeling the intrusive

content as OCD (or whatever it is), you are
already starting to take away its power. Even if
you are still compulsing and feel that you can’t
help it, label the compulsions: OCD compulsions (or
____ [whatever mental issue you struggle with]
behaviors). That’s step one, and just by doing
this, you are already constantly reminding yourself
that this is a part of a mental illness (or even if
you don’t have a mental illness and are just
labeling the intrusive thought proposals as ‘junk
mail’ or whatever phrase you choose, that these
thought proposals are not important, meaningful,
 8

or indicative of anything about you.

* Tip: If the thought proposals are popping

up so much that you have to keep labeling them
over and over, obviously you can’t be expected to
do this a thousand times in a row. If you’ve
labeled/noted “OCD thought proposal” more than
20 times, just preemptively label the next batch
“repetitive OCD thought proposals that keep
popping up.” You can start labeling the individual
thoughts again whenever, probably the next
‘batch.’
 9

Postponing and Limiting

If you are at the stage in your treatment

where you have been able to completely stop OCD
compulsions, that’s great! Continue trying not to
compulse.
If you are not yet at that stage, there are
two things you can do to move toward that level:
postponing and limiting.
Postponing compulsions: Say, “Okay, I’m going
to do this compulsion, but not now. I will do it in
[30 minutes, 60 minutes, 90 minutes, 1 day,
whatever feels doable for you—the longer you can
postpone it, the better].
Limiting compulsions: Once your POSTPONED
compulsion time arrives, say, “Okay, it’s time to
do my compulsion now, but I’m not going to do it
exactly the way I normally do. I’m only going to
do it [this much] or [for this long].”
As the days go by, gradually increase the
 10

amount of time you postpone the compulsions and

gradually limit the amount of time or energy you
spend compulsing when you do.
If you have Pure O OCD and your compulsions
are mainly mental, it can be helpful to schedule a
Worry Time.
There are 2 levels of Worry Times, with
Level 1 being a little more of a ‘beginner’ level and
Level 2 being a little more ‘advanced.’
A Level 1 Worry Time is more like contained
compulsing. During this type of worry time, you
can do your analyzing compulsions.
A Level 2 Worry Time is just making a list of
everything that scares you without doing your
analyzing compulsions.
Only do a Worry Time for about 10 minutes
per day. Try to do it at a consistent time, sucha
as 10 AM every day. Do a calming exercise
afterwards, such as a meditation.
I’m mainly talking in terms of OCD, but I
imagine this could be helpful with other mental
illnesses as well. For instance, you could postpone
 11

or limit an eating disorder behavior, or a

depression behavior.
If you keep gradually postponing, reducing,
and confining the compulsions, eventually you will
reach a point where you are not doing them at all
(of course taking into account that you might
have setbacks, random spikes, relapses, etc—life
is fluid—but hey, you also might not, and you will
feel so much better the vast majority of the
time).
 12

OCD and Anxiety Maxims

You’ve already started labeling your OCD [or

anxiety, depression, eating disorder, etc], so it
already has less power over you—you have begun
separating it from the rest of your thoughts and
your authentic self. You’ve also given yourself a
preview of your own strength by postponing,
limiting, containing, OR stopping
compulsions/behaviors. So you’re already doing
great!
Below is a list of maxims I use to…
* respond to my OCD thought proposals when
they feel uncontrollable
* calm myself and bring myself back to the
present moment after a scheduled Worry Time
The best explanation of the maxims is that
they’re basically like mantras. They are neither
meant to reassure you that your fear is not true
nor to amplify your fear. Rather, they remind you
 13

that you have a mental illness and these thought

proposals are meaningless. Again, these will
probably work for any mental illness or anxiety.
Also, it should be helpful to end any of them with
“I’m ready to move on now.”

The maxims:

- I don’t know whether or not this is as

urgent as it seems, but I’m going to have to live
with that possibility. I’m ready to move on for
now.
- Ask yourself how a person without OCD [or
eating disorder, depression, etc] would respond to
this situation.
- Stop expecting, start accepting.
- Let the thought proposal part of your mind
be a completely free space. Don’t attempt to
control what goes on in the pop-ups because
usually people can’t, it’s just random.
- OCD is not a thought problem, it’s a feeling
problem. The thoughts/thought proposals are
 14

not hurting you at all; your (albeit involuntary)

reaction to them is. So you don’t need to stop
having these thought proposals pop up, you need
to start learning how to control your relationship
with them/your reaction (which is a totally doable
task).
- Name 4 things to bring you back to the
present.
- Sometimes you don’t get an instant or timely
solution. Sometimes you need to take the risk of
being patient. I can put this aside for [period of
time] and come back to it later, or I can let go of
it completely and have faith that it is okay for it
to go unanswered.
- OCD likes to tell you, “THIS TIME the
obsession is different! All the other ones you had
in the past were just OCD, but this time it’s real.
This time you need to pay attention!” Spoiler
alert: it’s never actually the exception. Your OCD
thought of other loopholes for all your other
obsessions. It’s all OCD. This content is nothing
unique, special, or to be afraid of. I am willing to
 15

take the risk of labeling this as OCD and

- The root of suffering is attachment. You’re
suffering because you’re attached to something,
such as the mood you would rather be in, the
thought proposals you would prefer to have
popping up, judgments of the thought proposals
you are having, etc.
- This sense of urgency and these obsessive
thoughts are textbook symptoms of OCD, the
mental illness I am diagnosed with. I am ready to
take the risk of treating this as OCD.
- You can think of your passing thought
proposals as invitations to go down certain paths
and you don’t have to accept the invitations.
- Okay, I’m having psychosomatic symptoms.
I can notice that while also realizing that that
in and of itself doesn’t mean anything. I notice
them physically…does my mouth feel heavy? Is
there pressure in my jaw? Am I twitchy? What
does it physically feel like? Does it really feel as
bad as I think? [Can also be helpful to ‘breathe
through’ each part of the body that is having a
 16

physical reaction to the stress. Although the

feeling itself may not immediately go away
completely, it tends to move to a different part
of the body, and then when you start focusing on
it in that part of the body, it moves again.
Interesting how illusory it is. Could it possibly
be…deceptive?]
- I keep having this thought proposal, and
it’s bothering me. Well, that’s unresolved for now,
but I can still keep moving on with my life even
as it keeps popping up.
- Okay, I just had that image/thought
proposal pop up. I notice it and I’m choosing to
move on for now. A pop-up thought proposal does
not mean anything.
- Even though it feels like the wrong thing to
do, I’m going to move on for now.
- The only appropriate response to the OCD is
“This is part of a mental illness.”
- Let things not be what you pictured. For
instance, if you are upset because you were
picturing a perfect day at the beach, and when
 17

you arrive there you keep having these unwanted

thought proposals…just tell yourself, “Let it not
be what you pictured.” You are attached to a
picture in your mind. Be here now and make the
best of the actual, real situation. It may not be
perfect, but there is beauty to be found here
regardless. I bet you can find some, let’s try.
- I’m going to have to live with
uncomfortable possibilities in order to be free. I’m
ready to move on now.
- Live it out, don’t figure it out. See how
things play out—let go of control.
- I don’t have to be perfect to be okay or
good enough. Instead of focusing on the one
negative thing or ‘piece of evidence’ I can find
against myself, I should be focusing on the
thousands of positive things in my life and about
me.
- There are other ways to relate to the world
besides accusing myself of abstract things.
- You’re not afraid of the thought proposals
themselves, you’re afraid of how they make you
 18

feel. So just say to yourself, “okay, feeling,” accept

and acknowledge the feeling once and move on.
- It’s probably safe to say things are not as
black-and-white as you’re making them out to be.
Relax into the reality that you have a mental
illness and your thoughts are likely to be
distorted. Relax into the fact you can’t trust
OCD.
- Don’t be a perfectionist.
- I can move on with my life while some
things are still unresolved or up in the air.
- Why am I so sensitized right now? How do
I react to being more sensitized? And what shold
I do instead?
- Live as if you know for a fact that these
feelings are only temporary.
- I’m grateful for this intrusive thought
proposal because this is good practice for me.
- Beyond the fact that the answer may be
more gray, fluid, abstract and rainbow than you
realize, there may not even BE ‘an answer.’
- I’m going to move on even though I’m still
 19

getting signals from the OCD.

- I’m practicing living with uncertainty.
- I’m practicing living with gray areas.
- This feels urgent, but that doesn’t mean it
is. However, I’m going to have to live with that
possibility.
- Okay, that was an intrusive image. Thanks
for that, OCD.
- That’s not appropriate fo right now
because I’m practicing living with uncertainty.
- “BUT I REALLY DON’T KNOW!” And that’s
the best place for you to stay right now for your
treatment.
- Okay, I just had that sinking feeling.
That’s a feeling I just had. But I can still move
on for now.
- Instead of guessing/researching
(compulsing), I could just move on for now.
- These psychosomatic symptoms feel like bad
signs and signals I should compulse/signals that
what the OCD is saying is true. But if anything,
these are signs that I am resisting strong urges
 20

to compulse—GOOD signs!
- I’m not going to solve this today no matter
how much I think about it, and for now, I have
thought about it enough. I can move on for now
and think about it more another time.
- “I’m trying to do this other activity, but I
keep having unwanted thought proposals!”
That’s OK. Before you start your activity, take a
moment to acknowledge the fact that you might
have pop-ups during it and while it is
uncomfortable, you’re doing the best you can. The
discomfort that comes with that is just the
result of you resisting compulsions, which is
awesome. Also, you don’t have to be perfect. You
are brigning your awareness to the present as
much as you can. I bet you’re doing better than if
you weren’t trying at all. The path to getting
where you want to be is paved with small
improvements and small successes. You could never
expect to start a race and appear at the finish
line immediately without even running. Each step
 21

is required to get there.

Dealing With Psychosomatic Symptoms

What are psychosomatic symptoms?

Psychosomatic symptoms are physical reactions to
anxiety.

Psychosomatic symptoms can include:

- Hands shaking
- Sweating
- Crying or feeling the urge to cry
- Gag reflex throbbing
- Stomach ache
- Dry mouth/throat
- Body aches
- Tingling
- Headache
- Feeling like you can’t smile (heavy
mouth/eyes)
 22

Millions of people experience these very

common anxiety physical symptoms; you are not
alone.

You might view these symptoms as bad signs,

and worry that they are ruining your
mood/day/life. But really, you are doing great
today by trying not to give in to your mental
illness. Even if you can’t get where you want to be
100% today, you will still be 100% better off
than if you were not trying. Give yourself some
credit.

You can actually be grateful for the

psychosomatic symptoms because they give you
something to focus on other than the thought
proposals. Focus on the physical sensations. What
do they feel like? Where do you feel them? Make a
list of the body parts where you feel
psychosomatic symptoms and then visualize
yourself ‘breathing through’ each one for 10-20
 23

breaths each. Repeat if necessary. At the very

least, you will see how the feelings move to
somewhere else in the body if they do not go away
completely. These feelings are more illusory than
concrete.

You can also try to change your outlook on the

psychosomatic symptoms to something other
than “Ugh, this sucks, my day is ruined!” Example
of a new outlook on a psychosomatic symptom:
- Mouth feeling heavy: Your mouth feels
weighed down, and you feel unable to smile. But I
bet there’s something that could make you smile.
This feeling of heaviness is uncomfortable but it
doesn’t truly mean you can’t smile! It’s a lie!
Instead of worrying about why your mouth feels
heavy, challenge yourself to find something that
makes you smile or laugh! (I will give ideas later
on in this eBook!).
* Exercise: Write your own new outlook for
each of your psychosomatic symptoms.
* Exercise: Some simple mindfulness meditation
 24

to focus in on the sensations, try to detect exactly

where they’re coming from and how they feel,
might be a good coping mechanism right now!
 25

Unwanted Feelings

Sometimes, even when we stop

analytically/consciously thinking about our
obsessions and worries, the thought proposals
alone still cause us unwanted feelings.

These feelings include:

- sadness
- anger
- shock
- fear
- anxiety
- confusion
- loneliness

You are not alone in having these feelings. 7.8

billion people experience them as well. That’s
right, everyone experiences the entire spectrum
of human emotion! Of course, people with anxiety
and mental illnesses might be prone to
 26

experiencing more intolerable versions of these

feelings, or experiencing them for greater lengths
of time. Send yourself some compassion for the
fact that you go through that. Send yourself
some admiration for your strength to be here
right now trying. Send yourself some pride for
your small successes.

The problem with “I want to be happy.”

Everyone says, “I want to be happy,” but there
is a problem here.
You are going to be happy. But you are also
going to be: sad, scared, surprised, confused,
excited, hopeful, in love, angry, thrilled, fascinated,
and every other feeling.
Your feelings are fluid. You will never be 100%
happy (or sad, or surprised, scared, etc), and if
you are, that most likely won’t last forever
(although if it does, great! There are definitely
plenty of people who claim to be perma-happy!).
Just saying, that’s not the reality for most
people. So don’t aim to ‘be happy’ as a permanent
 27

state and don’t get down on yourself if you don’t

meet that sky-high expectation.
Instead, aim to notice and acknowledge your
feelings. Try to be happier, but don’t try to be
100% happy. And if you find that you’re just
feeling down today no matter what you do, accept
it and continue moving on with your life. (Note: if
you are sad the vast majority of the time, you
may have depression and should get professional
help. Well, you should actually be getting
professional help for any mental illness—I’ll make
that clear at the end of this eBook). Aside from
that scenario, if you have an unwanted feeling you
can’t seem to shake today, doing some expressive
art right now would be a good coping mechanism.

“Don’t see emotions other than happiness as

bad or wrong. Mine them for their own unique
powers.”

Examples of things that can make you

happier:
 28

* Immersive activities. The more immersive,

the better. Examples include yoga (and don’t do
the same routine over and over again! Doing new
and challenging poses and learning hard things
over time like the splits helps more), surfing,
making music, etc. Activities that involve both
the body and the mind. I also find collaging
immersive even though that’s mostly mental. Oh,
and socializing can be very immersive.
* Support system. Partner, friends, therapist.
* Help others. Donate your time and/or money
to charity, and try your best to be kind to
everyone you meet and know and to be the one to
step up and help when you can. Compliment people
and make their days.
* Actively make time in your day to find joy.
Always keep a list of things that make you smile
and laugh and look at it when you feel like there’s
nothing to smile about.

Here are some hilarious videos to get you

started.
 29

Gasping at Strangers Prank

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AuKszk
p_BU&list=LLEHnRPjMlS1aSwa7Nj4y9gA&index=
6&t=264s

Copying Strangers’ Workouts in the Gym

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cxg-
UxoFJi8&list=LLEHnRPjMlS1aSwa7Nj4y9gA&ind
ex=11&t=408s

Picking Up Girls With Embarrassing Shirts

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfLstHU
dr_E&list=LLEHnRPjMlS1aSwa7Nj4y9gA&index=1
6&t=0s

Weird Workouts in the Gym Prank

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZMfHK
84s6Y&list=LLEHnRPjMlS1aSwa7Nj4y9gA&index
=22&t=0s
 30

Not Finishing Sentences Prank

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTHXltM
cdZ8&list=LLEHnRPjMlS1aSwa7Nj4y9gA&index=
28&t=0s

Asking Dumb Questions in a Harvard Lecture

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19pl_PRD
WaA

I know I can always rely on prank videos,

Portlandia, and Beavis & Butthead to make me
laugh/smile, and I keep a list of random things
that make me laugh online. What can you always
rely on? If you can’t think of anything, challenge
yourself to find funny things online! A quick
smile/laugh does more than you think for boosting
your mood. The more of those you have
throughout your day, the better you’ll feel. It’s
best if it’s something so hilarious that it will
actually make you fully smile and laugh.
 31

Mindfulness

Pretty much at the core of all of this is the

principle of mindfulness, or more specifically,
present moment mindfulness. Forget about the
past because you can’t change it. The future isn’t
here yet, so while it is good to work toward a
future you want, it’s not good to dwell on the
future constantly. Focus on this present moment,
right here and right now.
Get involved in immersive and/or new
activities and tasks, and focus on them as much
as possible. Focus on your 5 physical senses as well
as how different things make you feel emotionally.
There are also a lot of exercises you can do to
strengthen your mindfulness practice. Here’s a
really good video that goes over a few:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SuSLOdg
DtZY&t=12s
 32

Meditation

Meditation is a great supplementary practice

when treating OCD, anxiety, and other mental
illnesses.
I got started meditating with an app called
Headspace, and I’ve been using it ever since. Its
creator used to be a Buddhist monk. The
meditations are really good, and there’s a new one
every day. You can also do a group meditation with
other people who use the app. They have mindful
workouts too, and these amazing things called
Sleepcasts, which are basically really relaxing
bedtime stories (but they’re usually told in second
person so you feel like a character). I use these a
lot because this gives me something to focus on
while I’m trying to sleep (aside from my thought
proposals). Headspace also keeps track of how
many days in a row you meditate, so you are more
motivated to do it every day and make it a real
 33

habit (I actually do it twice a day). There’s also

an option to do a non-guided meditation but still
have the counter keep track of your time spent in
meditation and your days meditated. The cheerful
animations throughout the app really make it for
me.
I also use the app Calm as a supplement to
Headspace just because they have a few things
Headspace doesn’t have, such as some ASMRs
narrated by Bob Ross (!!!) and a few other
bedtime stories and such. It’s just a little
different from Headspace, and a little
more…nature-y, too. Like they have birds chirping
and the ocean in the background of most of the
meditations, and when you open the app.
Of course, if you hate technology, there are
other options. You can look up how to do a non-
guided meditation on your own, or get some
meditation books. I do think that if you’re just
starting out, guided is the way to go. If you feel
you’re advancing with the guided meditation and
want to try non-guided, go for it, or add in some
 34

non-guided meditation time after your guided

sessions to see what you prefer.
 35

Yoga

Yoga has, much to my surprise, really helped

me with my mental health. I used to say I hated
yoga because it was “just pointless stretches”
and “there are better ways to exercise.” But I
never imagined the mental benefits.
I’ve really noticed a ton of benefits, including
mindfulness, strengthening mind-body connection,
immersion in the task/moment at hand, having
something to look forward to, having something
really positive to work at/see yourself progress
at, stress reduction, and even just the joy of
surprising yourself with all that your body can do.
I emphasize the importance of constanlty
changing up and advancing your practice. For
instance, I am now working on multiple
new/difficult poses and trying to get my splits.
I’ve experienced all of these benefits just from
doing yoga videos by Boho Beautiful on YouTube,
but I’d like to join a yoga studio in the future.
 36

Other activities that strengthen the mind-

body connection can be other good substitute or
additional options (surfing, dancing/flow art,
VOLUNTEERING, playing music, painting, and
possibly heavy weight lifting (like lifting to
failure)).
 37

Trying New Things

Trying new things is great for your mental

health. It exercises your brain and helps you open
your mind, broaden your horizons, and think in
brand new ways. Activities also tend to be more
immersive when they are not just automatic.
Trying something new or outside your comfort
zone can be as simple as listening to a band you’ve
never listened to before or as extreme as
skydiving.
I try to be mindful of the opportunities to
try new things even when I’m just grocery
shopping. I purposely try new foods I wouldn’t
normally go for just to have the experience.
When I go on walks, I try to walk in a wide
variety of places instead of just taking the same
route every time.
Lately I’ve been trying out the cold shower
craze. That’s pretty out of my comfort zone, but
I just wanted to try it.
 38

You can try something new without even

leaving your house. There is plenty of music online
you could try listening to mindfully and probably
tons of books in your house you haven’t even read
yet. You can also learn something new on YouTube,
like how to French braid or do origami.
If you are having one of those days where
you feel like you can’t get out of bed (which is a
thought proposal I don’t recommend listening to
because I do believe you will just end up feeling
worse)—but if you are really having one of those
days—that’s okay. Everyone has those days. But
anyway, I would suggest reading new books,
watching new TV shows and visiting new web
sites while you lie in bed because at least then
you’ll be doing something new.
 39

Use Art as An Outlet

Whatever you’re feeling or going through, I’m

sure it would make an amazing story, drawing,
painting, article, song, or video. So express
yourself! If there are super-personal elements to
your problem, you don’t have to go into detail. You
can just express the feelings, which are universal.
And don’t worry about being ‘good,’ as that is
subjective and there are many art and music
styles out there. For instance, there are many
visual art styles aside from just realism, and
there are many music styles aside from just the
super polished stuff recorded in Hollywood
(including the entire genres of lo-fi and bedroom
pop).
 40

Take Care of Yourself

It is so tiring to have a mental illness that

sometimes we just want to lie in bed, not eat or
overeat, and go a week without showering.
However, this will NOT make you feel better. It
will make you feel worse.
The fact is, you actually require more self care
than a neurotypical person, not less. So even if you
don’t feel like it or don’t believe you deserve it,
take care of yourself like you are a queen/king.
Shower daily while listening to your favorite
music. Keep your room clean and make your bed
every morning. Exfoliate, moisturize, do face
masks, take care of your nails, teeth, etc.
Eat healthy (this includes being mentally
healthy, so ‘eat healthy’ does not mean ‘never
have a candy bar,’ but rather, eat mindfully and
within reason, with a bigger emphasis on
nutritious foods and some room for pleasure
foods). Research intuitive eating!
 41

Find a form of exercise you enjoy and do it

daily!
Meditate and do yoga (or if you really don’t
like yoga, do another immersive activity).
Talk to your friends! If you don’t have
friends, make an online friend!
Try to sleep for 8 hours per night and to
tune in to your natural circadian rhythm. For me,
I seem to function best when I go to sleep
around 11:00 to midnight and wake up around 7-8.
People vary somewhat, but for the vast majority
of people, it is not mentally healthy to be waking
up at 3 PM. At the very least, try to get up
some time in the AM, preferably at 9 or earlier.
Keep a big water bottle with you and stay
hydrated.
Wear clothes you like.
Get yourself presents.
Make lists of the things you like about
yourself.
Tell yourself things will be okay, and that you
will make sure of it.
 42

Spirituality

Obviously not everyone believes in God, but

even if you don’t, you can still be spiritual.
Spirituality involves a few things:
* finding meaning in something greater than
yourself
* having faith (it doesn’t have to be in God; it
can simply be faith that things will work out
okay)
And can sometimes involve:
* having transcendent experiences of some
sort
* a relationship with God
For secular people, you will focus on the first
two or three aspects, and for religious people, you
will focus on all four aspects.
Prayer, worship songs, reading a religious
text, having faith in God and remembering how
amazing He is are all important aspects of my
life. For a secular person, spirituality might
 43

involve going on hikes in a beautiful place and

looking at the stars at night (even better if you
get a telescope). Either way, I think spirituality
is something universal that can really help all of
us to find meaning, wonder, and faith in life.
 44

Journaling

Journaling is an important part of my life.

However, I don’t really journal in a conventional
way (anymore—I used to, but now I don’t really
find that useful as it can cause me to dwell on
things too much and not be in the present).
Obviously it will be different for everyone, but
here is my journaling routine:

AM:
* 10-minute Worry Time
* Transition to the present through maxims
* Set an intention for the day
* Make a list of things I’m grateful for
* Do a body scan
* Sole focus (I just pick one object and focus
on it completely for a set amount of time, usually
about 10 minutes, just writing every little detail
about it)
* List for happiness (I use a book called 52
 45

Lists for Happiness. You can also look up ideas for

lists to make online. This is a good list of list ideas
(haha):
https://www.mindfulproductivityblog.com/blog/50-
lists-to-make-when-life-feels-overwhelming
List-making can be very meditative and
mindful.

PM:
* 5 senses technique. Name 5 things you see,
4 things you feel, 3 things you hear, 2 things you
smell, and 1 thing you taste.
* Appreciate the day. Make a list of the cool
things you did today or some of the good things
that happened or beautiful things you noticed
around you.
* Make another list of things you are grateful
for.
* Do 1 random/fun journaling prompt. You can
always look these up online.
* List for calm (I use a book called 52 Lists
 46

for Calm. Again, you can just look up list ideas

online).
 47

5-Minute Mood Boosters

• Call your best friend/partner/most trusted

family member/therapist
• Make a list. List ideas:
https://www.mindfulproductivityblog.com/bl
og/50-lists-to-make-when-life-feels-
overwhelming
• Do a 5-minute yoga video. On YouTube, they
even have options for yoga you can do in bed.
• If you believe in God, pray.
• Donate $5 or $10 to a charity that is
meaningful to you.
• Do a 5-minute meditation.
• Make your bed and straighten up your room.
Open the curtains and let the Sun shine in.
• Change your clothes.
• Shower.
• Try a new thing (listen to a new song, eat a
new food).
 48

• Watch a funny video that will make you

laugh/smile.

Thank you for reading this and I hope you

have a great day. I know you will be okay!